State of Education?

Irrespective of criticism about judicial activism in INDIA etc., it is to be admitted and I strongly believe that judiciary in India has intervened in some very important issues of societal and national interest.  According to me, along with many good interventions and interventions which were being criticized, judiciary has commendably tried to say that ‘imparting education’ is not a business activity. There were land-mark judgments on the issue of ‘imparting education’. Judiciary had to deal with the issue of autonomy of Private Educational Institutions, autonomy of Educational Institutions in fixation of fees and enrollment of students. This issue was and is being discussed at many levels in INDIA among right thinking citizens and even the leaders.

Barring some autonomous and well reputed institutions, people are preferring to get into Private Colleges of some reputation considering the chances of placements in future. It is a fact that education has become a business and it is quite natural for the business people owning educational institutions to argue that they should be given powers to fix the fees and decide the issues of enrolment. In a business, everyone wants to make money.  There is a reason and logic as to what the Private Institutions are saying. Even the judiciary, according to my limited understanding, has endeavored to strike a balance between two competing interests of ensuring affordable education to the people and at the same time, allowing the institutions to raise money to maintain the institutions as government do not pay them, in most cases, as per their demand. Fixation of fees in Higher or Professional Educational Institutions has become most complex issue today in this country as I understand.

Government institutions, barring few, have become less effective in convincing the people that they will impart good education and; on the other hand, the Private Educational Institutions are succeeding in attracting the students through advertisements, campus placements etc. There was a time where Government Educational Institutions have imparted superior quality of education and many believe that a lot has changed now. Many also believe that even the Private Educational Institutions, barring few IITs, IIMs and other institutions, failed to replace the quality of education imparted in government institutions in the past. This seems to be a fact. Many brilliant scientists, IAS and IPS officers were the products of Public Educational System only.

It is the responsibility of the state to get a good model of educational system, at-least, at higher or professional educational level, wherein the talented can get enrolled irrespective of his economic status. There are opponents of reservation system etc. though publicly these people make politically correct statements like ‘historical mistakes’ needs to be corrected. In any case, these sensitive issues are normally being looked-into and settled by the judiciary.

The point is that Higher or Professional Education has become so costly for the poor children or students to pursue irrespective of his or her community. That student may be from the so-called forward community or the so-called backward community. Even if a student possesses extraordinary talent, he or she is not in a position to get educated in our medical and engineering colleges due to exorbitant fees. This fee structure, regulatory mechanism, the role of State Governments in providing assistance to the students is a different issue altogether and these issues may vary from state to state. These issues are so complex, but, I believe that the best system can be brought-in in future and obviously, this issue will also be thoroughly discussed in the country one-day.

A poor student, even if he or she is talented, has to beg others, has to give paper advertisements or should get sponsors for paying his or her fees. What kind of system is this and what is the point in talking about 9% growth with this kind of system if the growth does no benefit to the people on the ground. Are we treating our talented and gifted poor students as beggars? Is this system only for the rich?. Rich are capable of getting marks, certificates, seats through management quota even if they don’t deserve to get the degree. It doesn’t mean that rich are not talented. The point is that they are capable of buying anything in our system and even if marks are manipulated with the computer system maintained by the universities, it may go unnoticed.

In this country, no poor student should be denied of opportunity of education just because he or she is a poor. If a student is deserved, he or she should be in a position to afford education at-least.  Identifying poor may be a different issue again, but, at-least the governments should sponsor Private Educational Institutions with a tough regulatory frame-work and so that the fees can be affordable to a large section of people. If undeserving rich wants certificates, then, let them pay huge fees in the management quota and get the certificates. They know as to how to get the things done in our society.

Apart from the issues of 9 or 10% growth and related sophisticated arguments, the ground-realities in the society are also to be considered by the political leaders, political parties in a democracy.

I strongly believe that there will be a good model of higher and professional education in this country wherein fees are affordable to every common man or students from not so privileged background subject the criteria of talent or rewarding the best.

Political system can not shut its eyes to the ground realities in the society.

Visionary leadership of all the leaders and political parties in INDIA should be to benefit the whole system.

Making sophisticated and beautiful arguments does not benefit the people on ground or society at large if the argument fails to convince the common-man or a large section of people. Sophisticated arguments can get the support of media, industry, and, so-called intelligentsia, but can remain illogical and far from ground realties.

There is no doubt that if INDIA has to be strong, then, all 1.2 billion people should feel strong, safe and fair-play in governance.

Note: the views expressed are my personal and do not represent anyone or organization.