Social Justice

The range of issues raised by the respondents in regard to social justice is very wide. These have been sought to be comprehended in tour broad categories (i) the adequacy or otherwise of the equity measures in, education; (ii) the impact of the equity policy, seen in measures like reservations, both in the field of education as well as in matters of recruitment, promotion, etc., (iii) re-thinking about the rationale and basis of determining social deprivations as well as the degree of protective discrimination; and (iv) a specific

reference to the larger question of minority rights, and private educational institutions as a dimension of equity.

However, the respondents observe a difference between incentives and reservation as a measure of social equity. They welcome the first but oppose the second especially because of the unhealthy consequences it has led to. In fact, the policy of reservation, both on account of its extension to employment and promotion as well as on account of the manner in which it has been availed of and administered, appears to have led to a rethinking about its rationale and efficacy. Their predominant feeling, is that if protect discrimination in favour of the disadvantaged is to entail indiscriminate abuse, leaving out the economically most vulnerable sections, such a policy needs change.

The basis for measuring and determining deprivation, the respondents feel, should shift from social backwardness to economic or financial backwardness. Either reservation on this basis or purely on merit basis is one argument. Another argument is that if reservations are to be retained at all, in deference to Constitutional directive, it should be limited to the first level of recruitment only.

The equity dimension of minorities' educational rights as well as the practice of private educational institutions has evoked the strongest reaction from the respondents. Their wholesale abolition, with the more compassionate ones asking for their nationalisation, is the universal demand as far as the private `public' schools are concerned. Amendment, if not scrapping of the provisions in the Constitution regarding the minorities rights, is the measure suggested by most of the respondents in respect of minority schools.

The reversal of, urban bias and rural neglect as the unmitigated outcome of our education system is a demand from a sizeable number of respondents. Equitable distribution of funds, personnel, facilities and recognition are suggested as a package to reduce rural-urban inequities in education.

As regards the rationale and the adequacy of existing measures of equity, there is a predominance of opinion both in its favour as well as for increasing them. It was not very common to find respondents questioning the imperative of bringing the socially disadvantaged sections on par with others through education. Similarly, almost none has questioned the wisdom of the incentives extended to them.

Delinking Degrees from Jobs

Although numerically fewer number of respondents have dealt with the issue of delinking degrees from jobs, there is a certain uniqueness about the range as well as the complexity of the issues touched by them. There is broadly a three-fold division of the viewpoints relating to delinking. The first favours delinking by highlighting all its positive features. The second group consists of those who while advocate delinking, are also against it in certain cases like engineering, medicine and other professional and technical fields. The third group comprises those who are questioning the very assumption on which the plea is made, besides explicating the serious implications it will have both in the educational as well as in the employment sectors.

The advocates of delinking envisage that it would arrest the pressure on university education and, in turn, enable it to concentrate on quality and excellence, increase administrative efficiency when recruitment is made immediately after the school stage and enriched by in-service training, eliminate devaluation of selection would be done on job requirements and not on mere degrees, etc. Still another groups which argues for delinking degrees in matters of admission opines that the degree of any one stage should not be the criterion for admission to the next higher stage, but should be based on a separate entrance test, as is in some or should be in all cases of employment.

A line of opposition stems from those who question it on the belief that delinking degrees will stream off the talented towards either professional education or for jobs and thus starve universities of the real cream, which is so essential for quality and excellence. Although no directly intend life character and social equity dimension of the university education will be seriously affected as the social and intellectual elites will not enter universities.

The second reservation against delinking arises from lack of any positive relationship between education and employment holding the view that it is the economic development which brings about more employment, they argue that rather than delinking degrees from jobs, education should be linked to productivity through vocationalisation, etc. which in fact, is a better way of solving. the problem of educated unemployed.

Besides, there are also serious doubts about the value of delinking degrees from jobs. It is argued that siphoning off school- leavers towards employment or professional and productivity oriented streams would witness only the elites cornering the advantage of higher education and the disadvantaged being the sufferers. Moreover, by delinking degrees from jobs, only the number of the contestants for the jobs would increase.

Concluding Observations

A perusal of the communications leaves one struck by the intensity of the people's appeal to re-design the education system in tune with the aspirations of a resurgent democracy. The intensity of this appeal appears even more gripping as it stems from the diagnosis, of the existing education system vis-a-vis the expectations placed upon it. This raises a basic question as to where the education system went wrong, in its policies or their implementation. having looked into the people's assessment of the education system., as well as their suggestions for its reconstruction, it would be useful to

discern their major views against the backdrop of the nationally accepted Policies and goals of education. This would place their views in proper perspective in the context of the initiatives of the national leadership in their present endeavour to formulate the new educational policy.

