The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) was established in 1985. Following the adoption of the National Education Plan 2020, the MHRD has been renamed Ministry of Education (MoE). Currently, the MoE works through two departments:
The Department of Higher Education takes care of one of the largest Higher Education systems of the world, just after the United States and China.
The main objectives of the Ministry would be:
- Formulating the National Policy on Education and to ensure that it is implemented in letter and spirit
- Planned development, including expanding access and improving quality of the educational institutions throughout the country, including in the regions where people do not have easy access to education.
- Paying special attention to disadvantaged groups like the poor, females and the minorities
- Provide financial help in the form of scholarships, loan subsidy, etc to deserving students from deprived sections of the society.
- Encouraging international cooperation in the field of education, including working closely with the UNESCO and foreign governments as well as Universities, to enhance the educational opportunities in the country.