An Open Letter to Hon’ble Minister of HRD.

Respected Sir,

Kindly accept my apologies for this impertinence to write a letter. I have my defence for doing so simply because I have no vested interest. I superannuated ten years back after serving the University of Delhi in various capacities as a teacher, Principal and Dean during a span of forty years.  I have thus the experience of an insider and the wisdom in hindsight garnered during the decade after retirement. In effect, I write this letter after half a century of joining the academic profession.

It is a truism that the quality of higher education needs to be bolstered. There is a perceptible decline in the quality of all sections of academic stakeholders that include students, teachers, academic administrators like the Principals, Directors and Vice-Chancellors –not to leave out the administrative staff managing the affairs of higher educational institutions. The irony is everyone laments this quality decline, but no one offers a solution. The government in its wisdom periodically appoints a committee to make recommendations and the committee-normally headed by a retired bureaucrat and a few members unconnected with academics makes a recommendatory report that has its use only for the Teachers’ Associations to go on strike. After the NEP of 1986, there has been no effective policy, only sporadic cosmetic changes made  to address the problem of quality decline in higher education. I have a few suggestions to offer, though with all modesty, I do not claim to have spoken the last hundred words on this issue.

The decline that we attribute to Indian higher education is not a unique phenomenon; it is global except for a few pockets of excellence-in particular in some of the renowned universities in US, UK and Europe. This is because of modern interpretation of higher education that equates post- school learning of every kind, with college/university education.  College education is for the acquisition of knowledge and offers degree certificate on completion of graduate and post graduate courses in disciplines studied by the student. Today industry sets the curriculum and higher education is increasingly subjected to industry’s demands and has deflected from its objective to generate new thoughts, ideas and values.

There are institutions offering certificates and diplomas in vocational and skill training courses. The hon’ble Prime Minister had launched Skill India last year, to provide skills and competencies in areas that require trained personnel. The problem before us is the confusion between knowledge and skills. One cannot acquire knowledge through skills just as knowledge does not provide adequate competency for jobs that demand special skills.

This means bifurcation of post- school learning to vocational and academic courses. It may not sound politically expedient to restrict entry to universities to those who have an aptitude for academic study. The present policy of opening the university portals to every student who clears his school finals is one of the major reasons for the decline in quality of higher education.  The government has to be bold to adopt the five finger theory to recognize that all are not intellectually strong and inclined to pursue academics and the effort should be to provide avenues for development to young men and women with different talent and different turn of mind, outside the university system. A society does not rest upon intellectuals; it rests upon a variety of individuals with skills to attend to its multifarious needs. Today a majority of graduates with a third division or a ‘C’ grade acquire neither knowledge nor skills to be employable. The fault does not lie with the institution or with the teachers but with unwilling and disinterested students who do not have the aptitude for academic studies.  The large unemployed and unemployable youth is a testimony to poor standards of graduate students. The three years are a waste and leave an army of disgruntled, disappointed and unqualified youth after passing out of (or failing in )  colleges.

This bifurcation should begin after the X^th class. The last two years in school should have three different courses for those who want to pursue academics or take up professional studies or to go for vocational or skill training courses.  This will automatically bring down the numbers seeking admission to colleges and help the teachers to get out of the conundrum of how to teach disinterested and unmotivated students. The smaller the number, the greater will be the individualized attention from the teachers. Quality is inversely proportional to quantity and restricting the intake will bring about instant improvement in college education. In the bargain, universities and academic institutions will have only dedicated students to pursue research and generate new ideas for the growth and development of society.

This move has to be complemented by opening polytechnics and skill training centres to accommodate a vast number of students after school. These courses should include language skills to communicate and basic computer skills besides the skill training in many areas for the students to opt for. The Open University is already in place for those who wish to acquire degrees alongside their training. Education is not to be limited to academic knowledge, it also includes knowledge about fine arts and performing arts and developing sensitivity to art and aesthetics. It is the refinement of feeling and thoughts that will promote the holistic growth of an individual and enable him/her to cultivate humanity. On the PPP model there can be schools for theatre studies, for fine arts and performing arts, sports, film studies for those interested in handling stage props, lights, costumes, make-up and camera.

Quality enhancement is directly related to faculty. It is a fact that academics has been the last refuge of unemployed post graduates. If one does not get into civil services or MNCs or well paid Indian companies, the final destination is academics. Except for a very small number, all those who take up college teaching are those for whom all other options are closed. Without a genuine flair for teaching and without commensurate communication skills, these dispirited young men and women take up academics as a choice-less choice.

