Op-Ed

APJ Abdul Kalam – the name itself invokes great reverence among children and adults alike. This eminent scientist and engineer is no doubt a man of vision. He is always full of ideas aimed at the development of his country. He is seen by all as an epitome of virtues and dedication to the cause of nation building. Only a person of Kalam’s stature and conviction can think aloud about his feelings and concerns and offer practical solutions to the outstanding problems the nation is facing today.

The worst phase is over when economy was sinking and IIMs were finding it hard to place their full batches. Now, IIMs can take a sigh of relief as their entire batch has been placed at a good salary package.

India today is experiencing a major educational revolution. The whole system of education is experiencing mega changes; ones, which are expected to help the country and its coming generations, move forward rapidly.  As the system readies itself for re-moulding, there is one very important aspect of education that is demanding attention today; and that aspect is the need to inculcate scientific temper in the students of today.

Every year more than 3, 00, 000 students from diverse profiles appear for the Common Admission Test (CAT) to reach their dream destination – Indian Institute of Managements (IIMs). This year the figure went up to 2, 50, 000. However, barely 3,000 candidates make it to the IIMs. What about those students who fail to qualify for the IIMs? 

With the focus on higher education being more than it ever was before, Indian is experiencing an educational revolution of a kind; one that is bringing many changes for all concerned. The education sector is growing by the second and so are the fee structures. Higher education is no longer reasonably available and one often has to pay through the nose to see oneself or a child through. This precisely is the reason why India is finding more and more students opting for education loans.

Ever since the Right To Education (RTE) Act has come into being, it seems the government is busy sandpapering the rough edges with some or the other amendment to its provisions in its bid to strike the right balance with all stakeholders. They hope these amendments will finally pacify the unruffled feelings and eventually set the ball rolling for India’s most ambitious step in the educational arena. But, is it the right approach is the big question. If yes, then for how long?

It is no secret that Muslims in India rank among the most backward communities educationally. Many official surveys and documents confirm this fact. There are several causes for the educational backwardness among Muslims. Digging into the past to trace the reasons for the backwardness is of no use today. While there are some historical reasons, others are contemporary fault lines that have contributed to this setback for the largest minority in the country.

It is a pity that after more than five decades of independence, our education system – be it primary, secondary or higher — fails to meet the global standards. The lacunae are many, but one of the sore points is the politicisation of our education system. The growing interference of politics is killing the vitals of the system across the length and breadth of the country.

Suicide by a student of La Martiniere for Boys in Kolkata, Rouvanjit Rawla has once again brought incidences of corporal punishment in schools into sharp focus. Rouvanjit was allegedly caned and humiliated by the principal of the school.

 After six decades of India’s independence, our B-schools follow the United States as a model for business education. This blind aping of the US is, in fact, a bane for our education. This is valid in spite of the fact that our IIMs – Ahmadabad and Calcutta in particular – were assisted by the leading business schools of the United States during their initial days. Our B-schools continue to recommend American books as there is a dearth of good Indian books written by our authors.