Does education system need a reform?

It’s rightly said that India is a mini world. You can experience the highest rainfall at places like Cherapunji in North-East to scanty or almost no rains in the Western regions of Rajasthan (Thar Desert region). Very cold and shivering climate in the northern parts while hot and humid climate in the southern side, high mountains ranges at one side and deep valleys adjoining it. Areas flooded with water on one side and areas where people eye at the rain god to shower on them. Icy atmosphere towards the north while oceanic environment towards the south. Multiple and colourful dress codes worn almost all over India. You will find people speaking in various languages, eating different foods, worshiping different gods and deities but still India is one and united. Thanks to the spirit that lies in the souls of all the Indians-The idea of Democracy.

A lot has changed after Independence and changes are still taking place. It’s noteworthy that the changes taking place are not rapid as in other developed countries. The only reason is again Democracy. Any policy brought into effect has numerous citizens opposing from almost all parts of the country, taking out rallies and processions protesting the move which really slows down the rate of changes to be brought about. Categorically those who are benefited from such policies remain ideal and make themselves or pretend to be helpless by blaming the government for not effectively implementing the policies. It’s really difficult to implement any policy at the earliest amidst such diversities.

As far as education is concerned, in India ministry of Human Resource Development (Government of India)-New Delhi is the apex body responsible for the policies and bringing a remarkable change in this field.

There are various Councils and Departments working under this ministry to carry out various educational activities in different fields and to ease the load. Various acts have been prepared which further make it easier and smooth to function.

After independence, with advancement of time and as per requirements new syllabi were introduced in various universities to keep pace with Global education. As and when need arouse new disciplines, branches and departments were introduced. Education in the early times was a matter of only the rich, so a large section of the community was deprived of education. But any country’s progress lies in the hands of educated people. So to educate the large mass of the uneducated, new rules were framed and many Universities, Institutions and Organisations launched various programmes at school levels, certificate level, Diploma level, Degree level, Post Graduate level and at Doctorate level. To bring uniformity among these qualifications Association of Indian Universities (AIU) played a vital role. Now many students pursuing various courses from one university can pursue the further education from another university in the same state or other state under Indian Union. These are really great efforts taken by our educationist to bring similarity, uniformity, transparency and easiness in the education sector.

On the other hand the introduction of varied options at various levels has also, no doubt created a havoc and unambiguity among many citizens with the apex body not displaying all the information, equivalencies, recognisation, notifications at the front end where all the citizens can access it easily. There are various loop holes in the education system, which even after decades have not been rectified or even there are some qualifications which need justifications.

Let’s consider:

Case 1:- Students passing 12^th with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics can easily get admission to degree engineering but students who have completed 2 years ITI after 10^th are not eligible for degree engineering (Some states are considering this as an option), though they have more technical knowledge than the 12^th pass students. Both ITI and 12^th pass students study for 2 years after 10^th. Why this inequality?

Case 2:- Students passing 12^th with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics can easily get admission to degree engineering but students who have completed 3 years polytechnic diploma are granted only 20% seats for the second year. That means the remaining students have no option to study further. Where is the fundamental right to education? If any university dares to start courses for such students, then they have numerous difficulties before them as in the below cases.

Case 3: As per the provisions laid down in the Indian constitution, for a University to come into existence it should either be enacted by a State Parliament or a Central Government. After due verifications and consultations with various councils and statutory bodies universities come into existence. (Conventional Universities, State Open Universities, Central Open Universities, Deemed to be Universities, Private Universities, Institution of National Importance and so on). These universities fall directly under the purview of UGC which states in its act that any university established by an act of parliament can design and start any course/department and confer certificates, diplomas, degrees etc to the candidates who successfully complete the said course. They don’t need prior approval to start a new course/discipline from the concerned statutory bodies like AICTE, MCI, etc. But it would be mandatory for such universities to maintain the minimum standards prescribed by the concerned statutory bodies. Statutory bodies have been given the right to inspect such Universities/departments as and when desired and if any discrepancies found, should be reported to UGC. It’s the UGC who has the right to serve notice to such Universities/Departments. Even Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in its judgment in case of Bhartisadan University has commented in the same way that Universities established in such manner don’t need prior approval to start a course/department but however have to maintain the minimum standards laid down by the concerned statutory bodies.

Now the main questions begin, if Universities are empowered to start any course/Department by complying with the norms, with the Indian Constitution granting Right to Education as one of the seven Fundamental Rights to every Indian, then why do bullish questions create havoc among the receivers and the policy makers. You will see AICTE shouting its own grievances, DEC its own, Universities their own. If universities have been established by the provisions laid down by the constitution, then why do various councils create confusion? Why is there no end to all these confusions owing to which gullible students careers are at stake?

Recently Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), which is a Central University and funded totally by the Central Government launched various courses in regular (face-to-face) and distance mode for 10^th pass, ITI pass, 12^th pass, Diploma pass and BCA/BSC(Maths) pass students. The project no doubts was a unique one, with various multiple entry and exit levels as per choice and finances of the student. Now it’s important that Distance Education Council (DEC) is run by IGNOU, that means to some extent they are policy makers. These courses were launched through lots of AICTE and Non AICTE approved centers, but to astonishment, after excelling initially in its initial phase the programme saw a vertical downfall immediately after its launch. Few reasons to list for this downfall are:

1) The policy makers at IGNOU seem not to be aware of the various acts prevailing.

2) They were not strong enough to explain the students and the country that as per the existing various acts, AICTE approval for the said programme is not mandatory.

3) IGNOU being a central university, DEC falling under its purview, it being a member of AIU, the certificates, diplomas and degrees obtained through such programmes are valid and at par with other such programmes.

4) If at all there were discrepancies in the said course they should have not launched the said courses and would have launched only after clearing all the technical hitches so that students would not be sufferers. And many more questions.

Case 4: Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) on the pathways of IGNOU has launched technical courses. But to astonishment the DEC run by IGNOU has issued a show cause notice that how the University has launched technical courses? My goodness, IGNOU is running a similar course and when some other University is running such course IGNOU (DEC) issues a show cause notice and has created confusion. If at all KSOU is not permitted to run these courses then how come IGNOU is running these courses?

You will notice many students, parents, universities and so on challenging each other’s certificates like how come qualification obtained through distance mode are equivalent to those obtained through regular/face-to-face mode? and so on.

In such situations one of the following two options should be followed:-

Option 1) There should be two standards of qualifications. Those qualifications obtained through face-to-face mode and those obtained by working professionals through distance mode in the same field as of the education pursuance be of the first category and those qualifications obtained through distance mode by unemployed candidates should be of the second category. Here duration of both the qualifications should be the same with 60:40 or 70:30 employment ratio. So, no question of challenges or inequality.

Option 2) There should be only one standard of qualification either obtained through face-to-face, by working professionals or unemployed candidates through distance mode. Only the course duration should be the same. The qualifications obtained by the unemployed candidates through distance mode should be of more duration. Here again no question of challenges or inequality.