Currently the UGC has set up norms for working hours. These norms stipulate 16 periods per week for Assistant Professors, 14 for Associate and 12 for professors. Higher education is different from school teaching. As per the new regulations the classes are spread from 8:30 in the morning to 4 or 4:30 in the evening. If students sit throughout the day in class, where is the time for library work? Teaching at the college level is not providing facts and figures but has to be catalytic in making students learn to think, analyze and appreciate ideas and seminal works of great writers. One hour lecture should pack all that is to be said on any given topic. The teacher gives the students powerful insights and lets them do self study. The quality decline that we see today is the university and college teaching has not gone beyond school instruction. In the process, neither the teacher nor the student has any time left for pursuit of research and advanced study. Quantifying and maximizing the number of teaching hours is detrimental to qualitative improvement in our colleges and universities. A new pedagogy has to be framed for college and university teaching that leaves adequate time for self advancement of knowledge.  Two lectures, two tutorials and two seminars per week should be the work load of a teacher. This in effect translates to minimum teaching, maximum learning. The German model with its unity of teaching and research should be emulated by our universities to bring about quality improvement .

One of the problems is the dispersal of funds. The funding for University research is a shared funding with many other research institutions such as IISc, Indian Instt. of Astrophyics, Indian Instt. of Chemical biology, IARI, IIST etc – to name just a few. It may be worthwhile to merge some of them with the University departments or facilitate collaboration between them so that research funding does not get dissipated. There cannot be too many claimants for an already shrunk pie.  To sustain research at a premium level, there should not be competition but collaboration between research organizations which is absent today. For lack of funding and quality research facilities, a large number of our graduate students migrate to foreign countries.

Today promotions are made as per the API (academic performance indicator). Kindly abolish API. We need not import everything American into our system. The API has many flaws. Every applicant will raise his scores to the required number to be called for the interview. This kind of CV selfie is inauthentic and questionable. Secondly it starts with the premise that all appointments and promotions before API came into force were biased, subjective and flawed. Having had the experience initially of being a candidate for a teaching position and later to the position of the administrative head of a college( when I interviewed candidates along with a team of university appointed experts) and finally to that of a Dean, I can vouch for a fair selection in those days. Maybe one or two odd selections under political pressure would have been made, but by and large, they were fair and square, free from favouritism and bias. In a College with a faculty strength of 100, not more than five would have been selected who did not conform to established standards.  API looks askance at the integrity of professors of the past who by and large had reached that position through their own merit. The API scores for publication lend itself to the most corrupt practice. Everyone knows how the same paper with change of titles is presented in different seminars and published in different journals with questionable credentials. Even obtaining  ISBN number is no longer a difficult proposition. This CV selfie is fraught with dishonest practices. The scores for service to the corporate sector are also questionable. Instead, there has to be a proper annual evaluation system- by the department Head, the Principal/ Dean, University experts( to look into research work) and students on the basis of the faculty’s teaching and research. Promotions on the basis of assured career progression scheme should continue while those who have proved their worth in teaching and research should be put on the fast track- all subject to a fair and unbiased interview by university professors and scholars of repute.

While reservations meant as affirmative action are ethically, morally and politically welcome to counter past discrimination, fresh thought has to be bestowed on making it beneficial to the recipients. In Tamil, we have a saying : “Pathiram arindu pichai idu” –i.e., whenever we donate, we should donate to the deserving. We have to Identify the talent and the strength and provide opportunities that satisfy every individual’s capability potential. Those good at sports, in music, dance or drama, should be provided with learning and employable opportunities in these fields. Reservation as it is enforced today is just the opening of the doors of universities and professional colleges to all and sundry who may not have the aptitude and the interest in pursuing studies. People should not demand more than they can chew. They should be given opportunities that they can explore in keeping with their talent.

Lastly but the most important aspect is the autonomy of universities and colleges. All higher education institutions should be free from political interference. This alone will ensure fair selection of Vice-Chancellors, who in turn will ensure fair recruitment faculty. The present criticism that Leftists have dominated Indian Universities cannot be set right by encouraging domination by Rightists.  University is a place for debate and discussion between ideologues of different political, social and economic systems. True learning is effected through dialogue between professors and students, enabling the students to analyze and critique ideologies with objectivity.  Government must have a parental role to sustain and nurture higher education without being paternalistic.

 Sir, these are suggestions that can work only through courage of conviction.  They are suggestions that have the potential for promoting excellence in higher education. They have a built-in transparency to ensure a fair and just implementation.  As a long standing academic, I have had the good fortune to work and interact with high quality professors both in India and abroad. Let them be your focus to build a new education policy. There is no dearth of quality professors in our midst. But if we do not harness their intellect, wisdom and integrity, we may let go of the vast intellectual resources in our midst. Let us not be criticized for non acknowledgement of their contribution without ever seeking due approbation. Let us avoid getting into a climate where

 Knowledge to their eyes her ample page

 Rich with the spoils of time did ne'er unroll;

 Chill Penury repressed their noble rage,

 And froze the genial current of the soul.

 Full many a gem of purest ray serene,

 The dark unfathomed caves of ocean bear:

 Full many a flower is born to blush unseen,

 And waste its sweetness on the desert air.

With warm regards

Hema Raghavan