Page 138 - EW May 2025

Postscript

True democrat RIP nals not only poor foundational education but pernicious
self hate and national inferiority complex. It’s the natural
HE SUDDEN DEMISE ON APRIL 25 OF DR. order in the animal kingdom for all species to search for
K. Kasturirangan, author of the 484-page draft and aspire for mates of similar colouration and skin tone.
TNational Education Policy which transformed into For example black leopards seldom, if at all, mate with
the 66-page National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, has spotted leopards or light-skinned lions. Likewise, nor-
thrown a cloud of uncertainty over the future direction of matively white-skinned Caucasians, Europeans, Nordics
Indian education. Like the proverbial curate’s egg, NEP etc are attracted to light-skinned mates. Yet curiously, in
2020, based almost entirely on the recommendations of Indian society — especially within the influential middle
the K’Rangan Committee is good in parts. class — the normative preference is quite contrary.
In two cover stories titled ‘More Government and Gov- This pervasive colour prejudice perhaps rooted in
ernance’ (EW July 2019) and ‘NEP 2020: Educracy Shad- Brahminism, and prolonged rule over the sub-continent
ow’ (https://www.educationworld.in/national-education- of light-skinned conquerors from Central Asia followed
policy-2020-visionary-charter-educracy-shadow/ 2020) by almost two centuries of British rule, is perpetuated by
your editors highlighted the contradiction between the braindead badshahs of Bollywood who routinely project
policy mandating the creation of over a dozen education cinema heroines painted white as models of pulchritude.
regulatory committees (SRA, SSRA, HECI, NHERC, NAC, Educators need to teach children from early age to reject
HEGC and GEC), and also recommending autonomy in historical prejudices and celebrate India’s rich ethnic di-
higher education in particular. Commonsense mandates versity and skin tones of citizens, and women in particu-
administration of academic institutions and dispensation lar. For this public service, Ms. Murleedharan’s spirited
of education is best left to academics. However, although response to archaic and pervasive colour prejudice of the
the K’Rangan Committee recommended “light but tight” middle class is overdue and commendable.
supervision, the heavy hand of the Central and state gov-
ernments is omnipresent in NEP 2020.
Nevertheless, despite your editors being more criti- Alive & kicking
cal than approbatory of NEP 2020, the greatness of Dr.
K’Rangan was that as a true democrat he appreciated N HIS LATEST BOOK, The Nehru Development
constructive criticism and incorporated several EW Model: History and its Lasting Impact (2024), Arvind
recommendations — especially relating to ECCE (early IPanagriya, professor of Indian political economy at
childhood care and education), skills education and Columbia University and currently Chairman of the 16th
higher education autonomy in his draft subsequently Finance Commission, makes a convincing case that half
translated into official policy. Moreover, after NEP 2020 century after the pathetic failure of the control-and-com-
was officially promulgated in July 2020, the indefatigable mand Nehruvian socialist national development model,
Dr. K’Rangan immediately constituted several steering the spirit of neta-babu socialism is still alive in the cor-
committees to implement mandates of the policy. ridors of power in Delhi and state capitals, shady bowers
Following his passing it’s doubtful if the Union educa- of academia and the media.
tion ministry will find a more committed and competent This perhaps explains a curious editorial (April 22)
individual to step into his large shoes. In the circum- titled ‘Class Oppression’ in the venerable Times of India
stances, the best option for government is to accept his — “the world’s largest selling English language daily” —
recommendations relating to institutional autonomy and in which its learned editors excoriated India’s private
drop the contradictory recommendation to appoint a schools which mentor 46 percent of the country’s 260
spate of government supervisory committees. Academics million in-school children. “Private schools charging
is best left to academics. exorbitant sums under numerous heads are now a routine
nightmare for families. Some media reports say school
National inferiority complex fees have gone up 50-80 percent over three years. Even at
half that rate of increase, it’s shockingly high,” thunders
the editorial which invites government intervention for
HE RECENT (MARCH 25) OUTING OF pervasive this “regulatory void”.
prejudice against dark complexioned citizens by One would have thought that experience of 77 years of
TKerala’s Chief Secretary Sreeladdha Murleedharan government controls over business and industry and edu-
has resurrected the issue of obstinate colour prejudice in cation has made the ToI editors aware that government
Indian society. The ready adoption by citizens of free India regulation is a prescription for runaway retail corruption.
of the mindset and irrational superiority of our erstwhile The obvious solution to rising tuition fees in private
loot-and-scoot imperial masters on this issue, is clear schools is to raise teaching-learning standards in the
demonstration of lack of national confidence and insecu- country’s free-of-charge 1 million government schools
rity of the middle class that sets standards in such social funded by the tax-paying public. In the UK and US, a
preferences. In several social media posts, Murleedharan mere 6-7 percent of children avail private school educa-
stated that during her career in the civil service she had to tion as against 46-48 percent in India. The ToI editorial
suffer taunts and snide remarks about her dark skin. doesn’t say a word about the glaring infirmity of the
The obsession of Indians — the majority of whom are of public education system. Panagriya is right, gobbledygook
brown to black complexion — with white/light skin tones socialism is alive and kicking within the establishment,
and for fair brides resembling second class Caucasians sig- media included.

138 EDUCATIONWORLD MAY 2025