The Ministry of Education has unveiled its plans, programmes and budget for the current fiscal year 2007/08.

At a press meet on Saturday, Minister for Education and Sports Pradeep Nepal introduced 32-point policy. The policy aims to make 104,000 more people literate and provide post-literacy education to 50,000 people.

The Ministry policy also aims to expand the campaign to hand over schools to community during this period.

The policy also promises subsidies to the community-managed schools or those that are in the process of being handed over in the recruitment of 8000 teachers at primary level, 2500 teachers at lower secondary level and 1500 teachers at secondary level.

“Such teachers will be appointed through open competition. The school management committees will give priority to women, Dalit and disabled when making such appointments,” said Nepal. He informed that the government will provide grant up to Rs 645,000 to community-run schools if they are interested in constructing school buildings in cost partnership basis.

“In order to bring in uniformity in the operation and control of the universities, we are preparing to introduce an Umbrella Act,” he said, adding that the government would set up one university each in far west and mid west region as well as initiate efforts to convert Rampur Agriculture Campus in Chitwan into Agriculture and Forestry University within this fiscal year.