Page 8 - EW August 2021

Editorial

IMPRESSIVE ONLY BY INDIAN STANDARDS averaged a mere 3.5 percent of GDP
for the past seven decades cf. the
global average of 5 percent and 7-10
hirty years after the defining communist China rejected socialist percent in developed OECD coun-
Union budget of July 24, 1991 economics and took the capitalist ties. Indeed, the liberalisation and
Tannounced overdue liberalisa- road, the national and per capita deregulation reforms of 1991 have
tion and deregulation of the Indian GDP of China and India were on a par. completely by-passed the education
economy by abolishing industrial li- A mere four decades later — in our sector, and instead of raising the
censing and anti-monopolies legisla- own lifetime — PRC’s national GDP is country’s 1.20 million dysfunctional
tion, slashing import duties, relaxing $16 trillion and $10,000 per capita cf. government schools to private school
rules relating to international trade India’s $3 trillion and $2,000. True, standards, government educrats are
and substantially released the ani- the economic reforms of 1991 have overly preoccupied with reducing In-
mal spirits of the country’s millions benefitted the Indian economy, but dia’s 450,000 private schools — over-
of natural entrepreneurs, cabined, insufficiently. whelmingly preferred by the middle
cribbed and confined by half a cen- That’s because the reforms are as class — to public schools level. Regret-
tury of licence-permit-quota raj, this yet unfinished. Arguably the world’s tably, most of the essays written by
anniversary has received huge cover- best natural entrepreneurs, India’s eminent industry and academy lead-
age in the media. businessmen continue to be shackled ers on this anniversary, also accord
Undoubtedly substantial gains and bound by a corrupt bureaucracy peripheral importance to critically
by way of higher per capita income, steeped in obsolete socialist control- important education upgradation and
living standards, industrial and agri- and-command ideology. reform.
culture production have been made In particular, there is obstinate This is why India’s accelerated
during the past 30 years since liber- refusal within the establishment and development after the 1991 reforms
alisation. But as usual, the tendency middle class to acknowledge the vital is impressive only when compared
of public commentators is to compare importance of quality education for to its own dismal record. A reform-
this country’s performance on these all, as the precondition of national resistant establishment that attaches
and other development metrics with development. Despite the country low importance to developing our
pre-1991 data. The proper metric is to grudgingly hosting the world’s larg- abundant human capital, and an apa-
measure the impact of the reforms by est child and youth population, an- thetic middle class, has ensured this
making international comparisons. nual government (Centre plus states) high-potential country remains an
It’s a bitter truth that in 1978, when expenditure on public education has international also-ran.

INDIA’S FAST HOLLOWING DEMOCRACY the Central government-controlled
National Investigation Agency.
Under the common law system of
he death of fr. stan swamy in a Jesuit order who was working for the jurisprudence adopted by indepen-
Mumbai hospital on July 5 has upliftment of poor, neglected tribal dent India, bail is the rule and jail the
Tshone a powerful searchlight on citizens in the deep hinterland of ru- exception. But in this case, the ac-
the rot pervading the country’s law ral Maharashtra, was charged of fo- cused have been detained in jail pend-
and order and justice systems. That menting sedition under the Unlawful ing trial for terrorist acts, permitted
the justice provision and administra- Activities Prevention (Activities) Act, under UAPA. That justices of several
tion system has collapsed is widely 1967 (UAPA), as amended in 2008. courts have accepted this argument
known. A mountainous 30 million The background of the case is that is a marker of the extent to which the
cases are pending in shabby courts of on December 31, 2017, a group of ac- country’s independent judiciary has
law across the country. And it is not tivists, political leaders including two been suborned by the executive.
at all unusual for legal disputes to re- former high court judges convened in Fr. Swamy’s case is also of great
main pending in courts for decades. Pune to commemorate the centenary importance because it highlights the
Despite this, India’s ratio of judges per of the ‘Battle of Bhima Koregaon’ of in-built cruelty and corruption of the
million citizens is a mere 21 cf. 107 in 1818 when Dalit soldiers of the Brit- country’s prison system. Despite his
the US and 144 in communist China. ish army, took on and bested troops advanced age (84) and ill-health, Fr.
Moreover, the country’s archaic civil of the local Brahmin ruler, Peshwa Swamy was denied ordinary humane
and criminal justice procedure codes Bajirao II. During the commemora- facilities such as a straw to drink liq-
have defied all reform efforts notwith- tive event, street plays and speeches uids, his prescribed medication and
standing 277 Law Commission and were made criticising the BJP/NDA preferred hospital care. Fr. Swamy’s
dozens of special committees reports. governments of Delhi and Maharash- legal murder highlights the need for
The outcome of this shocking neglect tra for anti-Dalit policies and discrimi- urgent prison reforms starting with
of the police-justice system is that ac- nation. The celebrations were opposed regular audits of the country’s jails by
cused, often haphazardly charged with by some forward caste groups and in independent citizens’ groups.
criminal offences, languish in jail for violent clashes, one person was killed India’s democratic system of gov-
years pending trial. and several injured. Cases were filed ernance under rule of law is hollowing
In this particular case Fr. Stan Swa- against 16 prominent ‘leftist’ activists out and in its lethargic, police-justice
my, an ordained priest of the Christian including Fr. Swamy under UAPA by system, the process is the punishment.

8 EDUCATIONWORLD AUGUST 2021