Page 14 - EducationWorld August 2022

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cart scores a bull’s eye for satire. medical colleges to increase student
Also the yellow and black combi- intake capacity need to be ration-
nation is fresh and attractive. I look alised to enable optimal capacity
forward to many more bright and utilisation. It’s a shame that colleges
cheerful covers. built on huge acres of land with large
R iddhima S agar teaching hospitals are permitted to
MUMBAI admit only 100-200 MBBS under-
grads annually.
H arinder S ingh
Biased feature LUDHIANA

YOUR COVER STORY ‘Project
implementation progress report’
(EW July) which runs into several Words of praise
pages fails to highlight several initia- I GLANCE THROUGH every issue
tives already launched by the govern- of Educ ationW orld, reading selected
ment under NEP 2020. For instance, pieces. But I never miss your editori-
JULY 2022 the Common University Entrance als. When fear and terror are official
Test (CUET) and Academic Bank of weapons, when 50 percent of citizens
Credits (ABC). have become sheep and goats, and
Your story seems to be more a perhaps 90 percent of media has
Constructive criticism platform for venting your anti-estab- turned into official mouthpiece
I READ YOUR detailed cover story lishment vengeance and frustration out of greed and trepidation, you
‘NEP 2020: Project implementa- at not having received any response deserve congratulations for main-
tion progress report’ (EW July) with from education minister Dhar- taining the free spirit, intellectual
great interest. It highlights the slow mendra Pradhan. A policy which independence and basic values of
progress being made to implement seeks to completely overhaul Indian your profession.
the National Education Policy 2020, education from early childhood to Your June editorial where you
two years after it was presented to university is bound to have teething highlight the plethora of false writ
Parliament with great hope and ex- problems. petitions and complacency of the
pectation. This is further proof that Dr. Padmavathi R . courts is an example. Judiciary was
overhauling India’s education system BENGALURU free India’s last hope. When they
has never been a priority of the BJP give public lectures, their lordships
government. talk spiritedly about the need to
I also agree with the author that Shocking mess safeguard democratic and consti-
the Union education minister’s re- CONGRATULATIONS ON a well- tutional values. But when the time
fusal to be interviewed is against the researched Special Report ‘India’s comes for action, their commitment
public interest. If the minister is too mighty medical education mess’ (EW evaporates.
preoccupied to respond to individual July) which beams a spotlight on In- Your June cover story advising
queries given his many responsibili- dia’s huge demand-supply imbalance every educator to revisit J.
ties, he owes the nation an obligation in medical education, prompting an Krishnamurti is also very timely. I
to update the public through periodic annual exodus of aspiring medicos to was delighted to see him on your
media briefings. Hope the learned foreign countries. The government cover. He was indeed one of India’s
minister reads your well-written and Medical Council of India are very few original enlightened
story which offers constructive criti- solely responsible for this mess. It’s thinkers. Devoid of prejudices, pre-
cism. shocking that a country of over 1.45 conceived notions, bias and ego, he
Mahesh G oy al billion people offers a mere 88,000 was a really true and free spirit of our
JODHPUR MBBS seats per year. No wonder our times. Education is not the only field
doctor-population ratio is one of the he excelled in and India is not the
lowest worldwide. only country in which he is known
Better cover design The newly formed National Medi- and respected. This extraordinary

I AM A regular reader of Educ a- cal Commission must make its mis- philosopher-educationist will remain
tionW orld. I am pleased that your sion to liberalise medical education relevant even after 500 years.
July cover is a departure from your while ensuring teaching-learning H .N . Dastur
routine covers. Its depiction of the standards are maintained. The oner- Executive Secretary, Bharatiya
education minister riding a bullock ous rules and regulations for private Vidya Bhavan, MUMBAI

14 EDUCATIONWORLD AUGUST 2022