The following question was asked by Dr. J.S. Anand, Principal, DAV
College, Bathinda to Dr. Sam Pitroda (Chairman, National Knowledge
Commission) as a comment on
this site. To highlight the question, It  has been posted verbatim as
an articlev now (Please Note: The authenticity of the individual has
not been verified.)

Dear Mr. Sam Pitroda,

As an educationist myself, and also as somebody who believes in reflecting over this issue, I have found your comments highly telling and inviting.

There is a perfectionist sitting inside you who wants to apply the best to get the best out of people and our institutions.

Education, however, is a field where the application of best services and allowances have resulted in a state of affairs where the input is enormous while the outcome is negligible. Millions of people are engaged in the task of teaching, yet teaching is a far cry which means wasting of resources by millions.

Your cryptic comment on education was that Colleges are 'over regulated' but 'under-governed'. You are right. But the Govt. has failed to come up with necessary systems through which teachers could be made accountable. Industry and Education essentially differ in this aspect that while employees in an industry can be made to work even under pressure, in Colleges, pressure tactics don't work. Rather, they lead to revolt. Any attempt by the UGC to put pressure on teachers on account of accountability has always been withdrawn by respective state govts. because nobody wants agitations.

Your idea of opening new Universities is a welcome step. I hope the Govt. will accept it. But at the same time, MECHANISM TO ENSURE BETTER QUALITY IS ALSO MUST. I make certain proposals here for your kind consideration:

1. Every college which grows beyond 2000 must be considered to be a potential deemed university and there should be changes in its governance structure so that the Principal has a full-fledged Registrar as in a University to ensure the proper administration and he himself is free for further development of the Institution.

2. Funds can be self-created but Govt. has to make education subsidized because it is out of reach of more than 60% people.

3. Vice-Chancellors should be men of proven merit, having a nationalistic and a universal vision, committed to human values and at the same time, committed to quality teaching

4. Govt. interference should be minimal. Grants should be available irrespective of the fact whether the VC belongs to their party or not. IMMUNIZING THE UNIVERSITIES FROM POLITICAL INTERFERENCE SHOULD BE OUR TOPMOST AGENDA. BECAUSE IT GETS 2ND RATE PEOPLE INTO 1ST RATE POSITIONS AND THEN THERE IS DEGRADATION EVERYWHERE.

5. It should be a normal exercise to have an eye for peo0ple with a specific contribution to the field of knowledge, people who are think-tanks, people who believe in the power of the word, people who are SCHOLARS AND PHILOSOPHERS AND ONLY SUCH PEOPLE SHOULD BE SELECTION FOR VICE-CHANCELLORS.

6. We have to draw a balance between professional studies and humanistic streams which are now being neglected. EDUCATION FOR JOBS was never our GUIDING PRINCIPLE. The basic aim of education, to humanize, to refine the human stuff and to make them better citizens not only of India but of the whole world, should be INBUILT IN THE NEW SYSTEM.
7. In this ERA OF GLOBALIZATION, nationalist considerations have to be put in a globalized perspective. And we must rise above caste considerations and state considerations to have people who really belong to the WORLD OF THE WORD.

I shall be happy to have your reactions, Dear Sir, I consider you the PATRSON SAINT OF RENAISSANT INDIA.

Dr. J.S. Anand, M.A. English, Ph.D Principal, DAV College, Bathinda [Pb] INDIA.