Education in India

Education builds the man so it builds the nation. Education in India is seen as one of the ways to upward social mobility. Good education is seen as a stepping stone to a high flying career. Education System in India currently represents a great paradox. Today we claim to be the biggest human resources supplier for the world. On the one hand we have IIMs & IITs that rank among the best institutes in the world which supplies bureaucrats to the government, software engineers to the IT companies around the world, highly paid managers to the multinationals, and engineers and science graduates as researchers to the foreign universities. but on the other hand there are number of schools in the country that don't even have the basic infrastructure. Even after more than 50 years after independence we are far away from the goal of universal literacy. But on a positive note, Indian professionals are considered among the best in the world are in great demand. This signifies the inherent strength of Indian education system.
Alas, thanks to lack of education, there are two Indias in this country! One India is e-literate, the other India is illiterate. One India says, we have a towering presence; the other India says, we are knee-high to a grasshopper. One India says, it’s as easy as ABC; the other India says, we are yet to grasp the three ‘Rs! One India leads from the front; the other India drags its feet! In the 60th year of our freedom, the time is ripe. India is waiting in the wings and saying it’s time to fly; the world is our oyster and the sky is the limit. All the developed nations have almost 100 per cent literacy; while we are a little over 67 per cent (recent NSSO data) and that too is crude literacy rate! Any education minister/secretary listening?
Today’s India has a ‘historic’ opportunity to secure its place amongst the developed nations. We have tremendous human resources, a thriving economy and a vibrant democracy, enough to make others jealous. Alas, what we... [continues]

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