New Delhi, April 22: An expert panel has pointed to “serious problems” in Indian higher education that must be overcome for India to emerge as “a global leader in science and technology” and provider of “trained manpower for the entire world.
“This could be a worthwhile national objective,” according to a checklist of Essential Steps for Progress in Higher Education given by Prof C N R Rao, Chairman of a Science Advisory Council to the Prime Minister on Thursday.
“We should seriously consider a possible scenario wherein the young India advantage enables India to emerge as the provider of trained manpower for the entire world in the next 20-30 years.”
The advantage Prof Rao referred to is the prospect of a growing proportion of young people in the country’s population in the coming decades.
The Group listed among concerns the ”big rush” of young people seeking higher education, ”declining quality and indifferent performance” of institutions, serious problems afflicting
educational administration and increasing global competition.
”These problems will probably get even more severe in the near future when an explosive increase in the number of young students aspiring for higher education is likely to occur,” it warned.
It called for a ”serious application of mind to these and related issues” to ensure transformations so ”that we can hope to meaningfully compete with neighbouring countries such as South Korea, Singapore and China.”
It said with millions of new higher education seekers likely, a serious manpower planning was necessary so as to offer different areas of study besides standard courses such as science and engineering.
The Group touched on possible scenarios and suggested that the Human Resource Development Ministry appoint a group to prepare a vision document which foresees the problems 20 years hence.
It wanted the document made available ”in the next 12 months.”
”Quality up-gradation requires the greatest attention if India has to become a global leader in science and technology, and other creative endeavours,” it said.
”Today, there is not a single educational institution in India which is equal to the best institutions in the advanced countries. It is important that in the next 10-15 years, several of our educational institutions are in the top 100 in the world.”
The group said much effort was needed if India has to emerge as a major contributor of higher quality research.
It suggested providing ”around 10” higher educational institutions ”all the support required to enable them compete with the best of institutions in the advanced countries.”
”This would be a good programme to initiate in the year of science (2011-12) declared by the Prime Minister recently,” the Group said.
The experts criticised the obsession with examination.
”We have an examination system but not an education system. Examinations have got increasing importance in the last few years. One is not talking about the final annual examinations alone. Entrance examinations have become a menace.”
It referred to the entrance tests for Indian Institutes of Technology, known to be difficult and purposeful, which it said ”have also had a negative effect on young minds. Young people suffer so much to succeed in these entrance examinations, and in the process lose excitement in education itself. Those who do succeed would have got exhausted and are not
able to perform as well as young people with fresh minds.”
It does not stop there. ”Even after getting a good degree, students have to take ever so many entrance examinations to go for higher studies.”
The Group cited a proposal for a qualifying or accreditation examination for medical graduates and postgraduates. ”When will young people stop taking exams and do something worthwhile?” it demanded.
”It is important to relook at the entire examination system including the system of final examinations, entrance examinations, qualifying examinations, selection examinations, and so on.
”For entrance examinations related to admission to higher education institutions, there should be only one national examination which should be able to assess the eligibility of the
candidates.”
It pointed out that United States institutions, for instance, take young people from India based on one Graduate Record Examination.
The Group also called for ”a serious overhaul” of the administration of the education system.
”The indifferent manner with which educational institutions are being handled may destroy even the system that we have.”
The experts also criticised the handling of such institutions by officers of Indian Administrative Service (IAS).
”What is unfortunate is that educational and research institutions are administered by people with IAS or similar administrative backgrounds, many without any real interest in
education.”
”Even technical education is administered routinely by administrators trained in bureaucratic practices.
”Unless this situation is changed, it will be difficult to improve the quality of educational institutions. Even more serious is the direct intervention of governments in administering
institutions, particularly those run by the States.”
The Group called for norms on the maximum number of students an institution may admit.
It stressed importance of teachers, calling for providing them ”good emoluments and amenities as well as continuing education opportunities.”
The Group asked the HRD Ministry to declare higher education as a national mission for the next decade and designate capable individuals ”to oversee that changes for the better occur without much delay.”
–UNI