Special Report

Young champions of education in Parliament

The surprise election of a sizeable number of young candidates — most of them educated in blue-chip universities — to the 14th Lok Sabha has generated hope that a powerful pressure group for the radical reform of India’s moribund education system is in the making. The good news is that they want education to be the No.1 priority on the nation’s development agenda. Summiya Yasmeen reports

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This shock defeat of the BJP-led saffron alliance wasn’t the only surprise of Election 2004. Perhaps for the first time in the history of the Lok Sabha, 37 young parliamentarians below the age of 35 were elected to the country’s lower house. Of these, over a dozen are from the Congress Party and only two from the BJP. The large number of first-time Congress MPs is not surprising given that the party high command had distributed 50 tickets among youth (the second highest after the Bahujan Samaj Party’s 150).

Congress leaders Manmohan Singh & Sonia Gandhi: surprise victory

With the initial euphoria of entering the august halls of Parliament having subsided, these young turks, most of whose lineage can be traced to political families, are articulating the demands and preferences of the youngest nation (540 million Indians are below 25 years of age) in the world. In a lunch meeting with prime minister Manmohan Singh on October 3, they spelled out their development priorities. Not surprisingly education reform, healthcare and agriculture development — low priority items in the election manifestos of all political parties and campaign speeches of the 5,000 plus candidates who contested the 14th Lok Sabha elections — topped their agenda. This tête-à-tête with the PM, young MPs hope, will become parliamentary best practice under which they meet the prime minister every fortnight to convey the "aspirations and hopes" of young Indians.

Indeed it’s the relatively young average age (53) of the new Lok Sabha and the surprise election of a sizeable number of astonishingly young candi-dates — most of them educated in blue- chip universities abroad — which has generated the hope that a pressure group for the long overdue process of radical reform of India’s moribund education system, will crystallise. Having come of age in post-liberalisation India, these young MPs are aware of the importance of human resource develop-ment, understand Manmohanomics, and are separate and distinct from the common and garden variety of self-serving politicians. For one, their election campaign rhetoric didn’t centre around religion, caste and corruption but on sadak, bijli, pani (roads, water, electricity) and in particular shiksha (education).

Wilson: credibility element

Wilson’s enthusiasm for the new crop of bright and bushy tailed young MPs is understandable. Several of them are graduates of the blue-chip St. Stephen’s (Rahul Gandhi, Sachin Pilot, Dushyant Singh, among others) and Wilson himself has tutored and mentored some of them.

Nevertheless there’s no denying that a distinguishing characteristic of the 14th Lok Sabha is the large number of young MPs with genuinely superior, globally accepted higher education qualifications. For example the BJP’s Manvendra Singh (40) graduated from the liberal arts Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts; Sachin Pilot (27) has a business degree from Wharton School of Business; Milind Deora (27) has an MBA of Boston University; Jyotiraditya Scindia (33) is a Stanford MBA, and Naveen Jindal (34) has an MBA from the University of Texas.

"Compared to the average MP in the Lok Sabha who has an undergrad degree from an obscure government aided college, most of the new parliamentarians are much better educated with degrees from reputable colleges in India and abroad. Their youthful enthusiasm combined with a superior education is likely to make them a strong pressure group for education reform," says Prof. M. Vivekananda, former professor of agriculture development and rural transformation at ISEC (Institute of Social & Economic Change), Bangalore and currently consultant to the Public Affairs Centre (PAC), Bangalore. Together with Dr. Samuel Paul, former director of IIM-Ahmedabad and founder-director of PAC, Vivekananda has authored a path-breaking PAC Study on MPs in new Lok Sabha.

Quite evidently given their heavy investment in terms of time and money in quality higher education, these young MPs strongly believe that sound education is the pre-requisite of national development and personal success. As such, the confidence that Wilson and Vivekananda repose in them is unlikely to prove misplaced.

EducationWorld correspondents across the country interviewed a selection of accessible young MPs to ascertain their opinions on a variety of education issues. The good news is that all of them are unanimous that the spread and upgradation of the education system should be the No. 1 priority on the nation’s development agenda. For detailed views on education of the emerging young parliamentarians’ caucus in the 14th Lok Sabha, read on.

