A Budget for 3 Idiots- Arindam Chaudhuri - Part 2 of 2- IIPM

Seemingly a run up to the landmark Right to Education Bill, this program was telecast on a national news network on Feb 27, 2010, a day before the Union Finance Minister of India presented the budget.

This was Prof Arindam's 10th successive alternative budget presentation, this time with a focus on education.

It has been known and argued for decades that the education system in India is dysfunctional and badly needs to be revamped. It has also been argued consistently that the much talked about demographic dividend scheduled to benefit India in the 21st century will remain a mirage unless the education system is reformed. Sure, India has achieved a lot in the field of education since it gained independence in 1947. The literacy rate is now more than 65%. But that means that more than 400 million Indians continue to be functionally illiterate. And Indias record looks abysmal when we realize that countries like China, Brazil, Malaysia and Indonesia have achieved literacy rates well in excess of 90%. Everybody knows that while the 20th century was driven by manufacturing and blue collar jobs, the 21st century will be driven by information, services, information technology and white collar jobs. For that, the majority of Indians-at least the ones who will reach working age in the next decade and later will badly need an education system that is accessible to all, a system that promotes innovation and excellence and a system that trains the young for 21st century jobs and careers.

Keeping all this in mind, the Alternative Budget this year concentrated on education and the theme was deliberately named A Budget for Three Idiots. The success of the movie Three Idiots has once again revived the debate about the need to reform the education system in the country. Simultaneously, the bold efforts of HRD Minister Kapil Sibal to bring about much needed changes in the education system have also sparked off a serious debate on the issue. Without a doubt, Education is the single biggest challenge and opportunity for the UPA government. It is a challenge because deeply entrenched vested interests will try their best to maintain status quo. It is an opportunity because reform will reap such enormous rewards that the UPA government can secure its place in history.

Why A Budget for Three Idiots? The three set of people who play a key role in the education system in India are students, teachers and regulators. All three have become victims of an idiotic system that defeats the very purpose of education. The Alternative Budget this year will have concrete proposals that will directly address the issues that confront students, teachers and regulators. Unless all three are tackled simultaneously, the education system in the country cannot be reformed.

Category:

Education

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[q1q2qwqsqa]

bakwaas kar raha hai.. bloody fraud..thumbs up

[vpashwin]

edoocation :P

[prvnbhungarnnl]

i think he is talking about irrelevant data of drop out indian rural students ..trying to fool us ..)

[skshashi]

@q1q2qwqsqa you mean education is not IMP and please telll me what is IMP

[skshashi]

@gems2083 can you speak few lines and upload video

[kplrthd3]

i like this

[gems2083]

chaudhary ka edoocation happened in the gutters it seems. cant speak proper english or hindi

[ashishshivalik]

hi............

i like it.............

[hrcsethi]

Do even educated people go for voting?