Born on 5th September 1930, Professor R.P. Misra completed his Ph.D in Geography with specialization in Agricultural Development in Traditional Societies in 1964 from University of Maryland, College Park, USA. He has been actively involved in developmental planning and research in general and regional planning in particular. Prof Misra was also invited by the United Nations, New York to take up the Vice Directorship of the United Nations Center for Regional Development (UNCRD), Nagoya, Japan.

The present education system in India is in flux and full of contradictions. While there are world-class institutions of higher education like JNU, DU, IITs, IIITs and IIMs, most others are nothing but degree awarding institutions. They neither prepare the youth for advanced research in social science, physical and biological sciences, engineering, technology and management nor for employment in various productive sectors of the economy.

 

One can ascribe two reasons for it. Universities in India have not changed their colonial mode of functioning. First, they still aim at producing administrators and clerks. They tend to feed the students information more than knowledge and skill. And second, the weak secondary education base forces the universities to lower their standards. Added to the problem are mushrooming private universities/institutions, most of which are no better than teaching shops and coaching centers. A newly created state, I am told, permitted the opening of scores of one-room universities just by one stroke of pen. 

 

Secondary and primary education systems are in real bad shape. In northern states like UP copying in examinations is not only tolerated but also encouraged by the state government. Despite several high sounding projects like ‘operation black board’, most of the primary schools are understaffed, and ill-equipped to educate children and prepare them for secondary and higher education.    

 

 

The Sarva Siksha Abhiyan is good in theory but bad in practice. It is like any other government-sponsored project whose progress is measured in terms of money spent rather than target achieved. In north Indian states like UP and Bihar, a quarter of the school age children do not attend schools for one reason or the other.

 

Lot has been talked about value education during the last twenty years. Many expert group meetings were held, reports prepared, and guidelines issued. But the situation remains where it was in 1947. We thus fail to develop the personality of our youth to take responsibility as a good citizen, apart from being a good scholar, scientist, engineer, manager etc. We have now reached a stage where violence, cheating, forgery, dereliction of duty, and unconcern about fellow human beings and the natural environment in general and flora and fauna in particular has crossed the threshold limits. 

 

Moral education is must for children, although we know that morality cannot be taught; it has to be demonstrated by the parents, teachers and all those who influence children directly and indirectly. Yet, good things children hear never get lost; and they do have influence on them.

 

Politicization of education is very common in India. It takes two forms. The government interferes with the purely educational and pedagogical processes. The recent case of the MHD ministry reserving some seats in educational institutions for so-called backward classes (not necessarily the poor students) is of one category. The other category involves the use of student to serve the political ends of various political parties through Student Unions.

 

Students should have a forum to organize and promote extracurricular activities. It should have representatives from all departments and centers so selected that only those who are good students get in. The class and faculty representatives should elect the office bearers of the university level Association. There is no scope for events resembling India’s ‘general elections’ involving lakhs and crores of rupees.

No student should be allowed to get the benefits of being a student for more than 7 years from the date he enters the university. The Lyngdoh committee recommendation, as approved by the supreme court of India, should be welcomed by all students, teachers, colleges / universities, guardians, and governments.    

 

I agree with the assessment of Knowledge Commission. We are living in a Knowledge (Schole) Society. We should do all that is possible to prepare as many young men and women as possible for the new world in making. But if we are not able to upgrade the existing universities what would be the use of having more third rate universities? Our strategy has to be double faced: up-gradation of the existing universities and launching of several new universities/institutions of learning and professional development.

The first 25 years of your life are very precious. Use every minute of it to build a future of your choice. Be a good scholar, manager, administrator, engineer, etc but above all be a good human being, ever smiling and ever loving.

 

Education is a state subject. And it is good it is so. Let there be competition among the states to do better. But we must also try to find unity in diversity. At the university level there should be complete inter-university transfer of credits. If a BSC II year student wants to go to some other university, he should be allowed to do so without losing a year. The same should apply to secondary education level too. All universities and colleges should run on semester basis. This would further facilitate inter-institution movement.

 

India would be literate by 2020. But we should not stop at near 100 per cent literacy. We should upgrade our standards of what constitute a common man. He should not only be able to sign his name but also read and write and understand the environment in which he has to work. We should aim at near 100 per cent education, which means at least 5 years of schooling. Let us aim at educating our people, not only at making them literate i.e. pseudo-educated.