Allow Academic Adventurism

This refers to the article “The 100% guarantee for 9%” (TNIE, 31 August 2007). The authors have rightly pointed out the lacuna in our educational system. Adopting a one-size-fits-all approach through state controlled regulatory bodies does not bode well for an economy preparing to face growth-related challenges. We do need to encourage drastic educational reforms for supporting creativity in professional education. Adopting concurrency to reduce the lead time in developing industry-ready professionals is indeed a very good suggestion. One can also uphold their suggestions for developing creative learner-centric programs through a more inclusive capacity building exercise involving participation of small towns. These suggestions can be taken forward through a more progressive educational policy that promotes free thinking beyond limiting geographical boundaries.

However, we have to be cautious with the idea of faculty exchange between top-rung institutions such as IIMs and IITs with other institutions of the country. Faculty members in these elite institutions have seldom experienced the harsh conditions under which most institutes in India have to grow. Nor has their involvement as nominees and experts to the various boards and committees given any relief to the faculty wanting to promote creativity in a less-privileged school of India . Even if some of them are prepared to face the harsh conditions, their ability gets stifled by the statutes currently governing most “non-elite” educational Institutions/Universities of the country.

Faculty members in elite institutions enjoy much greater autonomy than their less privileged counterpart in other colleges. Moreover, unlike US faculty, they don’t have to compete for funds as these are planned in the form of grants (read taxpayers’ money) by the MHRD. Naturally, therefore, they don’t have to spend much energy worrying about support to bring quality into the classroom meant for the elites. Further, their proximity to MHRD made it easier for them to be in most policy making bodies. However, did they ever use this opportunity to create more IIT/IIM like Institutions in the country? Did they create conditions to encourage pluralism in the faculty community? IIT Kharagpur has more than 40% of faculty who are the products of their own system. In some departments it is as high as 90%. Will it be healthy to make them the role models for the less privileged Institutions?

Finally, the authors have given some promising facts about the huge manpower potential that is locked in students below 14 years of age. Are the elite Institutions doing enough in helping them realizing their dreams for a future? The most important area where they can create a difference is by promoting greater freedom to the individual entity through formulation of progressive policies. I strongly support their bottom-line – “we need to think of new solutions to face the approaching challenges”. If I may add, we need radical reforms to promote academic adventurism.