Naveen Jindal, Kurukshetra (Haryana)

Jindal (left): “not just any education, quality education”

Naveen Jindal (34) member of Parliament from Kurukshetra (Haryana) constituency was elected on a Congress Party ticket by a huge margin of 160,190 votes. A graduate of Delhi University with an MBA from the University of Texas, Naveen is also the vice-chairman and managing director of Jindal Steel and Power Ltd. Neeta lal questioned him in Delhi.

In your ten-point scale of priorities for national development, where would you slot education?

Education would be priority No.1 because all progress flows from it. However not just any education but quality education. I’m especially in favour of a sound education at the primary stage because those are the formative years of children who are the future of the nation.

On UPA government’s 2 percent education cess on all Central taxes and increasing education spending to 6 percent of GDP…

I support it whole-heartedly because any supplementary allocation for education — so important for a nation’s advancement — is welcome. But of course just raising amounts isn’t enough; it has to be efficiently utilised as well.

What should be the expenditure priorities of the additional amount raised for education?

As I said, canalising the additional amount through the correct route is of paramount importance. The priority should be school, particularly primary education. The next priority should be good vocational training colleges so that after Plus Two, students can learn crafts and become productive citizens.

Are you in favour of a common school system?

It’s not a question of equal or unequal. Quality is more important than uniformity. We need to improve the quality of education in the country. Whether in government or private schools, nobody should be able to get away with imparting shoddy education. That’s why I make it a point to regularly inspect schools in the three districts of my constituency — Kurukshetra, Kaithal and Yamuna Nagar. I make sure that no schools are run without teachers, that they have adequate funds, the infrastructure is upto scratch and that parents take a proactive interest in their children’s education.

Higher education in India is highly subsidised. How justifiable is this?

I don’t have a problem with subsidy provided it’s based on merit and not caste, creed or gender. Certainly, if the bright and talented are financially weak, they should be supported.

To what extent, if any, should state governments control admission and fee-setting processes of private, unaided colleges?

I think state governments and institutes should work in synergy to absorb and nurture the best talent. ‘Control’ should be exercised positively — to enhance education standards. It shouldn’t be exercised in a political or manipulative way to interfere with the functioning of private colleges. Because nothing could be better for a student if both the state and college collaborate to better his future.

On the introduction of English as a medium of instruction in government schools…

I’m totally in favour of English being taught at all levels in all schools. After all English is a universal language and widely accepted in the global community. Everyone has to be conversant with it.

What is the role of corporate India in Indian education? To what extent is it discharging its role?

Corporate India, pretty much like the rest of India, has a big role to play in Indian education through sponsorships, grants or by building quality schools and colleges. Some corporates are doing a fine job while others are not so forthcoming, so you can’t paint them all with the same brush. Of course there’s always room for improvement.

Are you in favour of greater private sector participation in higher education? Do you support the Private Universities Bill pending in Parliament?

Why not? Participation should always be welcome provided the inputs are progressive and help improve the education sector. The broad aim, I reiterate, should be quality education for the deserving and not narrow political gains.

Do you believe Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan or Education For All can be achieved by 2015?

Yes, I believe in SSA. It’s a challenging goal but by no means unattainable. Actually, after half a century of independence, we should have achieved it by now, but it’s never too late. We just need to focus our energies better and work towards it.

Manvendra Singh, Barmer (Rajasthan)

Singh: top-most priority

Elected to the Lok Sabha from the rural constituency of Barmer, Rajasthan on a BJP ticket, Manvendra Singh (40) is an alumnus of Mayo College, Ajmer; Hampshire College, Massachusetts with a Master’s in history from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London. A former assistant editor of The Indian Express (1990-99) Singh won with a margin of 2.75 lakh votes. Neeta lal interviewed him in Delhi.

In your ten-point scale of priorities, where would you slot education?

For me education would be the top-most — No.1 — priority as no country can progress without it. There can be no forward movement if we aren’t endowed with educated human resources. I don’t measure national wealth in terms of mines and minerals but in terms of human resources. And the best way to nurture human resources is through education. Moreover I am not talking of any kind of education, but sound, quality school/ college education imparted by well-trained teachers and developed infrastructure.

To what extent do you support the UPA government’s education cess on all Central taxes?

Any additional money raised for education, even at the cost of taxing the public is welcome. Because I don’t see this as an ‘expense’ but an ‘investment’ in human resources, which is vital to propel the nation forward. In Barmer, for instance, I have to canalise a lot of money from my annual MP’s fund of Rs.2 crore into providing basic amenities like water and clean toilets. This is sad because I’d rather use up all of the fund for education.

