India's education crisis: Letters to The EDITOR

India's education crisis

India has a full-blown education crisis on its hands - of which the latest ASER report by NGO Pratham is an indicator. Among class VIII children 56% are unable to divide a 3 digit number by a 1 digit one; a quarter of them lack even basic reading skills.

Standards have declined even over the past decade. In 2008, 37% of class V children could do basic math and 84.8% of class VIII students could read class II level texts; now those numbers have declined to 28% and 72.8% respectively. Moreover, recent government actions appear calculated to make India's education crisis worse. Scrapping the no-detention policy means that children will be penalized for the education system's failures. It is also likely to increase the dropout rate. Alongside, HRD minister Prakash Javadekar announced that reservations will be extended to all private higher educational institutions, including unaided ones. This means that merit as well as the fundamental right to equality will be superseded by caste. It also destroys space for policy autonomy of private institutions, including unaided ones, and is legally contentious.

The Centre seems to be extending familiar povertarian logic into education, which will only deepen its crisis: make up for public sector deficiencies by beating up on the private sector. If schools functioned well and imparted decent education to all, there would be no need for reservations in higher education.

While India seems to have adopted the Maoist dictum of "politics in command" when it comes to education, it's instructive to look at how far China has come since it discarded Maoist precepts (at which time India and China were roughly level in scientific, educational and economic terms). Now, Times Higher Education rankings feature seven Chinese universities in the top 200, and zero Indian. The emerging economy rankings feature 25 Indian but 72 Chinese institutions, including four in the top five. China has overtaken the US in number of scientific papers. Meritocracy and vaulting ambition, in place of pretend egalitarianism and fake science, make China five times richer than India today. And thereby hangs a tale.

Satish Kumar Sarma,

Kalyanpur, Biswanath Chariali.

Unique honour for Manohar Parikar with President of India tweeting news of his death

In the death of Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, not only Goa but complete nation has lost a leading politician who had a reare quality of austerity and simplicity rarely seen in politicians of present era seen travelling in public-bus or scooter while being a Chief Minister even seen purchasing milk, newspaper for his family from street-booths, this being the reason of his running state-government despite his party BJP being in minority. He could even been seen in queues at airports setting aside usual protocol available for Union Minister or state Chief Minister.

His lust for duty and responsibility is evident by his working whole heartedly with medical-tubes fitted on his nose while performing his task as state Chief Minister both indoor and outdoor. Even opposition could not raise voice for fall of his government because of his unique personality.

Unlike distributing Bharat Ratna for political gains, such rare type of persons in politics deserve highest nation of the honour also for motivating politicians in general to adopt his life-style of simplicity, austerity and hard work in odd-most medical condition.

Madhu Agrawal,

1775 Kucha Lattushah

Dariba, Chandni Chowk

Delhi-110006.