Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
4. To be among the best in the world, Indian universities must be freed from excessive interference and politicisation”, Examine.(250 words)
Reference: The Hindu
Why this question:
In the recent subject-wise ranking of world universities by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), Indian institutions improved with 26 departments or schools placed in the top 100 of their respective disciplines. Thus the question.
Key demand of the question:
The question expects us to bring out the current challenges that the Indian universities are facing owing to political interferences and control.
Directive:
Examine – When asked to ‘Examine’, we must look into the topic (content words) in detail, inspect it, investigate it and establish the key facts and issues related to the topic in question. While doing so we should explain why these facts and issues are important and their implications.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Briefly highlight the fact pointed out by the study, highlight where India stands.
Body:
Explain that While this is a reason to celebrate, not even a single Indian university features in the QS ranking of the world’s top 150 in overall parameters.
Discuss how these universities have been major centres of innovation in teaching and research thanks to independence from bureaucratic or corporate meddling and political intervention by parties of the day.
They could remain centres of extraordinary excellence in a sustained way by according primacy to matters of the mind, i.e. intellectual ideas and solutions to problems, and avoiding becoming hostage to dogmatic thought.
List down the challenges they are facing.
Suggest solutions to address such concerns.
Highlight efforts of the government in this direction.
Conclusion:
Conclude that India has miles to go in higher education. Unlike in authoritarian and top-down China, there is little likelihood of a meteoric breakout of multiple Indian universities into the top 100 of the worlds at a rapid clip. To be among the best in the world, Indian universities must be freed from excessive interference and politicisation.