School education in India is very unequal. Are you in favour of a common school system?

Absolutely. The idea of having so many boards and councils is a lot of humbug. It is a deliberate move to create dead wood — a bureaucratic racket which breeds corruption. I believe there should be uniformity in education; all children should be entitled to equal education opportunities. This is only fair in a democratic country.

Should higher education be de-subsidised?

Subsidy just for its own sake is meaningless. Contrarily, to abolish it totally is also reckless. We need to devise a needs-based system targetting those who genuinely deserve scholarships and subsidies.

Should English be the medium of instruction in government schools?

Why not? It is the most spoken and understood language globally. Therefore children in government schools too are entitled to learn it. I believe we seriously ought to devise a national language policy under which English should be made the national language and the mother tongue, the subsidiary language. After all how many people in the south are really conversant with Hindi? On the other hand they are more comfortable with English. Ditto people in north-east India. Adopting a modern, global language would help the integration of India with the emerging global economy.

Are you in favour of greater private sector participation in education?

Certainly. I believe everybody should be an active participant in the matter of education — as private/ public sector, corporates or individuals. We should all do our best for education because it’s an investment in the nation’s future.

Is Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan achievable by 2015?

It ought to be achievable. But since there is so much political interference and bureaucratese in our country, every noble endeavour is squashed. One has to cut through a lot of government flab, red tapism and insensitivity to achieve anything in this country. There is no shortage of good citizens who are eager to raise standards in Indian education. Alas, our system doesn’t encourage them.

Tejaswini Ramesh, Kanakapura (Karnataka)

Ramesh: full cess support

Tejaswini See Ramesh (37), Congress MP from Kanakapura constituency defeated former prime minister and Janata Dal supremo H.D. Deve Gowda by a massive margin of 116,863 votes. A law graduate and political science postgraduate of Bangalore University, she was hitherto a television reporter with Udaya TV. Srinidhi Raghavendra quizzed her in Bangalore.

In your 10-point scale of priorities for national development where would you slot education?

I accord number one priority to education.

Do you support the ruling UPA government’s 2 percent education cess on all Central taxes?

I fully support the government’s 2 percent cess. In fact I feel this cess should be raised to 4-6 percent immediately. The increase in total annual outlay to 6 percent of GDP could be gradual.

What should be the expenditure priorities of the additional amount raised for education?

The expenditure priority should be on providing quality education to all children from classes I-X. There should be a special thrust to achieve this in the rural and north-eastern regions where people find it very difficult to access quality education.

School education in India is very unequal (ICSE, CBSE and state boards). Are you in favour of a common school system?

I am in favour of a common school system for all children. But at the same time urban students who have aspirations of going abroad for higher studies should have the option to pursue higher standards of education (IB or IGCSE). More importantly, I am in favour of improving standards of teaching and infrastructure in all schools across the country.

Higher education in contemporary India is heavily subsidised. How justifiable is this?

Blind subsidies to higher education are wasteful. On the other hand, total de-subsidisation will inhibit students from rural areas from pursuing higher education. Therefore subsidies for higher education should be in the form of need-based scholarships awarded to socially and financially weaker students.

Should state governments regulate the admission and fee-setting processes of private unaided colleges?

There should be Central government regulation for admissions and fee-setting in private unaided colleges. Otherwise poor people will not be able to access higher/ professional education.

Do you favour the introduction of English as the medium of instruction in government schools?

I am totally opposed to English as the medium of instruction. The medium of instruction should be the regional language and English should be taught thoroughly from class I as a second language.

What is the role of corporate India in Indian education? To what extent is it discharging this role?

Corporate India should get into the education sector as a social service. Currently the role discharged by corporates is not satisfactory. However I strongly believe that education, health and civic services should be under government control and not privatised.

Do you believe the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan or Education for All can be achieved by 2015?

I believe this goal can be achieved only if all partners in education — parents, teachers, media, government, education department officials — are equally committed and work hard. Why 2015? We can achieve it earlier if we have the right people working towards this goal.
 

Sachin Pilot, Dausa (Rajasthan)

Pilot: rural and girl child emphasis

Sachin Pilot (26) is a graduate of st. Stephen’s College, Delhi and MBA from the Wharton School of Business. The youngest parliamentarian in the 14th Lok Sabha, Sachin won on a Congress ticket from Dausa (Rajasthan) with a huge margin of 229,779 votes. Autar nehru spoke with him in Delhi.

