Entire system is rotting in India
by Dina Nath Mishra
On this Independence Day, incidentally I delved into 'the trust' and realised that the trust, which is so essential for existence of human life, is decreasing year-by-year and day-by-day. It is happening in almost all spheres of life.
Peace-loving, law-abiding citizens individuals living with fear. Their lives are increasingly becoming difficult. So much so that cynicism has crept into the very character of the masses. Ordinary citizens of the country look at government offices with utmost disdain. Compelled by the situation, if they are to enter these offices anywhere in India, they come across people who are either hostile or greedy. Sympathetic attitude is lacking in almost all the offices.
In my childhood, during colonial rule, I did not register any such feeling at that level of understanding. I had not developed that high sense to distinguish, until events of Quit India Movement when government offices, police stations, buses, trains faced the wrath of the people. It was explained to me that it was happening because people do not want to be ruled by Gora sahebs.
Great expectations and hopefulness prevailed in the 50s. But within two decades of Independence, all these hopes were belied. The system that was built by the Britishers in almost every field viz education, administration, policing and judiciary had a different perspective. Now it can be conclusively asserted that this was unsuitable for Indian way of life.
Take the example of education system. The recent episode of Chaudhary Charan Singh University in Meerut loudly conveys this message. Dismissal of Vice Chancellor and Registrar may ultimately lead to opening of the University. Re-examination of answersheets may lower the degree of anger of the students. Other remedial measures may bring semblance of normalcy. But the rot is there in the system itself.
Over a lakh answersheets were to be examined. According to a newspaper report, even answersheets of professional courses were being judged by class V and VI standard dropouts. Hardly any answersheet was checked by competent lecturers/ professors. Police raids scared the culprits and they threw the answersheets in the fields. How can the students and the society retain trust in such an examination system?
Every commission set up by the government to suggest improvements in the standard of education and evaluation system recommended solid grounding of primary education. One recent survey in schools suggested that more than 50 per cent primary teachers were absent. The percentage of absentee teachers differs in States. But in conclusion, one can say, the government-sponsored primary education infrastructure is crumbling. Even in villages, private primary schools are mushrooming. Those students whose parents can't afford private schooling are destined to remain illiterate.
It was not the state of affairs 100 or 150 years back when villagers themselves used to manage their primary schools. Mahatma Gandhi had described that system as a beautiful tree. Octogenarian Dharampalji wrote a book Beautiful Tree. It is compilation of data of primary education obtained from gazetteers of that era. One could not think of teachers playing truant in those days. At the macro level, our professional schools, including IITs and IIMs, have attained world class standards but education from the primary level to the university level suffers from various maladies, as manifested by that answersheet scandal in Meerut University.
Now take judiciary. From the Munsif Court to the Supreme Court, there are inbuilt infirmities in delivery of justice. The judicial system at the lower level is openly corrupt. Some experts say corruption has seeped into higher courts, too. Only a part of trust is retained by the Supreme Court. In the meantime, a number of notorious and confirmed criminals have found berths in the highest political seats of power, while cases against them are pending in courts at different levels. Thirty-year-old LN Mishra murder case is still awaiting judgement.
Now to policing. Security of life and property is essential to the existence of the civilised society. The police, looked upon as a protector of law and order, suffers from not only inadequacy of personnel but many times they turn conspirators in crime and aid criminals. They represent monumental corruption by themselves. Recently a High Court judge lamented that though convinced of the murder committed by the accused, he could not impose sentence for want of proper evidence. Can policing system be trusted?
Media on its part, thrives in crisis prevailing everywhere. This crisis is partly inbuilt in the minds of human-specie. Dharma (duty) drives out from the people's mind the baser instincts. But politicians driven by baser instincts driven politicians are liberally contributing to the erosion of trust. It generally leads to anarchy.
On this Independence Day, incidentally I delved into 'the trust' and realised that the trust, which is so essential for existence of human life, is decreasing year-by-year and day-by-day. It is happening in almost all spheres of life.
Peace-loving, law-abiding citizens individuals living with fear. Their lives are increasingly becoming difficult. So much so that cynicism has crept into the very character of the masses. Ordinary citizens of the country look at government offices with utmost disdain. Compelled by the situation, if they are to enter these offices anywhere in India, they come across people who are either hostile or greedy. Sympathetic attitude is lacking in almost all the offices.
In my childhood, during colonial rule, I did not register any such feeling at that level of understanding. I had not developed that high sense to distinguish, until events of Quit India Movement when government offices, police stations, buses, trains faced the wrath of the people. It was explained to me that it was happening because people do not want to be ruled by Gora sahebs.
Great expectations and hopefulness prevailed in the 50s. But within two decades of Independence, all these hopes were belied. The system that was built by the Britishers in almost every field viz education, administration, policing and judiciary had a different perspective. Now it can be conclusively asserted that this was unsuitable for Indian way of life.
Take the example of education system. The recent episode of Chaudhary Charan Singh University in Meerut loudly conveys this message. Dismissal of Vice Chancellor and Registrar may ultimately lead to opening of the University. Re-examination of answersheets may lower the degree of anger of the students. Other remedial measures may bring semblance of normalcy. But the rot is there in the system itself.
Over a lakh answersheets were to be examined. According to a newspaper report, even answersheets of professional courses were being judged by class V and VI standard dropouts. Hardly any answersheet was checked by competent lecturers/ professors. Police raids scared the culprits and they threw the answersheets in the fields. How can the students and the society retain trust in such an examination system?
Every commission set up by the government to suggest improvements in the standard of education and evaluation system recommended solid grounding of primary education. One recent survey in schools suggested that more than 50 per cent primary teachers were absent. The percentage of absentee teachers differs in States. But in conclusion, one can say, the government-sponsored primary education infrastructure is crumbling. Even in villages, private primary schools are mushrooming. Those students whose parents can't afford private schooling are destined to remain illiterate.
It was not the state of affairs 100 or 150 years back when villagers themselves used to manage their primary schools. Mahatma Gandhi had described that system as a beautiful tree. Octogenarian Dharampalji wrote a book Beautiful Tree. It is compilation of data of primary education obtained from gazetteers of that era. One could not think of teachers playing truant in those days. At the macro level, our professional schools, including IITs and IIMs, have attained world class standards but education from the primary level to the university level suffers from various maladies, as manifested by that answersheet scandal in Meerut University.
Now take judiciary. From the Munsif Court to the Supreme Court, there are inbuilt infirmities in delivery of justice. The judicial system at the lower level is openly corrupt. Some experts say corruption has seeped into higher courts, too. Only a part of trust is retained by the Supreme Court. In the meantime, a number of notorious and confirmed criminals have found berths in the highest political seats of power, while cases against them are pending in courts at different levels. Thirty-year-old LN Mishra murder case is still awaiting judgement.
Now to policing. Security of life and property is essential to the existence of the civilised society. The police, looked upon as a protector of law and order, suffers from not only inadequacy of personnel but many times they turn conspirators in crime and aid criminals. They represent monumental corruption by themselves. Recently a High Court judge lamented that though convinced of the murder committed by the accused, he could not impose sentence for want of proper evidence. Can policing system be trusted?
Media on its part, thrives in crisis prevailing everywhere. This crisis is partly inbuilt in the minds of human-specie. Dharma (duty) drives out from the people's mind the baser instincts. But politicians driven by baser instincts driven politicians are liberally contributing to the erosion of trust. It generally leads to anarchy.
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