Opportunities and challenges abound for India at 100
primary education: The ‘quantity’ aspect of school enrolment has largely been accomplished by the Right to Education. The Indian school system is among the world’s largest already, with 1.5 million schools, 9.5 million teachers and 265 million enrolled students. There is nearly 100% enrolment now in primary and upper primary levels compared to the eligible population.
Yet, as indicated by the latest Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), nationally, children’s basic reading and arithmetic ability have dropped alarmingly, reversing gradual gains in intervening years. Drops are visible in both government and private schools, in most states, and for both boys and girls. An urgent and intense focus on primary education quality is, therefore, a pre-requisite for India’s aspirations.
Science and innovation: India’s Soviet-era design for applied science and innovation made up of specialist laboratories and institutes divorced from universities and distant from industry is simply not agile enough for the knowledge economy of tomorrow that India must become. The bureaucratization of Indian science has resulted in a dearth of talent and in low-paid career-minded scientists. India’s current model of innovation is to apply science discovered elsewhere.
To rise to upper-middle-income status, India will need to be a knowledge creator and patent generator in at least a few areas. Green economy: “It is our turn to pollute," goes the refrain of the nationalist economist. But for India’s own sake, we will need to evolve and deploy green technologies at a much faster rate than now.
Read more on livemint.com
