Page 84 - EW January 2025

Postscript

Petty-minded density “pleasant surprise” that three Indian schools have been
adjudged among the best schools worldwide by T4, which
NE OF THE GREATEST DRAWBACKS OF THE he describes as a “low-profile but respected international
Indian economy is the vast gulf that separates In- institution”. T4 is a London-based not-for-profit promot-
Odian academia and India Inc. Whiling away hours ed by Vikas Pota, whose online profile describes him as
in ivory towers, the country’s academics, most of them a London-based advocate, entrepreneur and community
brainwashed by Nehruvian socialist propaganda that builder. Therefore although the assessment methodology
all successful businessmen are crooks and cheats, have employed by T4 to rate and rank the world’s best schools
little respect for manufacturers of goods and providers of for community collaboration, environmental action, over-
services. Most university dons teach obsolete, mediocre coming adversity and supporting healthy lives is unclear,
curriculums and churn out 9 million graduates every T4 awards merit acknowledgement and respect.
year totally unsuitable for industry. On the other side of Yet your editor is befuddled that in his 1,000 word
the equation, most Indian corporates are insular reverse essay Aiyar didn’t at all mention the annual Education-
engineering enterprises that haven’t been able to produce World India School Rankings (EWISR) — the world’s
a global game-changing product or service for 75 years — largest and most comprehensive schools rating and rank-
and have little time for academics or academia. ings initiative which rates India’s top 4,000 schools in
In light of this national divide, one of the prime 438 cities and towns divided into three main and 14 sub-
objectives of EducationWorld since it was launched 25 categories on 14 parameters of school education excel-
years ago has been to build bridges between the academy lence. There is a rich lode of evidence available in the EW
and India Inc. Without success. Because India Inc and league tables of high performing schools across India. It
academia are led by petty-minded individuals unwilling can’t be that Aiyar is unaware of your editor — as found-
to cooperate in the broader national interest. Last month ing-editor of Business India and Businessworld — and a
on the eve of the 25th Anniversary issue of this upstream former dining companion. Neither can he be unaware of
swimming publication, your supplicant editor wrote to EW often complimented to him. Now in the winter of his
Chandrajit Bannerjee, Director-General of CII (Confeder- life and commenting on India matters from the US, Aiyar
ation of Indian Industry), requesting the tiny favour of his has either lost the plot or been afflicted by the green-eyed
issuing a circular to CII member companies — comprising monster. Nevertheless one wishes him well.
most of the country’s high market value companies —
advising them to take a subscription (Rs.2,500 per year)
to EducationWorld, India’s #1 education magazine, in the Uber luxury handbook
cause bridging the academy-industry divide.
Banerjee’s advice: Purchase the members directory of N AN ERA OF EXTREME INCOME AND WEALTH
CII and write individually to each company. According disparities between India’s richest 10 percent who
to this myopic worthy’s Wikipedia profile, as Director- Iown 55-60 percent of national wealth and the coun-
General of India’s most powerful industry representative try’s poorest 90 percent with embarassing per capita
organization since 2008, his duty is inter alia to “lead and income, the national interest demands promoting the
contribute to many policy level dialogues and discussions savings habit rather than conspicuous consumption. It’s
to enhance the competitiveness of India Inc and towards a well-established canon of economics that savings equal
the development of India”. With India Inc lumbered with investment.
leaders of such petty-minded density, it’s unsurprising The obligation to promote the saving mantra and dis-
that while CII member companies are whales by Indian courage consumption is greater for media organizations
standards, they are minnows in international waters. reportedly managed by intellectuals aware of national
development priorities. Especially widely circulated
mainstream newspapers and periodicals. Therefore it is
Green-eyed omission? dismaying that India Today, the flagship print publica-
tion of the Delhi-based Living Media India Ltd (LMIL),
HEN MEDIA PUNDITS AND MAINSTREAM one of the country’s most successful and profitable
journalists who tend to focus more on petty companies which also owns popular television channels
Wpolitics rather than root development issues (Aaj Tak, India Today Television), also publishes Spice, a
pay attention to education matters, your editor who free-of-charge super glossy magazine distributed together
promoted EducationWorld 25 years ago with the mission with India Today. Spice lavishly promotes uber luxury
to make “education the #1 item on the national agenda”, products for the super-rich to indulge in. For instance the
is delighted. But when a respected media pundit through ‘pick of the month object of desire’ of Spice November is a
an act of omission and/or calculated neglect, belittles dazzling Zambian emerald necklace priced at Rs. 7.13 lakh
this publication’s sustained effort which has succeeded in (approx.) and an eye shadow cream priced at Rs.22,000.
moving the needle of public policy on critical issues such Therefore one wonders about the corporate social
as early childhood and skills education, as also private responsibility of LMIL (annual sales revenue: Rs.1,000
higher education, one is obliged to react. crore) in eulogizing products and services priced at
In his weekly Swaminomics column in the Times several multiples of the annual per capita income of India
of India (December 8), Swaminathan Anklesaria, who ($2,500) and displaying them in all their glory. At risk
writes an engaging 800-1,000 words weekly essay for the of sounding self-righteous, there’s an element of feasting
“world’s largest-selling English language daily”, focused before the starving and/or rubbing the noses of the poor
on India’s school education system. Aiyar expressed in the dirt in Spice.

84 EDUCATIONWORLD JANUARY 2025