In your 10-point scale of priorities for national development where would you slot education?I won’t go into number ranking, but education is a top-most priority.

On the UPA government’s 2 percent education cess on all Central taxes...

It’s a very good measure and I fully support it. The education sector is starved of resources and this allocation will meet the shortfall to some extent. I also think our education system needs to develop absorptive capacity to utilise funds efficiently and stop messing up things.

On the expenditure priorities of the additional amount raised for education…

Quality of education should be improved; rural education and education of the girl child should be given top priority.

Are you in favour of a common school system?

There should be a national debate on CSS and all concerned parties should participate and a consensus evolved.

Should higher education be de-subsidised?

I think subsidies should be better targetted rather than completely removed. This way economically poor students can pursue higher education. But at the same time, I think primary education should be the area of prime interest.

To what extent if any, should state governments regulate the admission and fee-setting processes of private unaided colleges?

Governments should not meddle in the day-to-day affairs of education institutions. Instead they should discharge a watchdog and supervisory role.

Do you favour the introduction of English as the medium of instruction in government schools?

In the changing world scenario, English has emerged as a big advantage for India. Our huge English speaking population is proving to be a great national asset and it is a good idea to have it as the medium of instruction in all schools. Even if not the medium, it should be an important part of the curriculum in government schools.

What is the role of corporate India in Indian education?

Corporate India has a big and important role in education. But I must say it is not doing its bit. Corporates should come forward and help spread education especially in backward rural areas. After all it is they (corporates) who will utilise the services of the young and educated.

Are you in favour of greater private sector participation in higher education?

Yes I am. Anybody is welcome to help higher education in India.

Do you believe the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan or Education for All can be achieved by 2015?

Yes I do. Seeing the way the government, NGOs and individuals have taken up the cause of universal education, my optimism is becoming stronger.

Akhilesh Singh Yadav, Kannuj (Uttar Pradesh)

Yadav: “corporates have a vital role”

Akhilesh Singh Yadav (31) is a second time MP from Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh. Son of UP chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, he won with a 3 lakh votes margin on the Samajwadi Party ticket. The young Yadav has a postgraduate degree in environmental engineering from the University of Sydney, Australia. Puja Rawat interviewed him in Lucknow.

On a 10-point scale of priorities, what is your rating of education?

Right at the top. For our party it is of utmost importance that education reaches everyone — especially those who cannot afford it.

The 2 percent cess on education. The cess is welcome but inadequate. While it would be ideal if 6 percent of GDP is spent on education, many other things take priority because of political compulsions and lack of political will.

Additional education expenditure priorities. First we need to ensure that textbooks are made available to all students. Next we need to concentrate on infras-tructure so that schooling is a welcome experience. Third, we need to spend on training teachers, especially in rural areas. Fourthly we need to concentrate on upgrading syllabuses and curriculums.

Common school system. We have always been in favour of a common system of education. While that may not be possible immediately, at least primary education should be uniform. This will do away with disparities between students of various boards of education. In all countries worldwide, uniform systems of school education are the norm.

Subsidising higher education. Again this is a result of wrong policies of the past decades. School education should be easily accessible to all, not higher education. Higher education should be affordable, but not at the cost of school education.

Introduction of English as a medium of instruction. There is a misperception that the Samajwadi Party is opposed to any particular language. All we want is that sufficient importance be given to the child’s mother tongue at the primary level. Having said that, it is just as important that English should be taught well. In our state board schools, students start learning English only in class VI and this puts them at a disadvantage. It would be utopian to expect that we can immediately switch over to a different medium of instruction, but a beginning needs to be made.

Role of corporate India in education. Corporates have a vital role to play in education. They could bring in money for world-class facilities, good faculty and study experience on a par with the world’s best. Moreover because of their inherent business interests they promote research and development in a big way. Though corporate India has begun to play an active part in education, it needs to ensure that it does not lose sight of its social responsibilities and the education it offers does not remain the preserve of a privileged few. For instance Amity University, which has recently opened a campus in UP has at our insistence promised to educate 100 poor but deserving candidates every year.

Greater private sector participation. I am in favour of this. In fact as a WTO signatory we have to welcome greater participation from outside agencies as well. But the government must ensure that education is not out of reach for the common man.

Can EFA be achieved?
Given political will and determination, it can be.

