Page 10 - EW-June-2025

Editorial

REVERSE INTELLIGENTSIA SECESSION gougery of reckless war-mongers in
Clearly and contrary to the dema-
politics and media, another full-scale
t bottom, operation sindoor dle class citizens pushed into politics war between our two countries is not
and the near outbreak of yet by unemployablility and desperation. in the interest of the people of both
Aanother major war between And although it is dangerous to gen- neighbour nations mired in poverty,
India and neigbouring Pakistan, is the eralize, it’s a proven verity that pam- illiteracy and ignorance. The status
outcome of secession of the subconti- pered dynasts and politicians with of Kashmir, which is central to pro-
nent’s educated middle class from the perfunctory education tend to be driv- longed hostility and had pushed the
political arena in both countries. en by one or more of the seven deadly two nuclear-armed countries into
Although over the past 77 years In- sins rather than idealism, logic and four full-fledged wars, needs to be ra-
dia and Pakistan have graduated le- rational problem-solving skills. tionally debated and negotiated with
gions of college and university gradu- It’s noteworthy that India’s free- cooperation of the people of the valley.
ates, many of whom have pressed on dom movement which acquired mo- Obviously hammering out a solu-
to graduate from the best HEIs (higher mentum after the First World War, tion acceptable to both neighbour na-
education institutions) worldwide, the was organized by highly educated and tions and the people of Kashmir will
academy and well-educated individu- learned leaders including Mahatma require bona fide debate and deep
als are under-represented in their leg- Gandhi, J. Nehru, Sardar Patel and negotiation. But a new beginning to
islative assemblies and executive gov- Dr. Ambedkar, among scores of oth- resolve this intractable issue needs
ernments. Middle class households ers. For almost three years they intelli- to be made with the best minds from
prefer their progeny to enter civil and gently discussed, debated and shaped academia and the intelligentsia co-
defence services, the professions (law, the Constitution of India. In Pakistan, opted into the problem-solving pro-
medicine) and organized corporate a nation mid-wifed by religious inse- cess. The war hysteria orchestrated by
sector. It’s rare for an educated middle curity, after the premature death of TV news channels will not influence
class family without a history in poli- their urbane and educated founder the educated middle class which is —
tics to encourage children to enter the Mohammed Ali Jinnah, power and or should be — aware that the heaviest
hurly burly of the political theatre. governance slipped into the hands of price of armed conflict is paid by the
Consequently politics in the twin conservative Islamic theologians and poorest at the bottom of the pyramid
nations is dominated by political dy- army generals who tend to shoot first with whom our two nations are overly
nasties and less educated lower mid- and reason later. endowed.

RETEST COLLAPSING CITIES’ MANAGERS are under-qualified. According to the
India Skills Report 2024, 54 percent
of graduates of India’s engineering in-
very year for the past five years emerging as a preferable alternative stitutions are functionally uneducated
Bangalore/Bengaluru (pop.14 for international tech companies. and unfit for employment in corporate
Emillion), globally recognized as The official excuse is that the Gar- or government service. Not a few of
India’s digital technologies epicentre den City which at the turn of the new these half-baked civic managers and
and ICT (information communication millennium hosted a population of engineers, equipped with certification
technologies) hub, has experienced 5.5 million has grown too large and recklessly issued by (state) govern-
severe eve-of-monsoon and monsoon too fast. In particular, the number of ment and low-ranked colleges, with
rain and flooding. This year is no dif- automotive vehicles has multiplied poor quality faculty, are employed in
ferent. At time of writing, pre-mon- manifold, imposing a load that its government and BMC through fair
soon showers have severely disrupted road network which has expanded means or foul, usually the latter.
road traffic, damaged residential and inadequately over the past three de- The solution to the civic chaos and
office property and prompted mass cades, is unable to bear. Moreover the chronic mismanagement of India’s
workplace absenteeism. The annual mushrooming of concrete residential cities is for the educated middle class
damage by way of work and property colonies and office blocks has imposed to exert pressure on the Centre and
loss due to rain and flooding is colos- a heavy burden on the city’s storm states to give teeth to the 74th consti-
sal. water drainage and sewage disposal tutional amendment to decentralize
Moreover since Bengaluru is the systems. civic governance down to the ward
national ICT hub with income from While there is some substance in level. It’s also important to restrict
digital services exported to countries this rationalisation, it’s axiomatic ward elections to local property own-
and corporates worldwide estimated that planning and management of a ers. Simultaneously all government
at $53 billion (Rs.4.5 lakh crore) per metropolis of over 10 million requires and corporation engineers should be
year, this annual calamity is inflicting high calibre civic planning, manage- mandated to pass an independent
incremental reputation loss upon tech ment and engineering personnel. skills assessment and eligibility test
companies sited in this misgoverned Yet dipstick testing of officials in ur- akin to TET (teacher eligibility test)
metropolis. According to ICT indus- ban planning and development, and prior to promotion. In ‘soft state’ In-
try sources, Hyderabad, Telangana — related services in government and dia these are hard solutions. But the
blessed with talented engineers and municipal departments is likely to national interest demands that painful
superior civic governance — is fast reveal that managers and technicians nettles are grasped.

10 EDUCATIONWORLD JUNE 2025