Build world-class Indian Universities, take India to the top. India, as a country, today stands at the crossroads as it tries to take the centre stage in the world economy; harness its innate strengths; gain a stronghold in the worlds political stage; and reinforce its place in the global scientific fraternity. The recent Make in India campaign and Mangalyaan success was just a teaser for the world. As the world wakes up to the power that lies within the sub-continent, its time that Indians should start focusing on education says Dr Govind Swarup, the Emeritus Professor from National Centre for Radio Astrophysics of TIFR. The well-known radio astronomer shared several insights and perspectives on how India can establish the intellectual potential and become one of the worlds best developed nations in a candid conversation with Richa Sharma, Deputy Editor-Business Insider India. Below are the excerpts: I look at them with positivity and lots of hope. But my fear is brain drain. Today, very few bright students join research institutes or Indian universities as many get attracted to software industries in lieu of handsome salary package. Many go abroad. This must change and for this we need to overcome the caste system dividing our education system into four buckets/boxes. (He pauses and then explains) I say, we have a caste system in education because weve science colleges and research institutes in one box, engineering colleges in second, medical colleges in third box and humanities in fourth. In most American Universities, all are offered in one campus and students at undergraduate and postgraduate level are required to take 20 to 30 % courses outside their discipline. Yes, precisely. Almost all universities in India impart only education in science, but very little research is encouraged. Unless we combine undergraduate education with research and experiments in all disciplines (e.g. in social sciences with field surveys), we cannot expect our universities to become world-class. Next on my list is education. I dream of India, where weve world-class universities. I feel thats the only way to capture the intellectual potential we have in the country, and make India one of the worlds best developed nations as well. From 1996 to 2004, I and Professor Bhide (former VC of the Pune University) struggled to set up a 5-year integrated Science Education and Research at the University of Pune. Our initiative was approved by the Cabinet in 2004, which later lead to the establishment of: 5 Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs); another National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER); and Canter of Excellence in Basic Sciences at the Bombay University. I consider this as a bigger achievement than building the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT). I hope that the Modi Government would select four State Universities across India on competitive basis, provide sufficient funds, ensure that faculty is selected on a national basis and thus in due course improve our ~ 250 or more universities. Theres tremendous talent going untapped in our young population. Apart from education and nurturing talents at the bottom of the pyramid, we need to take special care of the top that would contribute to innovation. At age of 85, I cant contribute more to these dreams, but I am sure there are others who can pave us on the road to faster growth and success.
Posted on: Mon, 20 Oct 2014 05:12:56 +0000
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