Events & Issues
New Delhi, 14 July 2016
Educational Reforms
WILL JAVEDKAR
DELIVER?
By Dhurjati Mukherjee
Better late than never. The removal
of HRD Minister Smriti Irani was a much delayed decision as many educationists
across the country were upset with her style of functioning.
The corridors of power were agog
with talk of Prime Minister Modi losing the support of academicians if Irani
was allowed to continue. With Prakash Javedkar being anointed to head HRD,
kudos to the Prime Minister for finally taking the right decision.
Undeniably, the Ministry is crucial
as it looks after the country’s educational sector and, as such, needs a qualified
person for the job. True, the person does not need to be a great scholar but
should have the patience to listen and understand the views of experts, Vice Chancellors
and academicians from India
and abroad.
Notably, in this milieu Irani should
have abstained from interfering in matters of running universities and instead accommodated
the views of academicians and experts as much as possible. On the
contrary, the dominant personality that Irani has tried to impose her views in
various matters, that too in an impolite manner.
This created many misunderstandings
between her whereby a section of academicians were reluctant to work with the
Minister. Add to this, the JNU crisis brought a bad name to the NDA Government
as eminent scholars in many international institutions started feeling that the
Administration was trying to throttle the voice of this premier
university.
Further, some of the appointments have
sparked controversy in recent months. For example, while appointing directors
in Patna, Bhubaneswar
and Ropar universities the Ministry over-ruled the recommendations of a search
panel and invited all the short-listed candidates for repeat interviews.
While Bombay IIT’s head Kakodkar
complained of being humiliated by Irani over the selection of these candidates another
eminent academic Ramachandra Guha told NDTV that she ill-treated the academic
and scientific community.
Besides, granting autonomy to universities
which is the practice in renowned institutions in the West and being strongly advocated
in India
for upgrading educational standards, perhaps did not find favour with Irani. Worse,
she reportedly had differences with the PM’s Office on this issue.
Pertinently, the new HRD Minister
Javedkar is unlike his predecessor and shies away from publicity. One hopes he
soon examines the Subramanian report and brings about the much-needed reforms
in the educational sector. Alongside boost the image of our institutions with
the cooperation of academicians.
Happily, Javedkar is tactful and sincere
in all likelihood take the education community along with him in implementing
reforms.
Importantly, the main challenge before
the nation at this juncture is to improve the quality of education, especially
in the realm of higher education. This needs to be broad-based and extend to
all universities, especially in rural and semi-urban areas so that all sections
of society get quality education.
Moreover, these institutions should
start courses which are in demand to meet market expectations. This should
include inducting the necessary faculty to cater to the students requirements.
Simultaneously, physical infrastructure needs to be improved to make these
institutions of learning worthwhile.
Undoubtedly, an institution’s autonomy
is a justified demand wherein academicians should have the final say in most
matters, be it changes in syllabus or starting new courses. Also, along-with
autonomy there is need to promote innovation.
Asserted Javedkar at a conference
recently: “We lack innovation because we do not allow questioning and
inquisitiveness”, thereby hinting at the need for discussion and debate.
Towards that end he has promised holding campus dialogue.
This is not all. The HRD Ministry
plans to launch a Massive Open Online Course to be inaugurated on Independence
Day August 15 and 32 direct-to-home (DTH) education channels. It also plans to
start the IIT-PAL (Professor Assisted Learning), a scheme providing online
coaching by IIT teachers to those hoping to crack the Joint Entrance
Examination.
There is no gainsaying these
measures are very important as students from different regions, in rural a
semi-urban areas of the country would be benefitted.
Especially against the backdrop that
higher education is beyond the reach of three-quarters of India’s school
going youth. Woefully, as pointed out by some educationists the mushrooming of
engineering and management colleges are doubtful investments at best. Obviously,
their standards do not match market expectations, add to it they are not geared
to meet requirements of present day students.
Significantly, Javedkar underscored
this when he took office, and promised that improving the quality of education
and spreading the same would be his priority. “Every poor family wants quality
education. The Prime Minister also focuses on quality education”, he pointed
out.
This, according to experts, should
be the area of focus of the HRD Minister, be it institutions in metros,
district and sub-divisional towns.
Clearly, the Congress accusation
against the BJP Minister of “saffronization” of education in the country should
not be allowed to invade the academic atmosphere. Indeed, if Javedkar is
serious about autonomy, this certainly will not happen.
All in all, a big challenge awaits
Javedkar. As the ne National Policy on Education Report 2016 rightly points the
Indian education system is in a state of ‘disarray’. With his diligence and pragmatism,
the Minister has to tackle challenging issues of poor standards, teacher indifference,
lack of sincerity, pedagogic shortcomings and dysfunctional deficiencies.
One hopes that under his stewardship
the situation would improve steadily. What is more, the public education system
needs to be accelerated to a great extent as this sphere was neglected by the
previous UPA Government.
Another aspect which Javedkar needs
to prioritize is by implementing educational reforms in consultation with the
academic and scientific community at the Centre and States.
It is high time education is linked with
employment, a facet which the Minister must address. The need of the hour is reorientation
of syllabus, starting new courses which are geared to market needs in not-so-well
known colleges and universities, giving a thrust to agriculture and
industry-linked curriculum. A lot of
hope rests on HRD Minister Javedkar. Can and will he deliver? ------ INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
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