Students have met President A P J Abdul Kalam on the issue of reservation. Giving a patient hearing to the 21 point agenda presented to him by the students, the President assured them that he would "look in to the matter" and would take up the issue with the appropriate authorities. Student brought to his notive among other points, how the fundamental right to education should be same for all, that investment in primary education has been a failure, pros and cons of second Mandal report.
I will be all eyes and ears to what President says and does in this matter.
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The President has advocated more seats in centers of higher education to cater to the requirements of the country's knowledge industry. He said, "The youth faces the twin problems of provision of quality education and employment to a large number of people, that means in institutes of higher learning such as engineering, medical and specialized sciences. We have to ensure that a large number of seats are available". He further said that this 'mission' should be achieved through public-private partnerships.
He said, "In this connection I have developed a system of global human resource cadre. In the 21st century, India needs a large number of talented youth with higher education for the task of knowledge acquisition, knowledge imparting, knowledge creation nad knowledge sharing".
He cited the country's rapidly growing 500 plus million population of under 25 and suggested that universities should set up cadres to meet future demands of skilled and qualified young men and women. He said, "The universities and educational system should create two cadres of skilled youth with special skills and another global cadre of youth with higher education. These two will be required not only for powering the manufacturing and service sector of India, but also for fulfilling the human resource requirements of various countries".
While there can be no disagreement with what the President has said, I think that increasing number of seats will not eradicate the whole problem. It can only help to some extent. Secondly, what about primary and secondary education which will make youth eligible for higher education? Here the suggestion of the President needs supplementing similar steps at P&S level.
Also, where President is advocating creation of a global cadre, India's (anti-)HRD Minister is busy in dividing India's human resources in various groups by trying to push up undeveloped youth by bringing down developed youth. And this is being done in the name of social equality. The Prime Minister is keeping quiet. Can a society achive equality by snatching something from one and giving it to another?
President does not seem to be in any hurry to initiate any action on 21 point agenda submitted to him by the students. I do not understand why urgent actions are not taken on such issues which, with time, might turn in to bigger problems.
No body from the government has approached protesting students. Oscar Fernandes met students on 17 May 2006 but it is not known whether he carried a brief from PM. Health minister could only think of issuing a threat to doctors.
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