** * * * Jharkhand News * <http://jharkhand.org.in/>
The use of the word 'caste' should be banned Less said the better about the teaching staff. Are our politicians aware that over 500 vacancies exist in the reserved teachers' quota for colleges simply because no candidate could pass the Merit Eligibility Test? In Karnataka, at least four Government colleges don't have 60 per cent of the required staff because they failed the eligibility test. Instead of going into the cause, the Centre is now thinking of changing the MET itself to help unsuccessful teachers meet the eligibility. With future teachers such as these, God help our education. ** At the same time, none has given a thought to the demoralising impact on the psyche of the qualified individuals denied admission to these colleges. What happens to them? Where do they head? In fact, the verdict in one sense seems to concur with the views of the anti-reservationists. It has raised questions on the effectiveness of such a policy for bringing equality in the society. Specially, as even after six decades of a reservation policy thanks to caste politics the objectives have not been achieved. As it stands today, there is no deletion in the list of OBCs, instead it goes on increasing. Thus raising a doubt whether anyone is truly interested in removing the inequality? All seem to have forgotten that the Father of the Constitution, Babasaheb Ambedkar wanted to do away with the quota policy after ten years. Needless to say, this Mandal II has reignited the merit vs quota debate. Once implemented, the new policy would take the overall reservation in the Central Government-funded higher education institutions to 49.5 per cent from the current 22.5 (for SC and ST students). Post liberalization and in the environs of an increasingly competitive global village, the thirst for education has gone up by over 10-15 per cent. In Bihar alone, educational institutions have opened in every mohalla and gali. But is reservation the answer for bridging the gap between the demand and supply for education? Given the onslaught of expanding students and a shrinking education pie. No, most certainly not. The danger in imposing arbitrary quotas on admissions to educational institutions is three-fold. One, academic standards would suffer as institutions would no longer be able to admit the highest-scoring students. Two, it would be difficult to attract and retain good faculty, who is likely to get frustrated with a poor standard of students. Three, any deterioration in the quality of education which reflects in short-changing Brand India could jeopardize our remarkable story of economic growth. Importantly, the Government needs to develop new and innovative ways of providing basic primary education for the backward classes to enable them to compete on an equal footing for merit-based admission to universities. By trying to play catch-up at the college level and cramming down of quotas on education institutions is like putting the cart before the horse. Look at the absurdity. A recent survey by an NGO showed only 52 per cent students were attending schools in Bihar and 60 per cent in Rajasthan, UP, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh. Also, 44 per cent children in public schools in Std II to V couldn't read simple paragraphs. Nearly five per cent couldn't do two-digit subtraction sums and in Std VI to VII 40 per cent were unable to handle simple division problems. None know whether the UPA's flagship, the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is actually resulting in kids getting better education. True, the Government's fundamental mission is to provide education for all and uplift the poor and backward classes. However, it needs to remember that the system of caste-based quotas has become divisive and self-defeating. Reservations are no answer to improving the lot of the OBCs. It will only further divide our people on caste lines and increase the divide between the haves and have-nots. As Ambedkar said, "If you want different societies to come together, I think it is time that we decide that the use of the word 'caste' be banned." Else reconcile to becoming a nation of mediocrity! centralchronicle.com/20080417/1704302.htm * * *Jharkhand Music @ Jharkhandi.org/music.htm<http://www.Jharkhandi.org/music.htm> * . -- Jharkhand News [EMAIL PROTECTED] Jharkhand Online Network http://www.jharkhand.org.uk
