Discuss just few numbers of the Indian education system, particularly its expansion; any expert from outside India (China being the only exception) would be bewildered. When the Constitution of India mandated that the state shall provide free and compulsory education to all children till they attain 14 years of age, it was indeed a very bold postulate. India at that stage stood at literacy rate of around 20. Today, its population is more than three times and, as official figures claim that access to education has crossed 98 per cent mark! The numbers of schools, universities, students and scholars are galloping fast. Expansion is necessary and desirable but the accompanying dilution in quality, content and skills acquired is indeed disastrous. The deterioration in values and norms all around has impacted the education system organically. Everyone has to accept his/her share of blame. Visibly, the politicisation of educational process is voted as the worst culprit.  The responsibility for near total politicisation of education at every stage in India must go to a set of Marxists and fellow academics "who think alike'. The Communist parties of India knew that their ideological pretensions would cut no ice amongst the Indian masses and that their presence, and more prominently their acceptance, was just not possible in the traditional Indian ethos. They worked on a long-term strategy and made every possible effort to capture education and educational institutions. The way Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has grown tells every detail of this strategy. An institution created to encourage dialogue and free thinking became a haven for a select group of Leftists and the Communists. As the patronage came from the powers-that-be, it was ensured that only like-minded ones are associated, selected and encouraged. Exceptions could always be there, and there could be specific reasons for it. This continues to be the strategy of the Marxists-secularists combine to achieve the utopian attitudinal transformation of the traditionally religious yet secular Indian society. They have been in it for over four decades by now. The India Council for Historical Research was specifically created with political motives and to ensure the continuity of the foremost of which was to ensure Marxist hegemony over the textbook writings on history, culture and heritage.

The great anger and anguish of the eminent historians caught public attention during the NDA regime. The Left-control was no more total and, this to the eminent ones, was intolerable. It deserves to be recalled that the system India inherited in education in 1947 was indeed developed on the basis of the Macaulay's minutes of 1835. There the intention was inherently to 'de-link Indians from India'. This they thought was the only way Indians could be subjugated. It suited the purpose of the alien rulers who were keen to disparage every aspect of Indian culture and civilisation. After Independence it was but natural that an objective view is taken on how India's culture and heritage is being presented in schools and colleges. Obviously, there were different schools of thought and they were probably unwilling to sit together and sort out differences or agree to include the different view points wherever necessary. Within first two decades after Independence, political patronage was total for Marxist historians. They gave no credence to what E H Carr, one of the most distinguished Marxist historians, opined in his famous book What is History.

During the last couple of years, the schemes and initiatives in education have been analysed and criticised from the angle of being in power or out of it! Practically everything initiated in the times of the NDA government was banished from the scene unceremoniously by the UPA government, purely as a political vendetta. Even a semblance of an academic audit worth the name was not conducted. All the blame went to the Congress party though the Communists and their academic comrades were squarely responsible for it. After all, their own 'eminent historians' were controlling education system all along. This rhythm was disturbed during the NDA days. They could not digest the changes suggested during this period. The contentious issue of history writing was taken up to the Supreme Court of India.  Interestingly, the highest court upheld the recommendation that "children be made aware the basics of all the religions of the people of India. They should know the commonalities and learn to respect differences wherever these exist". The court found it in order, in consonance with the concept of secularism and in fact necessary for social cohesion in a multi-religious society. It also upheld the suggestion that truth, peace, non-violence, righteous conduct and love be treated as universal human values and become integral part of the entire process of teaching and learning. The court also practically endorsed the recommendations on Sanskrit having a special place amongst Indian languages, which it had done earlier in 1994 as well. Those who approached the highest court did not show the magnanimity of accepting the verdict and continued with their tirade against the changes made. They got their wishes fulfilled when the political alignments changed at the Centre.  

The UPA years are already being referred to as years of institutional growth in numbers, reservation and more reservation and minorities' welfare. People witness and observe so much of politics all around that even such simple-looking initiatives like opening of more IITs and IIMs is seen as a political move! The initial enthusiasm of the UPA in what it termed as 'de-saffronisation' of education resulted only in a wasteful exercise and gave them no credit. On the debit, every of their move was seen as emerging out of political maneuverings! These years that could have been dedicated to quality enhancement which is the prime requirement of the present day and of the days ahead.

Last update : 16-04-2009 01:13

Keywords : Education and Politics, JS Rajput, NCERT,

Average user rating

   (0 vote)