Educating India

Sir - During his speech at the headquarters of Facebook, the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, said that he wanted to convert the worth of the Indian economy from $8 trillion to $20 trillion ("Choking: Modi while speaking about his mother, not reforms, which like a train and unlike a scooter, will take time to turn", Sept 28). This statement is at odds with the vision of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which wants to 'Indianize' the present education system. The attempt to make the Indian economy a global economic giant should be a priority for any government. But to attain a high growth rate and an evolving, knowledge-based economy, it is imperative to teach our work forces and future generations modern and scientific subjects, as well as different languages. Technology-based training courses that meet global standards should be introduced. The RSS, which mentored Modi, is tireless in its efforts to introduce its version of an ancient education system as depicted in various Hindu religious texts and mythology. The questionnaires prepared by the RSS for teachers and parents - asking whether junk food hinders education, and if children should be taught in their mother tongue - are indicative of its motives. The answers may not be revealed to the public, but the whole exercise can be seen as a survey of the national mood before the formulation of the National Education Policy. What kind of development will our economy achieve if future generations are forced to follow regressive paths?

Yours faithfully,Bhaskar Sanyal,Serampore, Hooghly

 

Sir - Narendra Modi's visit to the United States of America looked more like a drama than like a journey with a purpose. The visit to the headquarters of Facebook and the meeting with Mark Zuckerberg turned into an emotional drama. As pointed out by The Telegraph the prime minister mostly spoke about himself and his mother.

It is surprising to see certain groups of Indians getting ecstatic over Modi's foreign visits and forgetting the harsh realities prevailing back home. The Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre seems to be failing in most areas. It has failed to fulfil many of the promises it had made before the elections last year. The BJP is trying to cover up its shortcomings with histrionics. India has a bleak future.

Yours faithfully,Kalyan Ghosh, Calcutta

 

Sir - Narendra Modi's five-day visit to the US received ample media attention and drew huge crowds. But I think his references to his humble background are aimed at gaining public sympathy. He has also started the dangerous trend of lampooning the erstwhile opposition party on foreign soil - holding it responsible for everything bad that has happened to India after Independence. Modi boasts of his government's achievements. But has any real change taken place on the ground over the past one year?

Yours faithfully,Abhishek Pandey, Calcutta

 

Weak base

Sir - It is a matter of serious concern that postgraduate students of economics in a government university in Maharashtra are unable to solve simple arithmetical problems ("Math shocker from economics class", Sept 26). Nearly 95 per cent of those who were asked to take the test, which was a part of the survey, failed miserably due to a lack of knowledge in arithmetic. How did the students succeed in reaching the postgraduate level? The findings of the survey, published in the Economic and Political Weekly, create a grim picture of the higher education system of our country. The system of primary education in India is disorganized. So the higher education system stands on a frail and dilapidated foundation. If students do not get quality education at the primary level to build up their reading and mathematical skills, how can they be expected to solve complex arithmetical problems at the higher level?

Barring a few, most universities are in a mess. They do not have suitable infrastructure, modern and updated curricula, trained and qualified faculties, well-equipped laboratories and libraries. Added to these shortcomings are the problems of political interference, corruption and nepotism. The Central and state governments have focused too much on quantity. While new academic institutions are being opened one after the other, quality has taken a back seat. There is no system of looking into the performance of the existing universities; no serious efforts are made to implement better policies. Millions of graduates and postgraduate finish their university studies each year. When they enter the job market, they find themselves ill-equipped. This amounts to a huge wastage of resources of our country. In the recently released Times Higher Education University Asia rankings, only nine Indian universities have found places among the top 100. This is an indication of the sickness that Indian universities are suffering from. It cannot be cured in the near future.

