The Union Government, appointed the Secondary Education Commission in 1952, under the chairmanship of Mudaliar on the suggestion of Tara Chand Committee and Central Education Advisory Board. Named after its chairman, this Commission is also known as Mudaliar Commission.
The Commission thoroughly examined the then prevailing secondary education system and gave a number of suggestions for reforms. Important ones among these were the diversification of the curriculum, and setting up a large number of multi-purpose schools. The courses of study provided in these schools should aim at fulfilling the different aptitudes of the students.
According to the recommendation of the Mudaliar Commission, the outlines for the diversification of curriculum were decided upon. Accordingly, the study of some compulsory subjects was made necessary for all students.
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Besides, the optional subjects were divided into seven groups for enabling students to get an opportunity to study as many subjects of their liking as they desired. An outline of this curriculum is given below:
Compulsory Subjects:
(1) Regional language or mother tongue or a combined course of classical language and mother tongue.
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(2) One of the following languages:
(A) (a) a classical language (b) besides Hindi one more Indian language (c) Advanced English (for those students who had earlier studied English) (d) Elementary English (for students studying it at the secondary stage) (e) besides English, another modern foreign language, (f) Hindi, (for those students whose mother tongue is not Hindi.)
(B) (a) Curriculum of General Science with arithmetic for the first two years only, (b) General course of social sciences for the first two years only.
(C) One of the following vocational subjects:-
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(1) Carpentry (2) Gardening (3) Printing (Spinning and Weaving), (5) Modeling (6) Laboratory test (7) Embroidery (8) Tailoring, embroidery and cutting and (9) Smithy.
Optional Subjects:
Optional subjects have been divided into seven groups. It has been made compulsory for a student to study any three subjects of a group. The groups and their subjects are as follows:—
1. Science Group:
The following subjects have been included in this group:
(1) Chemistry (2) Physics (3) Biology, Zoology or Hygiene (4) Mathematics and (5) Geography.
2. Humanities Group:
(1) Mathematics (2) Home Science (3) Music (4) Geography (5) History (6) Economics or Civics (7) One language not taken from the group of compulsory subjects or a classical language and (8) Psychology or Logic.
3. Home Science Group:
This group has been prescribed for girl students. It is compulsory to offer three out of four subjects. The subjects are as under:
(1) Home Nursing (2) Home Economics (3) Maternity and Child Welfare (4) Nutrition and Cookery.
4. Commerce Group:
(1) Commercial Geography or Economics and Elements of Civics (2) Commercial Practice (3) Short-hand and Type-writing and (4) Book-keeping. «
5. Technical Group:
(1) Practical Science (2) Elements of Electrical Engineering (3) Geometrical Drawing and Applied Mathematics and (4) Elements of Mechanical Engineering.
6. Agricultural Group:
(1) Botany and Agricultural Chemistry (2) Animal Husbandry (3) Gardening and Orchard keeping (4) General Agriculture.
7. Fine Arts Group:
The following six subjects have been included in this group:
(1) Painting (2) Photography (3) Drawing and Sketching (4) Dance (5) Music and (6) History.