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Sen: premature privatisation in education

LUMINARIES MEET: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with Harvard University president Lawrence H. Summers and Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen at the Harvard Alumni Association function in New Delhi on Saturday. — Photo: SHANKER CHAKRAVARTY

New Delhi: Dissatisfied with the country's progress in education and health, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen said on Saturday that privatisation had been brought in prematurely in these two fields.

Prof. Sen said the country "lacks in health and education." Releasing his book `Capabilities, Freedom and Equality' here, he said India was lagging behind China in agricultural growth.

`Women are unaware'

Women in India were largely unaware of topics such as identity and freedom. "If you ask a woman in India `how are you', she would reply `my family is well.' It is important that people should realise they have the freedom to exercise their choice and they have the freedom to do whatever they are capable of."

On his book, he said in a lighter vein: "It carries the greatest interview that I have ever given."

The essays, including one by Prof. Sen himself, cover concepts such as the capability approach, freedom, social choice, justice and identity, said Bina Agrawal, one of the book's editors. — PTI

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