Governance in education: Quality Vs Quota
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The current debate about 27% OBC reservation and sufficient access to educational institutions poses various questions to the stakeholders. In terms of access in the higher education till date only 10% of the people in the age group of 18-24 are in the higher education system. The sustainability of academic institutions depends on the flow of students into the job market and the quality of classroom teaching that ensures this. In India the direct flow of student to the job market is not very high.
Post liberalization, institutions of higher education are emerging as global competitors especially in the area of professional education. At the same time, larger numbers of Indian achievers and achievements have contributed to recognition of India as a knowledge hub, and the Indian economy as a predominantly knowledge-based economy. However, it is sad to note that even as institutions like IIT, IIM and NIT gain global recognition and respect, our politicians have been focused on how to meddle with their administration. From Murli Manohar Joshi of the BJP to Arjun Singh of the Congress, they have found the ways to needle these institutions, interfere with their management and attempt to bring about a dilution in their high standards, instead of encouraging them to go global while maintaining high standards of performance. An editorial in the Indian express by Mrs Dalal argues that even a 20 year old student has the good sense to suggest that free coaching and tuitions that help students to succeed through open merit list is the best help that politicians can offer to backward class students. Abhayanand, the Additional Director General of Police in Bihar, has done this successfully in Bihar, by setting up Super-30, a free, spartan, gurukul style tuition group. This has successfully trained dozens of poor people belonging to socially and economically weaker sections to take the IIT entrance examination. He runs Super-30 with Patna university topper Anand Kumar. In my opinion, there is a need for the affirmative action by the State to end existing discrimination and ensure the mainstreaming of all communities into the development process. But there is a need to be judicious in deciding on the best possible models and methodologies for such affirmative action. Looking at another side of situation, let us consider that fixing quotas through reservation will actually does not serve the process of mainstreaming rather than enhance the problem. A number of suicides by IIT students have led to considerable public debate in Mumbai during the last couple of years. Psychologists opined that the pressure of competing with a class full of equally brilliant students and staying at the top of the class was often too much of a strain on sensitive youngsters. If this is true then reservation can have one of two consequences in the long term - first, students in the reserved category will find it difficult to cope and end up sidelined and mentally fatigued; or there will be new pressure to dilute education standards to enable the non-merit category to get through. Reservation is more likely to damage the emerging leadership initiative in the private sector. We have seen that quality in educational institutions can be ensured through providing autonomy to the educational institutions. Knowledge can best be nurtured in an environment where people have the autonomy to adopt tools and methods to promote learning and exchange. Intervention in the area of governance will at best affect the overall quality of learning in such institutions. Quality is still a matter of great concern in Indian institutions. A large majority of higher educational institutions in India do not meet the stipulated grade set by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), an autonomous institution established by the University Grants Commission (UGC). A number of seats in educational institutions remain vacant due to none availability of teachers and inadequate teaching facilities. Quality in educational institutions is inadequate. The ratio of the number of enrolled students to the number of graduating students is unsatisfactory. A third aspect of this debate is that the experiment of reservation has helped in some states in providing livelihood opportunities to the marginalized and deprived class. If the process of reservation has helped in other sectors why not in the education sector? This can best be addressed by another question – to what extent does the State deny access to particular sections of people in the name of quality and merit? The actual purpose of a democracy is to provide adequate access and opportunities to all sections of the people and whatever the measure that is adopted, there is no doubt that the end result must ensure this. Thus the challenge here is to ensure quality and equity in education. There is a need to develop models through which both of these are adequately addressed, and in my opinion, reservation alone will not serve this purpose- measures will have to link with quality and relevance of education and the readiness of students to exploit it. |
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"Governance in education: Quality Vs Quota"Author:
Premendra Agrawal
Time: 30.04.2006 10:53
Comment: Why Quota Raj to tear unity
