The Central Advisory Board of Education was reconstituted after about ten years, when the mission of this group was first diluted and later allowed to dissipate. The meeting occurred over two days and included participation of thirty two nominated members from civil society, state level ministers or secretaries connected to education as well as the Minister of Human Rights and Development, Shri Arjun Singh.

This meeting occurred while numerous supporters of RSS protested against this meeting claiming that this board was formed to endorse Arjun Singh’s personal agenda of desaffronization of the syllabus. They argued that there was no RSS representation in this board.

The two-day event started with recognition that this meeting was reconstituted under very different conditions. There is a significant change in the nature of globalization. Further, the nature of communal tensions has become increasingly volatile. The Board felt that education policies must be aware of and respond to these challenges. Each member of the board spoke about specific aspects of education that he or she felt was important and needed to be addressed.

Shri Arjun Singh suggested that the group begin with a review of the 1986 policies. Further, seven committees were formed each focusing on one issue. These included:
1. A fresh look at the Free and Compulsory Education Bill drafted by the NDA government which came under criticism from several quarters. The Bill is a political declaration of state's retreat from its constitutional obligation towards education. It also promotes control through extra-constitutional authorities.
2. Review of implementation of the common school system. This was incorporated three times in the education policy – in 1968, 1986, 1992. However, in the last ten years, a variety of low quality education alternatives have been instituted. Regular teachers were substituted by unqualified, under-trained and underpaid para-teachers and the norms approved by the Indian Parliament vis-à-vis Operation Blackboard were diluted. These policies were in fact recommended by the World Bank under structural adjustment programs
3. The third committee will consider the universalization of secondary education. The constitutional goal of providing eight years of elementary education is not adequate anymore. The new goal that this committee will review is that education be guaranteed till the tenth standard level, if not up to the plus two level, in the absence of which opportunities for technical education and employment – including reservations of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes – become difficult.
4. The fourth committee will focus on the autonomy of centers for higher education vis-à-vis the UGC Model Act for universities (which was meant to ensure autonomy for these institutes).
5. The fifth committee will consider inclusion of cultural content into education including aspects such as the pluralistic nature of the Indian nation.
6. The sixth committee will explore means to control content of education in parallel school systems such as madrassas and shishumandirs so that efforts to include communal prejudices within educational curricula may be thwarted.
7. The seventh committee will focus on financial concerns with regards to technical and higher education within the context of increased privatization and the state’s role in managing global market forces.

Formation of these seven committees – some of which are beyond the common minimum program of the UPA government – provides an indication that the government is willing to listen to civic groups and people’s concerns. The 2% tax for education proposed by the finance ministry reinforces this belief. It is up to the Indian civic society to ensure that this space can be used to further financial and social investment in education and sustain execution.