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Setting the Ball Rolling: Education
Hi, members of this newly established international virtual community of
Indians everywhere,
We have 19 members subscribed to this list. I would like to welcome the
new members who signed up today, taking the number of signups from 16 to
19 on the 3rd day of formation of this list (I had hoped that 20 would
signup by today, but I realize that people are busy).
I do not wish to hold up the on-going discussions among various sub-groups
further, which were held up for nearly 10 days for purposes of formation
and setting up of this list.
I wish to set the ball rolling on this list by submitting the summary of
discussions so far among various sub-groups, on higher education.
It was a rather difficult job digging up these pieces of mail from my
personal archives. I might have left out some contributions, and so please
feel free to submit any mail that was contributed earlier by any member on
any topic which is missed out by me in my submissions today.
Please note that the earlier contributions have been edited for any
references to any political party, real or imaginary. The current
discussions will relate to an "ideal" political party for India. Something
we would like to see, if such a thing were ever possible.
Immediate goal:
==============
This group's immediate goal is to design a Manifesto and agenda for an
ideal political party for India, if ever such a party were to exist.
Reminder:
========
As indicated elsewhere, this is an archived list. Not only that, very soon
the entire discussions (including this mail) will be placed on the web for
ANYONE in the entire world to browse through, and there will be a search
engine enabling anyone in the world to not only determine any
contributor's views on any topic but also the entire group's views on any
topic, etc. (I will send out instructions on how to access the archives a
little later).
The idea of having a globally accessible archive is that we have no
secrets to hide. We are not perfect. We do not wish to hide what we
believe in, and more importantly, we are willing to change our views if
necessary. Debates are not an indication of rigidity of views but of
flexibility. We are hoping to build a consensus. That means that people's
views will change, and we are not afraid to change our views, if
necessary.
One of us (not yet finalized) will put in the effort, from time to time,
to summarize the "current" consensus on various topics, on a specified web
site. This consensus would **always** be open to better arguments and
debate. We wish to ensure that we have a minimum consensus from all
members of this list and beyond.
We of course agree voluntarilty to impose the strictest standards of
gentlemanly conduct including the use of the most polite language while
disagreeing with others. We are not only friends but brothers and sisters
living on the same Blue Planet and we need the support of each of us to
survive and flourish.
We want to involve ALL Indians everywhere, of every nation. In fact, any
person of any age, interested in India is welcome to participate in this
list (that is why it is completely open to subscription, voluntarily).
Moving on to education:
SUMMARY OF DISCUSSIONS SO FAR
=============================
TOPIC: EDUCATION
Utkarsh proposed:
----------------
1. Free Primary and Secondary Education by law
2. Mandatory Primary Education To Use Tax Payer's Funded Programs
e.g. Government Hospitals
3. Legislation to Introduce National Standard Tests At Various Primary and
Secondary Education Levels
4. Legislation to Promote Private Polytechnics Offering Trade (Technical)
Skill Programs
5. Limited Government Funding For Higher Education
6. Need-based Government Loans for Higher Education
7. Scholarships For College Students Volunteering In Adult Education
Programs
8. Government Funding For Teacher Education Programs
9. Incentives for Industry Participation in designing and funding Higher
Education
10. Legislation to promote establishment of private universities
11. Legislation to Introduce Industry Certification To Promote Quality
In Various Professions
Sanjeev's response:
-------------------
Thanks for the Agenda on Education. I think this is precisely the kind of
work that needs to be done (this resembles what I would call an Action
Plan). In principle, the suggestions cannot be faulted. I have not gone
into each of them in detail, considering various aspects. Pl. give me
some time.
However, I have something to add here. I was the Secretary of the
Education Department in Assam, and the Government of India has prepared
various policy documents on this topic. We should definitely get hold of
these plans. These are usually excellent documents; at least they cover
almost every topic, and give the pros and cons of why a particular policy
has been adopted. Many of the suggestions are already in these plans. The
reason why these do not work, has to be found out.
I also think that we would need to prepare a basic paper first - very
brief - which shows why education is a key issue. What it can do, and what
it cannot do. You already have something on that, I think. That would be
the Policy Framework I talk about. Fliers need to be made on this so that
people are aware of the urgency of this issue.
Then comes a critique of existing policy and its implementation. What
exactly has gone wrong, and where. I have mentioned this point above.
Finally, our own clearly defined Action Plan (e.g., the kind of clear
plan worked out below, but with more detail).
At the last stage, the actual draft legislation needed to bring about the
change, wherever necessary.
As you can clearly see, the task is monumental; not as easy as it sounds.
But it needs to be done. I have not been able to get hold yet, of people
who wish to invest their time on these issues. Everyone likes to talk in
generalities and then go home to sleep.
Even if we can attract one expert from each area, that would be great. But
in the meanwhile, the work you are doing is fine. As I promised, I will
get back with more on this, later.
Utkarsh's response:
------------------
I completely agree. Would it be possible for you to get these documents
from India. I personally do not have any way to get them. We are
preparing like ten fliers. We will bring them to our members. With their
suggestions and critiques, we will add language to the points and turn in
a draft policy statement. We know the task is momental. But we are in
this for a long haul. We are in this to make a difference. Let's see as
to find out the best policies for transforming India into a
great nation. how far can we push it. Thnaks for the suggestions.
Article from The Times of India, contributed by Suresh Anand:
-------------------------------------------------------------
i believe the attached article will be of interest to you.
