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The tasks on the education front

Bhairon Singh Shekhawat

A system that creates disparities among rich and poor students, and those from urban and rural backgrounds, poses the risk of causing unrest.

THE ROLE of the right kind of education in a nation's progress cannot be overemphasised. It can inculcate citizenship values, liberate people from ignorance, empower them with knowledge, information, and skills to know about their rights and entitlements, expand their outlook, form their aspirations, and prepare young citizens to take up roles and responsibilities to shape their own destiny, and that of the nation. Mahatma Gandhi visualised education as a means to awaken the nation's consciousness against injustice, violence, and inequality.

However, India's literacy level remains low. As much as 35 per cent of our people lack basic literacy. About 53 per cent of our children drop out of school at the elementary stage, and just a third of high school students graduate. Most of the dropouts belong to the poorest segments of society. We need to bring down the dropout rate to zero. For this, the poor and deprived will need special support. During my tenures as Chief Minister of Rajasthan, proactive initiatives were undertaken to address these issues, and the literacy rate rose from 38 per cent in 1991 to 62.5 per cent in 2001.

The state has to work for the empowerment of the poor and the deprived to enable them to enjoy their fundamental right to live with dignity. Professor Amartya Sen wrote: "When people are illiterate, their ability to understand and invoke their legal rights can be very limited, and educational neglect can also lead to other kinds of deprivation... if we continue to leave vast sections of the people of the world outside the orbit of education, we make the world not only less just, but also less secure."

Education should enable you to secure proper employment; hence the need to expand avenues for vocational training. The present system creates wide disparities not only among rich and poor students but among those from urban and rural backgrounds. This situation is fraught with the risk of causing social and class unrest.

We live in stirring times of globalisation. The information age is impacting the lives of individuals and reshaping societies. As India strives to compete as a knowledge-based economy, we ought to be the very best globally. The youth are our most valuable resource to seize the opportunities offered by globalisation. We need to provide a better environment of governance to our youth and build their capacities through sustained nurturing of entrepreneurial talent, innovation and creativity, research and development. Institutions of higher learning should foster the spirit of research and enquiry to enable students to face the challenges.

The reality is disquieting. Only about 7 per cent of the youth in the 17-23 age group get an opportunity for higher education. Enrolment in science is less than 20 per cent, in engineering and technology 6.6 per cent, and in medicine 3.3 per cent. Enrolment in basic sciences is on the wane. The standard of research in universities is on the decline. Our universities have to be the hub of quality education and research, and centres of academic excellence.

India's economy is strong and resilient today. Since Independence, our achievements in agriculture, industry, defence, space, and atomic energy have been spectacular. We are a global player in IT; our service sector is expanding; foreign trade and investments are up. A growth rate of over 8 per cent has put the country on a high-growth trajectory. Our parliamentary polity with an independent judiciary and a free press has deepened the roots of our democracy.

But we are still grappling with poverty, malnutrition, illiteracy, and disease, with a sub-optimal Human Development Index ranking of 126. Over three crore people are unemployed. Malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS have emerged as serious public health problems. About 26 crore Indians live below the poverty line. Rural incomes have dwindled; farm households have become more prone to stress and insecurity. Farmers' suicides call for rejuvenating agriculture, revamping cooperative institutions, and taking up programmes for integrated rural development.

We need development that promotes growth not just in terms of percentage increase in GDP but brings about inclusive development, growth that uplifts the poor and deprived, and that which alleviates poverty and bridges the gap between rich and poor. We need development that eradicates illiteracy and provides the common man with access to basic education, healthcare, and shelter.

Not easy

The task is not easy. The exponential population growth and the growing demand to meet the basic necessities with limited resources add to the complexity. If we educate our people and sensitise them about the imperatives of sustainable development, we can meet the challenge.

Programmes of development should begin with the poor. This is what I put in practice in the Antyodaya programme launched in 1977 as Chief Minister of Rajasthan. This approach, in which the poorest amongst the poor receive foremost attention, should become integral to all programmes of development and growth.

Today, the common man looks for hassle-free and corruption-free governance. We should improve the efficiency and management of delivery of public goods and services in programmes meant for people's welfare. I am a great believer in the destiny of our country. We are destined to be a prosperous, strong, and developed nation.

(Excerpts from the convocation address delivered by Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat at Banaras Hindu University on April 9.)

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