|
Over
the years, the health along with the brand image
of our universities and other autonomous
institutes has deteriorated. We have not made
any significant impact through scientific
researches of global standard. The political war
going on since last some months at the premier
medical institute, AIIMS, tells the real story
of the deterioration of institutes due to
political interference. The dissenting votes on
a non-issue in National Knowledge Commission (NKC)
confirm the fear.
None of the universities has come up to the
level of the best universities in the world.
Unfortunately, not a single institutes of
technology has come up that can be considered
better than IITs. What can keep the spread,
vitality and vibrancy of our higher education
system?
Only in area of management education, two
institutes - Hyderabad–based Indian School of
Business, a collaborative effort of Kellogg,
Wharton, and London Business School; and great
Lakes institute of Management in Chennai
established recently are significant addition.
No doubt, some private management schools such
as XLRI, SIBM, FMS, and IIFT are performing
excellently.
The government keeps on promising more of IITs,
IIMs, and AIIMSs. But not much is visible so
far. P. M. Bhargava, Vice-chairman of the NKC,
and many other educationists feel, the country
needs 3,000 good universities.
I can talk of West Bengal and Bihar, where a
number of these temples of education could have
become the best institutes in its areas of
specialization, if it would not have been under
the state government control. Calcutta
University had every thing that makes a
Cambridge or an Oxford. Presidency College,
University Science College, Bengal Engineering
College, Jadavpur University, and Shanti Niketan
of Rabindranath had all the potentials to grow
as institutes of importance, if made autonomous
and get into right hands. It could attract
private investments for applied researches. Many
of its alumni could have helped to make them
world-class institutes. Bihar doesn’t have a
single management school or institute of
technology that can attract students from all
over the country. How can a state build its
economy without it?
Last week, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh laid
the foundation for the Indian Institute of
Science Education and Research (IISER) at the
Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics in Salt Lake.
A similar institute is coming up in Pune too.
All these institutes must grow as IISc,
Bangalore.
Very rightly, Dr. Singh pointed out, "One of the
weaknesses of the Indian scientific system, as
it evolved in recent years, has been the
increasing disconnect between teaching and
research where the universities teach, and
national laboratories do research. This
dichotomy must end." He recommended that the
government must encourage public-private
partnership (PPP) for increasing funding of
research activities.
But many more institutes and universities must
take-up the task of growing to world-class level
in the quality of education that it imparts as
mission. And the universities and other
educational institutes of national importance
can only get the country as a leader in the
world of knowledge.
|
Comments: |
|
No comment so far. |
|
Discussion on this topic is now
closed. |
Return to previous Page |