. Why Ram Krishna Mission turned itself as Non-Hindu? Why Jain wants to be minority? Why there is a competition to be backward instead of forward? Why empty work Minister Antule is in the search of provinces where Hindus are in minority? Is this sign of democracy, secularism and progress? The original architect of Mandal politics, VP Singh, declared on Tuesday his intention to fight for caste-based reservations in the Parliament as well as the judiciary. We should learn from the beautiful wordings of C S Levis: 'Beauty is not democratic; she reveals herself more to the few than to the many, more to the persistent and disciplined seekers than to the careless. Virtue is not democratic; she is achieved by those who pursue her more hotly than most men. Truth is not democratic; she demands special talents and special industry in those to whom she gives her favors'. Govinda tried to act ‘karodpati’ to be Big ’B’ but could not be succeeded. Every one has right to participate to be ‘world Queen’ or ‘India Queen’. .But to be ‘Aishwarya Rai’ or ‘Mukhi’ can not be on quota basis. Every player has right to play cricket but Tendulkar or Dhuni can’t be made on quota basis. We can’t adopt Arjun-V.P.Singh’s Manalization in world cup tournaments, Bollywood and IITs – IIMs We should not show coward ness and backwardness? We should face competition to give every one equal opportunity to develop. 104th amendment disunites us The new policy, if implemented, would take the overall reservation in the Central government-funded higher education institutions from the current 22.5 (for SC and ST students) to 49.5 per cent. The Centre has already directed State governments to increase reservation for backward categories in the State-level institutions. Arjun Singh has also written to the States to frame laws in the light of the 104th Amendment, passed in the winter session of Parliament To follow this amendment means dishonor the Soul of the Constitution, tear the unity of India and outsource the Indian talents towards USA and European countries. Dr. Chitranjan Ranawat who moved from India to the United States in the Year 1963 completed successfully surgery of Vajpyee’s knee. Tamil Nadu born London based world famous Dr. Rela came Hinduja Hospital for the treatment of Pramod Mahajan. Is this way to respect the Constitution? Elected leaders took oath: I, A.B., do swear in the name of God/solemnly affirm, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established and that I will faithfully discharge the duty upon which I am about to enter. Up till now 104 amendments mostly by Congress needed or not needed have been made in the constitution. What does your inner voice say? NDA Govt. rightly or wrongly constituted a committee to review the Constitution. There was uproar inside and outside parliament. I have no command in English. Indian Tony Blairs should differentiate amendment and review. Arjun Sinh said Govt. will follow SC. He forgot Supreme Court Decisions of Shah Bano Case, Common Civil Code, Hindutva and so on. In the name of inner voice Soniaji renounces again and again. For just a moment don’t think about ‘vote Bank’. Let people know the inner voices of all parties and their leaders. Please go ahead accordingly. V.P.Singh II That was Arjun singh whose son tried to join BJP just before general elections. That was Arjun singh who left congress during p v narsimharao tenure. That is Arjun singh who is creating most panic at present but no congressmen come to support his statements. Arjun Singh (V.P.Singh II) has opened the reservation basket to spread poison in the unity of India. V.P. - Arjun & Co is engaged in Vote Bank business to adopt divide and rule policy through Mandalization of Education aiming to spread this evil in every field of our nation. They encourage fundamentalist to take religious shape. Counting the heads of army and suggestion placed by Manmohan Singh to the Industrialists indicate this. These great names do research on reservation. They earned their political height by selling this sugar coated poison. Raja of Mandu spoke against the 'Licence-Permit-Control-Quota Raj' in the 1950s and 1960s. But he has great love in Caste basis Quota. I heard about Snake catcher Irula tribals of Tamil Nadu. It is absolutely mandatory for India's unity and progress that the Hindu society rids itself of the caste system. Students have to work collectively for a better future for all of them. Only then can they defeat the divide and rule policy of these Singhs. Why brutality on Medico Students? Delhi medico’s students faced brutality of the police all day for an opportunity to meet and tell HRD minister Arjun Singh. V.P.- Arjun are VIPs. Why they bother Indian doctors. Their treatment will be abroad on taxpayers' money. Over Rs six crore was spent on the treatment of former Prime Minister and A former Raja of Mandu V P Singh abroad. Notwithstanding his having renounced political life, Singh quite relishes his role of political guru of Raj Babbar. He came in the support of Sonia Gandhi though he was to drum up Boffors scandal. He supports Medha Patkar and Arjun Singh. Jain Commission marked 'Y'. Report No. 31, discloses that Shri Karunanidhi had discussed with the Prime Minister Shri V.P. Singh about LTTE's requirements. Marx has said that everything is subject to change and the only thing that doesn't change is change itself. It has been reported that the CPI (M) owns property worth Rs30,000 million in the tiny state of Kerala alone. Leaders can now afford to fly executive class and can have the best medical care in the West. RAJIV GOSWAMI ENGULFED in flames after he set himself alight during a demonstration on September 19, 1990, after Prime Minister V.P. Singh announced the implementation of the Mandal report. He died on February 24, 2004, of causes related to the injuries sustained then. This should not be repeated in any case. Now V.P. Singh II should not be allowed to execute the same drama of V.P.Singh I, now. I welcome the bold step taken by Kapil Sibbal. By Premendra Agrawal premendra_in@indiatimes.com http://o3.indiatimes.com/premendra |
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