Jitin Prasada, Shahjahanpur (Uttar Pradesh)

Prasada: primary education priority

Jitin Prasada (30), a former DSP Merill Lynch executive, was elected MP on a Congress ticket from Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh. Autar Nehru had a question and answer session with him in Delhi.

In your ten-point scale of priorities, where would you slot education?

Right at the top. Education is most important for our country and the solution to casteism, under-development and rural backwardness.

To what extent do you support the UPA government’s education cess on all Central taxes?

Fully. It’s a very good step forward. Moreover I am in favour of immediately raising the annual outlay for education to 6 percent of GDP.

What should be the expenditure priorities of the additional amount raised?

Primary education should be the first priority. No further comment is necessary.

School education in India is very unequal. Are you in favour of a common school system?

That is not a big concern right now; basic education should be made universal whatever the system.

Should higher education be de-subsidised?

It has to be seen in the larger context of our needs and practices. It is debatable and yes, wherever there are unjustifiable subsidies, they should be withdrawn.

Should English be the medium of instruction in government schools?

English as the medium is not so critical. Education should help make people aware and knowledgeable and it can be achieved in the medium students understand.

Are you in favour of greater private sector participation in education?

It plays hardly any role, especially in rural areas. They should take this responsibility; only then will they be playing a worthy role.

Is Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan achievable by 2015?

It can be, but lot depends on the will of the Central and state governments. I believe education should be universalised as quickly as possible.

Milind Deora, South Mumbai

Deora: public-private partnership proponent

Milind Deora (27) a business management graduate of Boston University won from the prestigious South Mumbai constituency on a Congress ticket. Mona Barbhaya buttonholed him in Mumbai.

In your ten-point scale of priorities for national development where would you slot education?

I would slot education No.1, because increased literacy contributes directly to the growth of GDP in all countries, especially developing nations. I also believe the two factors crucial in education are funding and quality of the system.

In my constituency, I have 120 government or aided schools which cannot afford computer hardware. Therefore I have allocated money for the purchase of computers from my MP’s discretionary fund. I have also invited private sector participation, and promoted public-private partnerships to provide computers and software at no additional cost to schools or parents. These initiatives can be replicated in all constituencies.

On the ruling UPA government’s 2 percent education cess on all Central taxes.

I fully support the cess. It shows the UPA government is committed to education. However, the mechanism for the delivery of funds needs to be corrected. It must be ensured that the funds thus raised go directly into the school system and not elsewhere.

What in your opinion should be the expenditure priorities of the additional amount raised for education?

The additional money should be utilised to make the education system more efficient. One area where more money can be used is teacher salaries. The teacher is the most important element in the school system, followed by infrastructure, teaching aids, computers etc. Today, teachers are neither paid adequately nor on time. If salaries are competitive and paid on time, it can be a major incentive for attracting the best talent into education which will ultimately improve quality.

School education in India is very unequal (ICSE, CBSE and state boards). Are you in favour of a common school system?

I don’t think multiplicity of boards is as much an issue as quality of education, whatever the board. However, commonality of exams can help to deliver consistency and standardisation. Private-public partnerships can help in this regard.

Should higher education be de-subsidised?

Subsidies are important if targetted properly. Again, there should be a plurality of delivery systems, which requires private sector participation in the promotion of professional colleges etc, as well as public sector participation in setting up government-aided colleges. Before higher education is de-subsidised, proper provision should be made for scholarships and financial aid to poor students, just as it’s done abroad.

To what extent if any, should state governments regulate the admissions and fees of private unaided colleges?

This is a political question, but broadly speaking there should be minimal governmental interference. Government should ensure a level playing field and guarantee that education, including higher education, is affordable to all.

To what extent do you favour the introduction of English as the medium of instruction in government schools?

I believe that English should be taught as a subject in all schools — government or non-governmental. However, as far as government schools are concerned, there should be various options available and students should be able to choose from different mediums of instruction such as Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Urdu etc.

What is the role of corporate India in Indian education? To what extent is it discharging this role?

Corporates have a crucial role to play in education. The face of education in India can be completely changed and improved through public-private partnerships. The corporate sector can work with politicians and educators to improve infrastructure of schools by sponsoring teaching aids, even entire schools. Government should give corporates credit and tax breaks.

Do you believe the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan or Education for All can be achieved by 2015?

Yes I believe the Education for All goal can be achieved by 2015. But to achieve it, politicians, educators and the private sector should work together. If this happens it is eminently achievable.