True Education Should Enable Individuals To Acknowledge The Deep Rooted Issues Prevailing In Society: CJI NV Ramana

(Judicial Quest News Network)

Chief Justice of India NV Ramana while delivering convocation address at the Acharya Nagarjuna University at Vijayawada expressed concern over the current education system which has the sole objective to secure highly remunerative and profitable job opportunities.

He said that I am witnessing the education system preferred by the present generation. I am afraid that institutions are losing their social relevance. We are witnessing mushrooming of factories of education which are leading to devaluation of degrees and human resources. I am not sure, who or what is to be blamed.

In his address, CJI lamented the declining social participation of students. He recalled that in earlier days, Universities used to be fertile grounds for various social movements.

Pertinently he said that there was a total neglect of educational opportunities was addressed by the Supreme Court by reading Right to Education into the Ambit of Right to Life and by Parliament by inserting Article 21A which led to formulation of Right to Education Act of 2004, the CJI said that he was disappointed at the continued focus of professional courses on creation of an obedient work-force which could generate required output.

There was a total neglect of equally important subjects such as the humanities, natural sciences, history, economics and languages. The harsh reality is that even after the students enter professional universities, the focus is on classroom learning, and not on the world beyond.

CJI Ramana who was awarded with an honorary doctoral degree by the University, said that education should enable individuals to acknowledge the deep-rooted issues prevailing in society and find appropriate solutions. Universities ought to be incubation centres of novel ideas and path breaking research.

He further said that in pre-independence India, education imparted by the colonial rulers was centred around producing an obedient work-force. When the world had just emerged out of two devastating world wars, it was imminent that the nations’ fate would be dependent on the ideologies of its population.

Independent India needed a model of education which removed our colonial thinking and promoted national integration and creation of awareness.

He emphasised on the Holistic education is one which ultimately can balance both these interests.

Both are important facets of education. Individuality should be preserved and nurtured, as this will create leaders and visionaries. At the same time, education should enable us to be responsive to societal needs, such as the maintenance of social order and justice in a pluralistic society.

Now- a-days paradigms have changed When I attended this university nearly four decades ago, our learning was not limited to the boundaries of classes. We used to debate on ideologies, philosophy, politics and social issues under the trees or in canteens or dining halls. Our deliberations, our activism, our resolution to bring about

changes shaped our opinions about the world.

It taught us the value of an individual voice and opinion, in shaping the dynamics of society and politics. We realised the value of a liberal democracy: where the rights and freedoms protect our thought and speech, where diversity of opinion is welcomed.

Institutions back then were a reflection of the country’s socio-cultural diversity as students from distinct identities and back grounds elevated their deliberations by bringing in diverse opinions.

Our collective endeavours taught us the value of the spirit of fraternity. It kept us connected with our roots – we felt the responsibility of building an equitable society– It was through these shared experiences, that we understood the nerve of the society.

The need of the hour is to develop a model of education which must teach us, how to face real life challenges.

It should enable us to achieve social solidarity and create individuals who are meaningful members of society. It is time for a transformation of our education system. Our institutes must focus on the value of social relationships and conscious citizenship.

It should blend our historical baggage with a futuristic vision, to equip young minds with the right tools and attitudes to transform our society with awareness and right understanding.