Saturday 21 March 1998
Graves of Academe
Vice-Chancellors' Diffused Role
By J V NARLIKAR
MY father told me the following tale from an
edition of the Ramayana relating to the period
when Rama had returned to rule at Ayodhya and his
court had begun to enjoy the reputation of merit
and uprightness. One day a hideous looking dog
entered the court and demanded justice against a
sanyasi who had mercilessly beaten him. Rama
asked the accused to be produced in court and so
he was. The sanyasi readily admitted to the act
but gave the following mitigating reason. He said
the dog was following him everywhere as he went
begging for alms and such was the dog's
appearance that the lady of the house he went to
would shut the door in fright. So he had to go
hungry all because of the dog. The dog argued
that he was also hungry and had followed the
sanyasi in the expectation of some food. Was it
his fault that he looked he way he did? The
sanyasi admitted that he did transgress the rules
of civilised behaviour in taking out his
frustration on the dog.
So with the crime established and admitted, it
was time to mete out a punishment. Rama asked the
dog himself, what he could suggest. `Sire! Please
establish a new Vidyapeeth and make this sanyasi
its Kulapati'. Rama was surprised: was this not
an honour rather than a punishment? The dog
explained that the post brought so much anxiety
and frustration that it was punishment enough!
Decline in Standard
That was in the Treta Yuga, when the code of
conduct was far exalted compared to what is found
in this Kali Yuga of ours. Adapting Gilbert and
Sullivan, one can say that the modern day
vice-chancellor's lot is not a happy one.
First, the academic quality of the place. We all
moan the rapid decline of academic standards in
the typical university. Can the vice-chancellor
do anything to improve them? Often distinguished
persons with high achievements and credibility
are appointed to these posts in the pious hope
that under their direction the universities would
recover some of their pre-independence glory.
The conditions under which universities are asked
to function are most difficult. They are expected
to deliver when practically everything is stacked
against them. They cannot recruit students and
faculty on merit, yet they must generate
excellence. Instead of leading the university
with his experience and distinction, for which he
was appointed, the vice-chancellor is bogged down
with sorting out faculty squabbles, negotiating
peace with various unions, handling student
agitations, making the lethargic staff work, and
so on. That is, when he is not presiding over the
numerous inaugurations that take place in the
campus. Remember the university stands for
education in a wide variety of subjects. And so
the vice-chancellor has to make wise remarks on
such occasions on a variety of subjects. Then
there are the numerous government circulars
telling him what he must do and what he cannot
do, circulars whose faded cyclostyled get-up
matches the contents in their unattractiveness.
Personal Stamp
Not surprisingly, only two kinds of
vice-chancellors accept such assignments and
survive in this atmosphere. There are those
highly-motivated ones who are optimistic that
their personal stamp will clear the mess and make
the seat of learning a better place than what it
was when they took over. Some do produce their
stamp; but the results are minor and last only
while they are in power. The system is too far
gone to respond to any individual's efforts.
The other end of the spectrum has those who
positively aspire for the post and are in the
business to create their own power bases, who use
the vice-chancellor's chair to thrive in local
politics, play with departmental appointments,
manipulate management councils and other
university bodies with great skill, which alas,
they could not bring to right the wrongs in the
organisation.
As far as the autonomy of the system is
concerned, the strong arm of the government is
always felt overtly or covertly. There were
instances when the vice-chancellors had to resign
when a different political party came to power in
the state. One such person thanked the education
minister of the state at a public meeting, for
honouring the commitment of making him the vice-
chancellor. Contrast this with the 1942 freedom
struggle, when the British governor of UP wanted
to send police into the campus of Banaras Hindu
University, to search for freedom fighters. At
the time, the vice-chancellor Dr Radhakrishnan
put his foot down and declined to allow the
police into the campus. The governor backed down.
It is a sad reflection on the law and order
situation today, that police now maintain a
continuous presence inside the campus and there
are occasions when the vice- chancellor has to
plead for reinforcements.
Contrary to the glowing reports made by the
vice-chancellor at the annual convocations, no
one can deny that the university system has taken
a steady beating since independence. Successive
governments added to the number of universities,
allowed them to grow indiscriminately, eroded
their autonomy and showed no encouragement for
their merit. Now the standard line is that higher
education will get low priority, that
universities must fend for themselves. This is
like an illiterate couple producing a large
number of offspring and then denying all
responsibility for their upbringing.
Revealing Instances
It seems that as far as producing the likes of
Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard and Princeton in the
Indian framework is concerned, everybody who has
any say has given up. The populist view is that
these ideas are elitist and India does not need
them. Fine; then we do have the answer to the
often asked question: why has India not produced
a Nobel Laureate in the post-independence period?
The answer is: this award is elitist and we do
not need it.
Perhaps the most revealing instances of academics
(and the government too?) having given up on the
universities have come up in the last two years.
A group of NRI scientists wanted to set up a
science university with the major contribution
coming from the government of India. More
recently, there is an attempt to set up an
indigenous Advanced Centre for Science and
Technology with degree-giving status. Both
proposals are aimed at producing highly-
motivated students. For various reasons, I
opposed the first and am a signatory to the
second. But both proposals share one common
feature. That these organisations should be
outside the normal university sector.
© Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. 1997. Reproduction in whole or in part
without written permission is prohibited. To access reprinting rights,
please contact Times Syndication Service.