Page 14 - EW October 2024

Editorial

THREE PRE-CONDITIONS OF VIKSIT BHARAT source development has wrecked the
country’s 1.20 million government
schools defined by crumbling build-
ings, multigrade classrooms, chronic
lthough government leaders growth of over seven decades in post- teacher absenteeism and rock-bottom
and spokespersons proclaim independence India has averaged a learning outcomes. Weak foundation-
Afrom every housetop and pub- mere 4 percent, even as the country’s al education is carried forward into
lic platform that the Indian economy population has quadrupled. higher education institutions where
is clocking “highest worldwide” GDP The socialist heavy industry, capi- misalignment of syllabuses/curricu-
growth and is in a sweet-spot smooth- tal intensive development model has lums with expectations of India Inc
ly navigating towards the objectives of failed abysmally to provide adequate has exacerbated the unemployment
Viksit Bharat and a $30 trillion (from employment for the world’s largest problem.
the current $3 trillion) GDP by 2047, youth population. Currently, youth The third national infirmity that
the reality is that it is sailing in decep- (15-29 age group) unemployment is needs urgent redressal is over-liberal
tively treacherous waters that could at an all-time high of 10.2 percent affirmative action, aka reservation,
sink it very quickly. even as 60 percent of the population in higher education and government
Rising youth unemployment, in- is under-employed in the agriculture jobs. While there is an arguable case
flation and pernicious administra- sector. Clearly, the inorganic social- for persistence with reservations at
tive corruption against the backdrop ist development model has failed and entry level for scheduled castes and
of continuous stoking of communal, needs to be jettisoned bag and bag- tribes, extension of reservation to
caste and religious tensions could gage. OBCs (other backward castes/classes)
quick-start a whirlpool that could The root cause of pervasive unem- has enabled mass entry of an under-
rapidly overwhelm the ship of state. ployment/under-employment that is educated, amoral lumpen bourgeoisie
To prevent such an eventuality it is destabilising law and order country- into higher education institutions and
important to make a proper diagnosis wide, is continuous neglect of public public administration, driving down
of the Indian polity and economy. education, especially primary-sec- academic standards and government
The major and most enduring infir- ondary learning. Continuous under- productivity.
mity of the Indian state is that despite investment averaging a mere 3-3.5 Grasping these nettles is the pre-
the relatively high GDP growth rates percent of GDP per year (cf. global condition of realizing the ambitious
of the new millennium, annual GDP average of 5 percent) in human re- goals set for Viksit Bharat 2047.

CONTINUOUS EROSION OF SOCIAL CONTRACT Even duly elected governments are
resorting to ‘bulldozer justice’ by raz-
ing painstakingly built homes of mere
suspects of wrong-doing. That the Su-
ccording to the national crime it’s important to note that NCRB pro- preme Court of India took its own time
Records Bureau (NCRB) Re- vides data of reported crimes. And as to condemn bulldozer justice freely
Aport 2024, the number of is highlighted every second day in the dispensed in several north Indian
reported crimes in India last year media, police personnel countrywide states is painful evidence of the im-
was 445.9 for every 100,000 people, are very reluctant to record criminal minent collapse of the social contract.
slightly lower (487.8) than in 2022. complaints because if the number of Although it seems self-evident,
The most frequent crime is theft, fol- unsolved crimes in their jurisdiction there is little awareness within In-
lowed by robbery and assault. States increases, it will adversely impact dian society that high quality early
with greatest lawlessness are Uttar their career progression. childhood and primary-secondary
Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Delhi, Rising lawlessness and collapse of education with revised syllabuses/
and Bihar, and crime rates are higher public confidence in the police, judi- curriculums that teach morality and
in urban areas compared to rural In- ciary, bureaucracy and politicians are civic obligations to children from
dia. “The overall crime rate has de- symptomatic of a gradual breakdown youngest age, is the best prescription
creased due to more police presence, of the social contract in society. This for restoring rule of law, social order
better law enforcement, and increased is evidenced by prolonged street-level and harmony. Eminent academics,
public awareness about crime,” says agitations as in the aftermath of the economists and sociologists confabu-
the report. brutal murder-rape of a woman doc- lating in high councils, seminars and
This claim that crime and crimi- tor in Kolkata, spate of exams cheating think tanks are paying too little atten-
nality nationwide has decreased even cases in academia and mob-lynchings tion to the country’s collapsed public
marginally, is difficult to digest. Quite of people suspected of a variety of of- education system. The development
the contrary, if the tidal wave of break- fences ranging from child kidnap to strategy of restricting quality educa-
ing stories on television, banner head- cattle smuggling. tion to the middle class while denying
lines in newspapers and viral postings Frustrated with the law’s delay and it to the over one billion underclass
on social media are indicative. Crime contumely of elected leaders, angry citizens, is deepening social inequal-
has increased exponentially with sev- citizens are increasingly applauding ity and schisms. Unless the education
eral states of the Indian Union hurtling vigilante justice and ‘encounter’ ex- deficit is made good, the social con-
towards anarchy. In this connection, ecutions. And not only lay citizens. tract will suffer continuous erosion.

14 EDUCATIONWORLD OCTOBER 2024