Page 6 - EW February 2025_Neat

From the

Editor
THE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT MAGAZINE

Volume X X VI No.2

BOARD OF ADVISORS
N.R. Narayana Murthy, H.V. Gowthama, Shukla L
Bose, Dr. Glenn Christo, Dr. R. Natarajan ike the Bourbon kings of ancient France who learned nothing
(Bangalore); Adi Godrej, Dr. Augustine Pinto, from history, India’s top 10 percent establishment and middle
Guilherme Vaz, Ketan Gala, Kirit Mehta, Balkishan
Sharma (Mumbai); Dr. Ramdas Pai (Manipal); class who command 55-60 percent of national wealth and
Prof. Geeta Kingdon (Lucknow); Rajiv Desai, Dr. income, seem oblivious to the mass deprivation and misery of
Parth Shah, Jeroninio Almeida (Delhi); Dr. Kannan
Gireesh (Chennai); Robindra Subba (Kurseong); majority citizens eking out miserable lives at the bottom of pro-
Sanjeev Bolia (Kolkata); Dr. Achyuta Samanta fessedly socialist India’s socio-economic pyramid. Incontrovertibly, 75 years
(Bhubaneswar); Yogi Kochhar (Dharamshala); after independence, the great majority of citizens suffer severe shortages of
Shyama Thakore (London)
food, clothing and shelter as also persistent inflation and unemployment.
EDITOR Yet perhaps the greatest iniquity that the silent majority has suffered — and
Dilip Thakore
continues to suffer — is lack of good quality foundational education which
MANAGING EDITOR offers the sole opportunity to escape the grinding poverty and social injustice
Summiya Yasmeen
that 21st century India’s politically free but economically enslaved majority is
CHIEF SUB-EDITOR obliged to endure. Although independent India has produced dozens of great
Sundar Anand economists, sociologists and development scientists, many of whom have been
Paromita Sengupta, Reshma Ravishanker, Gopi inducted into global development institutions such as the World Bank, IMF
Chand N, (Bangalore), Autar Nehru (Delhi)
9868256512, Baishali Mukherjee (Kolkata) and United Nations agencies, they seem to have an education blind-spot.
9836491981, Shivani Chaturvedi (Chennai) Way back in 1967, a high-powered committee chaired by D.S. Kothari,
9500506102
Chairman of the University Grants Commission, recommended that the mini-
CHIEF EXECUTIVE mum annual outlay for education (Centre plus states) should aggregate 6 per-
Bhavin Shah +91 9867382867
cent of GDP. That considered recommendation has been repeatedly ignored by
MARKETING successive governments at the Centre and states. Average national outlay for
Vice President — Sales: Tejas Pattni 9022487997 education has averaged a mere 3-3.5 percent of GDP for 75 years.
West: Aasana Jain 9820319127
South: Poonam Shah 9731966373 The chickens of prolonged under-investment in education — especially
E-mail: marketing@educationworld.in early childhood and primary education — have come home to roost. Con-
GRAPHICS temporary India has arguably the lowest agriculture, industry and services
Chandrashekar L. (especially government services) productivity worldwide. The GDP produced
Kotresh Y
by 1.4 billion citizens aggregates a mere $3.5 trillion with a per capita income
SUBSCRIPTIONS of $2,900. In sharp contrast, the GDP of neighbouring China which was rela-
Mithun Jadhav: 9108225694/ tively under-developed in 1947, has risen to $18 trillion and per capita income
080 43711141
sub@educationworld.in to $13,000. Mainly because good quality primary education was universalized
in China in the early 1950s. Unfortunately, as the recently released UDISE+
ONE YEAR SUBSCRIPTION: RS.2500
OVERSEAS SUBSCRIPTION: USD100 2023-24 Report of the Government of India confirms, acceptable quality
Cheques/drafts in favour of DT Media & foundational education — especially enabling school infrastructure — remains
Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. Bangalore
elusive in 21st century India.
EDITORIAL Differing with several grey and not-so-grey eminences, I believe that
C3-36, 3rd Floor, Devatha Plaza enabling infrastructure in our schools, colleges and universities is of critical
131 Residency Road, Bangalore 560 025. importance because of the unique peer and self-learning capabilities of India’s
Tel: 080 22480880; Fax: 2227 5962;
E-mail: editorial@educationworld.in children and youth. If provided enabling facilities. UDISE+ 2023-24 which de-
Printed and published by Dilip Thakore on behalf tails the infrastructure facilities of India’s 1.47 million K-12 schools and related
of DT Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. issues, is the subject of our perhaps poignant cover story this month.
Printed at Rajhans Enterprises, 134, 4th Main, In- As usual, there’s a lot else in our allegedly “over-engineered” EW. In
dustrial Town, Rajajinagar, Bangalore-44. Published particular, check out the excellent expert comment essays. A feast of food for
at C3-36, 3rd Floor, Devatha Plaza, 131 Residency
Road. Bangalore 560 025. thought.
Editor Dilip Thakore.
RNI No. KARENG/1999/00234
Website: www.educationworld.in

6 EDUCATIONWORLD FEBRUARY 2025