Yours faithfully,Santanu Bhattacharya,Calcutta

 

BIHAR

Obstacle course
 

Sir — The traffic police in Patna have begun a drive to tow away illegally parked vehicles and impose fines on the owners of these vehicles. The drive is welcome since I have witnessed many vehicles parked at places where parking is not allowed, causing traffic congestion in the process. At several places on commercially vibrant roads like Frazer Road, Exhibition Road and Boring Road, I find cars and two-wheelers parked at the entrances of offices and commercial complexes, making it near impossible for anyone to enter them. I think that the Patna police should continue their drive and penalize the people who park their vehicles illegally in this manner.
However, I have also learnt that several vehicles being towed away have been found to be severely damaged upon retrieval. A friend of mine had his vehicle towed away; he paid the fine at the police station but found his vehicle had been badly damaged, and had to be taken to the garage. The police refuse to take responsibility for the damage, saying that they are not liable for any harm caused to the vehicle while it is being towed away by the tow trucks. I think it is unfortunate for any law enforcement agency to refuse to take responsibility for its actions. I believe that while the police should continue their drive, they should either be more careful, or use upgraded technology to move the vehicles.

Yours faithfully,Vikas Verma, Patna

 

Language problem

Sir — I would like to draw attention to the language being used by leaders of political parties against each other. The president of the Bharatiya Janata Party used the words, “chara chor”, for the Rashtriya Janata Dal chief, Lalu Prasad. Prasad retaliated by calling Amit Shah a “narbhakshi”.The list of cuss words used by political leaders against each other in public meetings is long. 
There is nothing wrong with politicians being critical of one another in election rallies. But they should be dignified in their speeches. Better still, they should highlight their own policies for the people instead of making personal attacks against other leaders. Such attacks not only create bad blood among political parties but also vitiate the atmosphere in which party workers have to exist. I have heard of scuffles breaking out between two groups of political workers after the leaders of their respective parties began to make personal attacks against each other. Elections should be held in a healthier 
atmosphere.

Yours faithfully,Shreya Kumari, Patna

 

 

ODISHA

 

Simmering discontent
 

Sir — Elections for the students’ union in Utkal University have become a high-voltage drama. It can easily be predicted that there will be violence during the students’ elections every year and no matter how badly the university needs development, the elections will either be cancelled or suspended. The elections have been cancelled this year too. The authorities cannot be fully blamed for this because, as they have rightly pointed out, there are criminal elements in the campus. What was supposed to be the premier university of the state now looks like a jungle, with outdated teaching methods, poor syllabus and nothing better to offer to serious students than cancelled elections.

Yours faithfully, Prabhudatta Das, Cuttack

Sir — It is unfortunate that this year too, the students’ union elections were cancelled in Utkal University, like so many times earlier in the past. What is surprising is the police’s unwillingness to provide protection during the elections — which is the main reason behind the move by the university officials to cancel the elections. If the policemen are unwilling to get involved then the students will have to suffer. The students’ union elections are very important for any institution. If the likes of Delhi University — which have larger campuses and greater political involvement of the students — can hold students’ elections, why can Utkal University not do the same? 

Yours faithfully,Samarpita Dhal, Bhubaneswar

Sir — The decision of the Utkal University authorities to cancel the polls was not the right decision. A students’ union is necessary for an institution to ensure that the grievances of students reach the authorities. Moreover, unions also give birth to future leaders. By stopping elections, we are not doing the future of the state any good. 
Students should be responsible enough to understand the need for holding polls in a disciplined manner. Otherwise, polls do not make any sense. The mid-semester examinations have been cancelled and seminars are also getting postponed. So general activities of the university are being hampered. I hope that peaceful elections are conducted in the university.

Yours faithfully,Rakesh Mohapatra, Puri 

Sir — Even after a review of the students’ elections in Utkal University, the authorities have decided not to go forward on with them. There seems to be a strong political intent behind this. It is an open secret that after years of remaining the stronghold of the Congress, the Utkal University campus has now been invaded by the Biju Janata Dal, which has backed some candidates for the university elections this year. Students’ elections should be scrapped away for now, particularly for Utkal University, since the authorities have not been able to manage the situation. But then they should come up with a more transparent method by conducting a poll among students to find out what kind of development they need in a particular year. There should also be a survey by the heads of every department to understand students’ needs. The same can be done for the students’ hostel so that politicking stops but the work for development does not.

Yours faithfully, Bandita Satpathy, Bhubaneswar

Sir — The decision by the authorities at Utkal University not to hold the students’ union elections may result in complications instead of simplifying matters. The political situation in the campus has remained volatile all this while. The elections might have helped the simmering discontent to cool down.

Yours faithfully, Swapna Samal, Bhubaneswar