It is true that the stalwarts of freedom struggle, who took over the mantle of administering the country after the departure of the British, were educated and trained in institutes with highest standard. Whether they had completed their education in India or abroad, they had a vision of what kind of education and moral standards Indian youth should have. They knew that soon the Indian youth would be called upon to shoulder great responsibility of carrying this great nation’s developmental task on their shoulders. Their vision emphasized on the scientific aspects of education and it’s utility to the new generations that would be at the helm of affairs in India.
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the first Education Minister of independent India, was brought up in the school of traditional educational pattern in which discipline and standard of education were of primary importance. At the same time, by working closely with his party colleagues, Maulana Azad developed the vision of the importance of scientific and technological education as the deliverers of Indian masses from age-old poverty and backwardness. We have been celebrating his birth anniversary as Education Day in our country. It means that every year, we want to be reminded of the teachings and vision of this great son of India. In developing scientific temper in our country, he made valuable contribution. The creation of IITs is his brain child and these superior institutions of technology have churned out students who became real architects of the India of our dreams as we see it today.
Speaking on the occasion of Education Day, the President remembered Maulana Azad fondly and paid him glowing tribute. But along with that, we need to pay heed to his message caution. He has cautioned the nation against falling standards of education and degradation in its quality. It is something bitter but we should be prepared to listen to him. Normally, keeping in mind enormous progress that our country has made during past six and half decades of freedom, the standard of education should have improved very much. But the ground situation is the reverse of it. How sad that not a single Indian university figures among 20 top class universities of the world. Our research activity has fallen from expected standards and the quality of education we are imparting among our youth does not help all to make a successful life. The President hinted that we need visionary reformation of our educational system to make it relevant to our economic needs. We believe that cheap politics has made deep inroads into our social structure and student community is exploited by unscrupulous politicians. We need a strong and viable economy to help student community get rid of vicious persuasions and influence of third rate politicians. At the same time, absence of emphasis on moral education, both in homes and at schools and educational institutions, has made our student community almost a rudderless ship. The irony is that one who is not worth employment in any profession can very easily find a foothold in Educational Department. This speaks for low quality of education. In particular, we in this country need to expand education among village people because 80 per cent of India lives in her villages. Gandhi ji had given the idea of education for all but still a large chunk of Indians especially in rural areas remain deprived of basic norms of literacy. The President has rightly said that with the proliferation of education, it is of utmost importance that norms of education are set forth. Why should quality education become monopoly of rich institutions only? Again in an era of digitalization, we shall have to narrow down the gap between digital haves and have nots.
In final analysis, we need drastic reforms in our educational system in all its areas. We have to change the norms of recruitment, syllabi, logistics, student-teacher-parent triangular rapport, system of education and evaluation, research parameters and above all balanced and careful approach to the exposition of combined Indian cultural ethos with its niceties.
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