The main reason for the disenchantment of the people with education seems to be its :failure to Promote national unity and integrity. This goal was embodied in the Constitution, emphasized by every commission on education and was reiterated in the Rational Policy on Education (1968). Therefore, the passionate plea of the people to reinforce education as an instrument of national unity and integrity should be viewed as a reminder to complete the unfinished task's assigned to it decades ago. This is why stress is laid on teaching of Indian history, especially freedom struggle, as well as the stress on uniform syllabus.

A uniform educational structure across the country has been the watchword of almost all the commissions and committees on education, particularly the Kothari Commission as well as the National Policy on Education (1968). Even after one and a half decades, this nationally accepted policy is yet to be universally adopted. Indian people view a uniform educational structure of the 10+2+3 pattern as an antidote to many defects found in our education system. In fact, even those who are against the 10+2+3: System have an argument which flows from its faulty implementation.

Content and curriculum were viewed as the crux of the entire education system because it is through these that the goals and objectives are achieved. A proper design of content and curriculum has been viewed essential to transform education capable of fulfilling economic needs, national progress and individual well-being. Despite such degree of emphasis, content and curriculum as exists today leaves much to be desired and hence there have been numerous suggestions in this regard such as vocationalisation, practical bias, reduction of the excessive liberal, theoretical orientation, etc.

The national language policy as a cementing factor of national unity in a multi-lingual polity was stressed in the Constitution and has been endorsed by successive commissions. And yet the national language policy has been found severely deficient in all crucial respects like development and promotion of Hindi as the national and link language, a non-partisan and sincere implementation of the three language formula and development of modern Indian languages. It is the name of national unity that the language policy along these lines is urged to be honoured in practice.

Or all the aspects that evoke the people's disillusionment with the present education system, its evaluation and examination component is a very prominent one. Its loss of purpose and reliability and its collapse on account of widespread malpractices are sought to be remedied by continuous internal assessment as well as leaving the system, of examinations to state and national level boards.

The success of any commitments the people of India remind, is contingent upon the availability of resources. Although pronouncements in the past have not been explicit on this issue, a cross section of the Indian people now feel that no policy measure can succeed unless it is supported by adequate financial provisions for implementing it. They decry the tendency to starve education of funds and plead that it should be viewed as a long-term investment. They also demand preferential allocation for the elementary stage so that universalisation of elementary education by 1990 would be possible.

There can be no two opinions, as had been reiterated by every commission and committee on education, about the role of teachers being the most vital element in the learning process. Yet, the failure of the teacher is seen, perhaps, as an all-important phenomenon characterising the unsatisfactory state of Indian education. The people of India are one with the National Policy on Education (1968), to accord teachers an honoured place in the society. While they recognise the serious impediments to teachers'

effective functioning, there is almost a universal feeling that teachers lack commitment to their profession, and are infected by apathy, obsolescence and lack of motivation. `Update their knowledge', `keep them disciplined' and `upgrade' their professional competence through continuous training', `select the best through fair means such are the demands made by people to restore the teacher as the crucial factor in the education system.

It is true that not only the Constitution but also various other enlightened commissions and forums viewed that measures of equity through education are partially an atonement for the centuries old exploitation to which the socially deprived sections were subjected. But the manner in which it has been administered and availed of for the last two decades changed not only the meaning but also its impact. They are one with the National Policy on. Education (1 968), about the need to make "strenuous efforts ... to equalise educational opportunity" and also moan the inadequacies of the steps taken in this regard. At the same time, they are vehemently opposed to the introduction of reservations in education and even more so its extension to employment and promotions. As the principle of reservation, both in the manner of its administration and use, leaves out both the really deprived as well as sacrifices merit, the respondents urge a two-fold remedy. A re-definition of deprivation to include both the socially and economically disadvantaged for an equitous educational advancement is one. Restricting reservation only to the first level of appointment, if necessary at all, and doing it away at further levels, is another.

The people of India are convinced and, rightly so, that mostly the evils of education are embedded in the system of planning and management. It is obvious that both half-hearted and faulty implementation of the policy directives explain the educational failure. Even more serious than the first is the menace posed by the private educational enterprise. Despite the earnest plea made in the National Policy on Education for the adoption of the common school System, the private educational institutions have grown more

menacingly, seriously distorting the social, fabric and regional equilibrium. The plea for their abolition and/or nationalisation, is perhaps the strongest appeal in the entire range of views expressed. However, there is an acute divergence of opinion between the advocates of centralisation and nationalisation and decentralisation in the field of education.

Although altogether not new, the question of delinking degrees from jobs has not been considered before as seriously as now. Besides lack of clarity, there are essentially two types of views among the respondents, one that upholds the validity of delinking not only degrees from jobs but also from admissions to higher stages, and the other, which decries delinking both for its wider implications to education - manpower - employment linkages and advocates vocationalisation, etc. as more effective ways of solving problems of educated unemployment.

The question before the national leadership is whether it would be content to offer a new educational policy based on national consensus or to go further and also lay down a framework for its implementation by the States. The choice before the nation, as perceived by the people, is obvious - new educational policy as well as its sincere implementation.