Are we fair to the young of India?

There are occasions in the life of every nation when generational transition suddenly attracts far greater attention than it usually receives. People tend to take the growing up of the next generation as a routine process, overlooking the fact that this process is profoundly influenced by the rapid changes in knowledge and technology, which in turn affect the psyche of every human being. The transition of a child from innocence to a fully developed personality depends significantly on the external socio-cultural environment, which, too, is changing dramatically and continuously.

The beginning of the academic year 2026-27 has been disturbed in several ways. One is not referring only to the agitations witnessed at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and in Ranchi, Jharkhand. There are also reports from several places of school students protesting against the absence of basic amenities such as functional toilets and drinking water, as well as the shortage of teachers. One often wonders whether the Right to Education Act has truly delivered what it promised to the children of India.

Needless to repeat, it is the quality of school education that ultimately determines the quality and level of excellence in higher education. Education systems that nurture students’ ideas and imagination — the two divine gifts that every child receives at birth — are obviously destined to excel in innovation. If the power of ideas and imagination is not impeded by the uncritical pursuit of routine, outdated pedagogies and assessment systems, and is not further weakened by inadequacies in basic support structures, creativity would become evident everywhere and in every field.

Such an environment would also provide fertile ground for curiosity, which is again a common human possession.

It serves no professional or academic purpose if the establishment simply blames “outsiders” for agitations such as those witnessed at Jantar Mantar and Ranchi.

It is a hard fact that external elements sometimes intrude with borrowed agendas of disruption and sabotage, often with political support from those who have been ousted from power and are eager to return. They attempt to push their own hidden agendas into otherwise genuine movements. The presence of politicians and known disruptors in large numbers at Jantar Mantar was evident to everyone.

The general perception is that the presence of antisocial elements and political proxies contributed to the escalation of the situation and the subsequent use of force and unacceptable violence. The young students and ideologically unconstrained citizens have also noticed how some of the most vocal politicians and intellectuals have maintained silence over the student agitation in Jharkhand.

Over the years, agitations, demonstrations and protests in India have often followed a familiar pattern. There is sufficient evidence from numerous instances of external elements intruding into movements and attempting to destroy their original purpose, even when the cause is entirely genuine.

An agitation may begin with sincerity of purpose and raise an issue that deserves the serious attention of those in power and of the nation at large. Yet the intrusion of politicians — particularly unscrupulous politicians seeking to score political points — sometimes assisted by criminal elements, can deprive a genuine agitation of its positive intent.

In a democratic system, there is no need to convert every protest into a political tug-of-war between the Government and the Opposition. When this happens, the original goal is gradually lost.

This appears to be what happened during the Delhi agitation. The Education Minister resigned. But so what? Was the resignation the only goal identified by the students? Certainly not. The political class may naturally have been pleased with the development, but the criticality of the issues raised by the students was lost in the political contest.

Such political manipulation leaves young students in a state of confusion and dilemma. The ghosts of paper leaks and the cancellation of examinations continue to keep future aspirants on tenterhooks. The role of the coaching mafia is not unknown.

It is extremely depressing to observe that teachers and paper-setters — the very people entrusted with the responsibility of protecting the integrity of examinations — have, in some cases, been charge-sheeted for betraying the confidence reposed in them by the nation. The details of how such operations were allegedly planned and executed are indeed chilling. If these allegations are proved true, will they not make every teacher — including me — feel ashamed?

One must repeatedly recall the observations of the late Chief Justice of India, Justice J. S. Verma, made in 2012 and subsequently cited in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, paragraph 15.2: “...a majority of stand-alone TEIs [Teacher Education Institutions] — over 10,000 in number — are not even attempting serious teacher education but are essentially selling degrees for a price.”

This observation was made fourteen years ago by one of the most distinguished legal minds of contemporary India. Sadly, however, not only public perception but also the view among many concerned academics remains clear: nothing substantial has changed.

The truth is that India is going to be seriously affected by the deterioration in the quality of education at practically every stage. The learners cannot be blamed. The systems of policy formulation, implementation and resource allocation must accept responsibility for permitting such a situation to develop.

Those who matter in decision-making on such issues rarely send their own children to government schools. For them, there are private schools offering what they consider high-quality education. Subsequently, the children of fortunate families have access to foreign universities.

If this were not so, media reports would not have appeared around the celebrations of the 80th Independence Day indicating that, in one state, five government-established universities reportedly had not a single regular faculty member. Will such a situation not make the hearts of investors in higher education flutter with the prospect of an obvious increase in their dividends?

The greatest damage being inflicted on future generations is the failure to provide them with the necessary knowledge, skills and spirit to tackle the challenges of their working lives.

I can put this on record on the basis of my personal interactions extending over six decades with children in schools, young people in colleges and universities, and those being trained to become school teachers: the fear of an uncertain future has gripped a majority of our learners — exceptions apart — across the country.

The anxiety and tension cast their dark clouds painfully over parents and families as well.

The political class, particularly those who have been ousted from power, often focuses almost entirely on collecting political brownie points without offering alternative strategies for setting things right. Those in power, on the other hand, sometimes take solace in recalling similar mishaps of the past, when their political adversaries were in power.

One wonders: how does this help the nation or the aggrieved young people?

Why cannot India think seriously and deliberate upon how to spare generations ahead from the genuine fear of an uncertain future?

Young people in schools and higher education institutions are increasingly apprehensive about the manipulation of systems by mafias and corrupt elements, both within and outside the education system.

Is it not time to recall the great dialogical tradition that we encountered while becoming acquainted with that great divine song, the Bhagavad Gita? Dialogue, reflection and reasoned deliberation have always been integral to India’s intellectual tradition. They could once again help us move beyond confrontation towards solutions.

There are certain simple steps that need no lengthy deliberation. The Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) should be revamped at the earliest and given an appropriate statutory status. Its recommendations and decisions should be followed by effective mechanisms for implementation and accountability.

There is also a long-pending need for serious reconsideration of the nature and quality of leadership in academic institutions. Is it not incongruous that a civil servant could head even a textbook corporation?

The appointment of heads of academic institutions, including Vice-Chancellors, requires in-depth scrutiny and a fresh approach based on academic leadership, institutional vision, integrity and professional competence.

If we are serious about becoming a knowledge-driven nation, the first question we must ask ourselves is simple but profound:

Are we really being fair to the young of India?