The editorial page article, “ >The impact of institutional decay ” (Sept. 15), portrayed a depressing picture. I would like to talk about the issue of library use raised in the article and my bitter experience in Delhi. I am an M.Phil student and my guide asked me to access the Ratan Tata Library in Delhi University. My request was turned down with the reason “M.Phil students are not allowed to access DU library.” This kind of illogical behaviour is one small example of how we wantonly create obstacles to accessing quality education.
D.S. Sundaresha,New Delhi
One occasionally finds university lecturers who are completely undeserving of the position they hold. As an M.Phil scholar, I once found it heart-rending to have a professor being appointed to teach two of our subjects and being completely unaware of some of the basics. Later, he was to certify the dissertations of six students and be the PhD guide for four students. None of us dared to raise the issue with the higher authorities.
Kanika Garg,New Delhi
By 2020, India will be the world’s “youngest” country. Yet we are home to vast numbers of the educated unemployed. There are hundreds of Indians with great degrees from here and abroad, wanting to shape young minds but unable to do so. We have already committed a great blunder by downsizing permanent teaching staffing in the name of reforms. Politicians seem oblivious to the fact that there are 700 universities waiting to be strengthened, which is more important than setting up new IITs and IIMs. It is time policymakers enabled good working conditions for lecturers, improved libraries, provided research facilities and built up a strong structure.
Ramya Rathod,Hyderabad
The writer has not included the fact that even the IITs experience some of the issues dealt with. The problem is not just about the systematic denigration of teachers. It is the attitude of different governments that results in the deterioration of our education system. A simple example is Kerala, where despite the high literacy rate, only one college finds a position in the top 50 colleges in India.
Sagar Tom,Kottayam
