Eduaction in India

April 1,2010 is a remarkable day in the history of independent India.Finally,the much cherished dream, Right to Education Act was enforced but no one knows whether it is enforced on that day to make people April fools or they really mean it.I am not pessimistic and quite optimistic.

1 and half year back when I had got a chance to represent my university at chancellor's cup panel discussion in Orissa on the topic 'Illiteracy and poverty",I stated my clear cut views and ideas with the help of existing data.When I questioned about the enforcement of Kothari's comission reports ? as an answer to one of my fellow participants question,he was numb.He was giving the data regarding developed education sector proving me that it is really developed a lot in India.At the end,I asked him to accompany me to a few places so that we both can decide how much developed it is?

But I realized that constructive argument can't be accepted in Indian system(our parliament and assemblies prove it time and again) and he was unable to agree with me until I have given the difference of parameters used in U.S and India to decide whether a person is illiterate or not and second one,I quoted the functional literacy data in the book-The great Indian dream(A mediocre book we can get in every book store)

Recently,Rajiv mission reports are out and it says the same things which I said before one and half year.I stated a few clear-cut , practical methods to improve the condition.The first and foremost is youngsters participation in the mission and government encouraging it( one year later after that,Loksatta party sketched it clearly in its agenda and I was quite happy about that) When we have NSS,NCC like organizations,Can't we have an organization dedicated to our literacy mission.Perks can be provided to them as we provide in NCC and NSS.

I had written a letter to the Governor on the same day and written about this clearly and I stated-"Many youngsters are ready to work if a platform is created."Still,I stood by my words because many youngsters are ready to work in this field because they realize the potential of education in a democratic nation.Questioning ability comes only from functional literacy and questioning ability is the pre-requisite for the functioning of democracy.

I have no doubt and I am highly optimistic.India can make it as Cuba made it,Scandanevian revolution made it and why not India? We can make it but we can't make it with mere laws .Public participation should be ensured not by force but by encouragement and we should go back to the level of socrates democracy.Local governments should be empowered.No way without this because ours is not a small island nation,its a huge,diversified, highly populated, mostly illiterate,poor nation.In this nation,poverty and unemployment is not because of lack of wealth,only because of mis-governance..

I wish every one reading this post to visit the website http://www.teachforindia.org/ and watch the video in its home page.

I hope that every child born in this nation will be provided ample opportunities like I got in my life and education should not be denied because of poverty or societal circumstances.

Jai Hind.!