Page 90 - EW May 2020 for Flipbuilder

Books

ernment and stock market Economics, Belgium-born,
supervisory agencies to naturalised Indian Dr. UNIVERSITIES AT THE
stop Bernie Madoff who Andre Beteille is a prolific CROSSROADS
ran up a $65 billion ponzi writer who has addressed Andre Beteille
scam before he was outed; questions of inequal- OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
the recklessness of highly ity, power, social class, Rs.423
experienced Italian judges family, the disciplines Pages 216
who wrongly convicted an of sociology and social
American college student anthropology, and a whole
on holiday in Italy for range of issues, too vast
murder of her room-mate. to enumerate. The array it, unwarranted exclusion
These are some of the of issues he has sought to on social grounds, and While the author
headlines grabbing case understand and his com- justifiable discrimination supports all forms
histories discussed in this mitment as a writer, stem on academic grounds. of social inclusion
engrossing book which from his unfailing dedica- While Beteille supports in higher education,
investigates why even the tion to his profession as all forms of social inclu- his plea is to keep
most intelligent profes- a sociologist, teacher and sion in higher education, merit, ability and
sionals default to truths author. His new book on his plea is to keep merit, performance upper
staring them in the face. the university is therefore ability and performance most in all academic
Why do words and plain a welcome addition to the uppermost in all academic decisions
intent get lost in transla- existing corpus of his work decisions. They must not
tion and interpretation? Is as, apart from articles in be overtaken by ideology to me that the university
this an inevitable human different journals, he has or other values that serve has a serious responsibility
condition? not explicitly addressed to undermine academic to combine social inclu-
At the end of the book, the problems of education excellence. sion with strenuous efforts
Gladwell concedes it is the in any single compendium. s Beteille knows to develop the linguistic,
human condition. If every- This book is a collection Avery well, the point technical and academic
one is always suspicious of convocation addresses however is that academic skills of students without
of everyone else, all social and lectures that he has competence is largely an the social and cultural
intercourse and society as delivered on the broad outcome of social and cul- capital whom it admits
we know it, would break theme of education, and tural capital. Those with into its portals, rather than
down. We have to accept the university in particu- cultural and social capital lower prevailing standards
strangers and brothers at lar, at different forums in are the few who benefit for reasons of political
face value to get on with India. from academic pursuits correctness and/or leth-
our normal lives and leave The single most in higher education. The argy and lack of initia-
it to the odd maverick and important point Beteille problem is complex and tive. Without addressing
holy fool to expose liars, makes and continuously difficult to resolve. If this conundrum directly,
thieves and charlatans. reiterates, pertains to social inclusion in higher Beteille is optimistic that
Fortunately, although they the increasing demand education must prevail, Indian academia will
are a minority, there are for social inclusion in there will necessarily be overcome social exclusion.
enough of them in every higher education. This is a lowering of academic He cites Europe and China
society. no doubt essential in a standards to accommodate as examples of change and
DILIP THAKORE democratic society but in those who have thus far expresses hope that it will
the interest of teaching been deprived of higher become possible in India
Inclusion and research, Beteille is education. Without the so- as well.
cial and cultural capital so
concerned about the need
In an important chapter
trade off for a university to simul- essential to their participa- ‘The School and the Com-
tion in an active and chal-
taneously be academically
munity’, and in con-
discriminating. lenging academic life, they tinuation of his argument,
URRENTLY CHAN- This is the most striking will be severely disadvan- Beteille sympathises with
CELLOR of North argument Beteille makes taged if they are expected well intentioned concern
CEastern Hill Uni- throughout the book. He to meet standards that will for providing equal access
versity, Shillong, and for- is careful to point out that further exclude them. to school education, but
merly professor of sociol- there is a need to distin- What’s the way out of warns it cannot ensure
ogy at the Delhi School of guish between, as he puts this conundrum? It seems equality of outcomes. In

90 EDUCATIONWORLD MAY 2020