While congratulating the century-old University of Mysore for being among the foremost centres of higher learning to implement the National Education Policy (NEP), Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi on Wednesday called upon the University’s faculty to think about NEP seriously since it is aimed at transforming India.
NEP is crucial to the country as it is designed to impart skills to the youth and instill confidence among them and not just to award degrees. The larger goal is bringing paradigm change to the country’s education system, he added.
Presiding over the Foundation Day celebrations of the University of Mysore at the Crawford Hall here, Mr. Ravi, in his 40-minute Foundation Day lecture, said there may be some resistance to the policy but its broader perspectives need to be understood. NEP needs to be given a serious thought since the goal is to bring the country to a position to which it deserves.
“India was at the top of the world some 300 years ago. It is destined to be the leader of the world and the NEP can help to achieve the position. We need to appreciate the thinking behind the NEP and the change it is expected to bring in the education system. The Indian system of education helps the country become intellectually strong,” Mr. Ravi argued.
The Governor said several countries overtook India though it was once a global leader with India and China on par in terms of growth way back in 1991. The malady of the education system has to be blamed for the turnaround as the people did not get the right kind of knowledge and skills.
Arguing that the “British choked the indigenous education system”, Mr. Ravi said the self-pride among Indians was destroyed after the British colonised India and blocked funds to the institutions of higher learning. The indigenous education system started to decline after colonisation and English language dominated the institutions in British India, ignoring the Indian languages, the Governor said.
Mr. Ravi claimed that education during British rule did not empower our citizens with knowledge and skills that would make them self-confident and productive. The education system that was being followed produced degrees but did not give the knowledge for the employability of the people. No thought was given to change the system that was designed for the servants of the East India Company and British government.
The Governor urged the faculty to check the archives on how the Indian education system was before colonisation. After the British colonised India, the decline of indigenous education began.
Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, scion of the erstwhile Mysuru royal family, who was the chief guest, spoke on how the University of Mysore was founded by Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar.
He also spoke highly about the contributions of the university, being the first in many areas, including the implementation of NEP.
Vice-Chancellor G. Hemantha Kumar was present.
