Dear Readers,
A couple of days ago, Happymon Jacob (Assistant Professor, SIS, JNU) wrote a profound article in The Hindu in reply to Justice Katju's insinuatory piece, "Professor, Teach Thyself", The Hindu, September 3rd 2012. Throughout the discourse, a seasoned and characteristic Jacob brought forward relevant points which dismantled Katju's misalleging views that exhibited the typical aristocratic disdain for higher education in India. Such mirthy denunciation of the entire higher education system of our nation by bureaucrats and Judges over a peg of scotch is an oft witnessed feature at clubs and drawing room politics.
A few of the problems highlighted by Justice Katju are true and there can be no denial of the fact that our Universities and Colleges suffer from an acute quality crunch in the present scenario. However, to hold only the Professor's responsible for this state of affairs would be erroneous. A young and vibrant India which is full of hope should be shown the way to make ammends in the system rather than snub their exuberance by smashing all claims to change together with witch-hunting a select class of teachers or two.
Justice Katju finds it utterly unpalatable that faculty in Higher Education Institutes 'live in good houses' and enjoy a 'good salary'. Alike the esteemed opinion of many "bade sahibs" like him, the only way to enhance our education infrastructure would be by rendering Professors paupers with no spine who are left with no business but to frame eulogies for the bureaucracy and the judiciary.
The answer lies in introducing strong willed reforms in the Education policy in terms of recruitment. The thousands of faculty positions lying vacant in Universities and Colleges should be filled with talented teachers. Moreover, an intellectually stimulating ambience for genuine research should be fostered in the Universities located in the four major metropolitans of the nation as also in those which are located in tier-2 cities all across India.
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