(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act it shall be the function of the Board to organise, co-ordinate and control the imparting of basic education and teachers' training therefor in the State, to raise its standards and to correlate it with the system of education as a whole in the State.
(2) Without prejudice to the generality of the provisions of sub-section (1), the Board shall, in particular, have power -
(a) to prescribe the courses of instruction and books for basic education and teachers' training therefor;
(b) to conduct the junior high school and basic training certificate examinations and such other examinations as the State Government may from time to time by general or special order assign to it and to grant diplomas or certificates to candidates successful at such examinations;
[(c) to lay down, by general or special orders in that behalf, norms relating to the establishment of institutions by the Gaon Shiksha Samitis or Municipalities and to superintend Gaon Shiksha Samitis, Gram Panchayats and Municipalities] in respect of the administration of institutions, for imparting instruction and preparing candidates for admission to examinations conducted by the Board-]
[(cc) to take over the management of all basic schools, which before the appointed day, belonged to any local body/]
[Provided that the courses of instruction and books prescribed and institutions recognized before the commencement of this Act shall be deemed to be prescribed or recognized by the Board under this Act;]
(d) to exercise supervision and control over basic schools, [District Institute of Education and Training], basic training certificate units and the State Institute of Education;
[(e) to accord approval (with or without modification) to the schemes prepared by the Gaon Shiksha Samitis, Zila Panchayats or Municipalities] for the development, expansion and improvement of and research in basic education in any district or in the State or in any part thereof.]
(f) to acquire, hold arid dispose of any property, whether movable, or immovable.[]
(g) to receive grants, subventions and loans from the State Government;
[(g-1) subject to the general control of the State Government to issue directions not inconsistent with this Act, to Gaon Shiksha Samitis, Gram Panchayats, Zila Panchayats or Municipalities in the performance of their functions under this Act.]
(g2) []
(h) to take all such steps as may be necessary or convenient for, or may be incidental to the exercise of any power, or the discharge of any function or duty conferred or imposed on it by this Act :
Provided that the courses of instruction and books prescribed and institutions recognised before the commencement of this Act shall be deemed to be prescribed or recognised by the Board under this Act.
[(3) For the purposes of exercising powers of management, supervision and control over the basic schools under clause (cc) or clause (d) of subsection (2) which before the appointed day belonged to a local body, the powers and functions of a local body in respect of such schools shall stand transferred to the Board.]