Quota for SSC Students in Maharashtra

Quota for SSC Students in Maharashtra

The government of Maharashtra is reported to be considering new system for admissions to junior colleges with 90% quota for SSC students leaving only 10% for ICSE and CBSE students for current academic year. For last ten years or so, we frequently read about introduction of new systems for admission for some or the other courses. These changes are challenged in courts and either a stay is brought in or they are squashed by courts. Percentile system introduced last year was squashed by high court. The tinkering with systems has led to dissatisfaction among most of the students, except those benefiting from the change. The parents are disgusted because of uncertainties, running from pillar to post to get admissions and due to systematic weeding out of good students to accommodate academically weaker students on some or the other pretext.

Headless Schools Reports have been appearing regularly in media about number of government schools without principals & teachers. In Maharashtra out of 9314 state board schools 49% are without head or principal. In Ludhiana district 131 out of 138 higher secondary schools are without heads. So is the case with many districts all over India. What direction can one expect for grooming students to face competitive examinations? SSC students are doing equally well when proper and adequate inputs are provided. Our education experts and administrators in the departments would do better if they focus on providing teaching staff, headmasters and principals to govt. schools so that students can fare better instead of trying to find a way out with a quota or other restrictive practices.

Earlier we move to a system of balance in quality and quota the better it would be. Let us not forget that quality is inversely proportion to quota. If it was not so, quota would not have been an issue at all and every one would get to participate in merit based opportunities. ICSE and CBSE both are sustaining good quality of education. Any attempt to stifle the students from these streams would be an attempt to deprive them of opportunities for better education in India. Time will come when 90% will go up to 95% reservation sooner or later. If the parents can afford and if education loans are available on easy terms, they would start looking out for admissions overseas. Instead of going overseas for higher education after graduation, students may opt to move out of country even for graduation. When this happens, we lose crème de la crème to developed world not just for education but also for employment. It would amount to systemic and systematic social over­engineering of high order. While everyone can’t afford to go abroad, 5­10 years later we would find it significantly impacting our scene. Some day we may get quotas for nursery schools also.

Dilution Of Standards Of Education

Today the educational institutions have gone into hands of politicians as their personal fiefdoms. There are any numbers of colleges for all disciplines mushrooming every year churning out students with paper degrees. Twenty years ago there were very few colleges offering MBA courses worth the money. Now every nook and corner in Pune one finds a management college housed in one floor of a building with couple of rooms. I met one young man, around 25, whose business card claimed him to be a member of the board of the management institute! Arjun Singh diluted the education system instead of reforming it. 125 universities were given “deemed” status giving them a free hand. It is easy to run down quality of education system. It takes vision to improve the quality.

One can only guess what kind of education the institutes may be imparting and quality of the teaching staff. There seems to be lack of any supervision by the government on such institutions which are ruining the careers of thousands of students who are left holding a paper degree after spending so much of money but can’t get a commensurate job. I have interviewed many a candidates with so called MBA degrees from universities or private institutions and did not find them any more than a good B.Com student.

India is fast moving into a knowledge society. We have the potential to challenge best of the world. While our brilliant students are doing wonderful work in top universities in USA, we are simply watering down standards of education at even graduation levels. If we have to sustain quality of good education, we must have sound practices for admissions, teaching and evaluation with quality teaching staff. We are diluting the value system of education. While reservations and quotas do have a degree of relevance to ensure social justice, it seems we are carrying it too far in every sphere.

From License Raj To Quota Raj While the seventies and eighties were characterized by the license or permit raj, India has moved to quota raj in every aspect of national endeavor in the post­Mandal era in last 15 years. Be it position of President or Speaker or MP/ MLA in politics to entry into schools and colleges( even IITs / IIMs), recruitments, postings, transfers and whatever else, we have filters of social engineering. Mayawati discovered the dalit card first, supplemented it with brahmin card later and realized that they have very limited virtue. Quota was first applied on caste based systems. Now it is getting extended as a concept for anything “weaker” than stronger. We shall soon come around a full circle, when quota systems would have to go just like permit raj or licence raj, which had to be consigned to the dustbin of history.

Educational Reforms And Vision 2020 Dr.Narendra Jadhav, an economist and former VC of University of Pune has been appointed as member of Planning Commission in charge of education. (He has given himself a report card of 10 out of 10 for his performance in University of Pune). The government is also waiting for recommendations out of Vision 2020 of Dr. Abdul Kalam

on reforms in education. Knowledge Commission has submitted reports in the past to PM. Education system has to be the backbone of the knowledge society. We must aim at stopping erosion of values in the field of education or we would suffer from Value Management Deficiency Syndrome. Can we expect the reforms in educational system in India in totality instead of piecemeal and ad hoc approach to problems keeping high courts busy at the beginning of every academic session?

I am sure some one would challenge this attempt to bring in quota for SSC students in courts and bring real issues on the table.

Vijay M.Deshpande Corporate Advisor, Strategic Management Initiative Pune 411021 Scroll down for my other blogs or visit www.strami.com