ISSC Moots Reforms in Education Sector

ISSC Moots Reforms in Education Sector

VISAKHAPATNAM: Expressing concern over the treatment of education as a commodity, the five-day Indian Social Science Congress (ISSC) urged the government to introduce reforms in the higher education sector here Thursday.

Eminent scholars who addressed the Congress presented various recommendations in this regard while presenting their concluding remarks. Many speakers pointed out that the structure of colonial education was being changed in the modern Indian education system according to the change in the society. They expressed concern over the  change in the system where professional education was gradually moving into the hands of private players. The government is indirectly encouraging privatisation to cut its expenditure, they said. Delegates also expressed concern over the increase in corruption in the education sector. The  premier institutions are serving only elite, they added.

Chief guest and Lalit kala Akademi chairman KK Chakravarthi spoke about the gaps that come in the way of promoting scientific temper and development. “There is a division in knowledge categories between community and knowledge. The problem with the approach needs to be resolved in education, as it appears to be unscientific. The second problem is to give primacy to technology over science and the third is fidelity to a philosophy of history and cognition, which does not acknowledge the fact that westernisation is not be equated with modernisation,” he said and recalled Gandhiji’s visionary statements in the past.

Eminent professors like PP Dyani, MNP Tiwari, Rajiv Kumar, Rajaram Tolpadi, Meena, DS Prakash Rao, V Rajyalakshmi, Gopichan and Nalini from various universities across the country took part. Nearly 15 parallel sessions on various topics like agriculture, computer science, ecology, politics, political economy, juridical science, art and knowledge system were held.

With the focal theme being ‘knowledge systems, scientific temper and Indian people’, as many as eight plenary sessions on important topics were held wherein eminent scientists and educationalists including JBJ Tilak, MN Majumdar, Ragunadhan and Saumen Chattopadyay participated.

Open sessions on contract teaching and convention on young scientists were held. Andhra University vice-chancellor GSN Raju and registrar P Uma Maheswara Rao were present.

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