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The free University: Break the Governments monopolyon education

With all the furore that Mandal II is creating across the country, it is surprising how

everyone assumes that we are restricted to opposing quotas and reservations in

institutions running under Government sanctioned Universities. Of course its not entirelyour fault. We have lived too long under a semisocialist system wherein the !mai"aap

sar#ar$ was involved in every aspect of our lives. %rom manufacturing cars to "a#ing

"read, from running railways to running educational institutions, the meddlesome

Government was everywhere, and we have never opposed it.&ut is it necessary that education must "e limited "y the Governments sanction' Of

course not( )fter all, education is simply a service industry *ust li#e any other, e+cept that

the raw material is students, and the product is professionals with the s#ills required "yindustry. It is that last which is most important. he accepta"le level of s#ill is

determined "y the mar#et, and not "y the ar"itrary whim of some "a"u in the education

ministry. -o why stop there' Why not let the mar#et determine the value of the degreeawarded "y the University'

Universities in India today run on the Governments sanction. Instead, I propose that a

%ree University "e set up, which will not see# any sanction from the Government, andnot see# any affiliation with or accreditation from any Government University. It will set

its own curriculum, run its own colleges, and award its own degrees. It will "e up to

industry and the *o" mar#et whether or not to accept these degrees, and what value to

assign to them as compared to degrees from Government Universities.

Reasons for setting up a Free University

he Government today has a total stranglehold on education. Grants and su"sidies are

given to colleges, recognition is awarded to Universities, and free education is provided

to all children up to some "asic level. rofessional education, e.g. engineering andmedical education, is heavily su"sidised. )ll this is made to loo# li#e largesse scattered

"y a paternal Government. /owever, it is scarcely necessary to remind the reader that all

this largesse comes directly from our own ta+es. )nd if today the Government proposesthat nearly half the capacity of the premier institutions of this country shall "e filled not

on the "asis of merit, "ut on the "asis of caste, then we are faced with the o"scene vision

of people wor#ing and paying ta+es so that others children may "e educated ininstitutions that their own children can never hope to enter0 that men and women shall "e

enslaved to enrich others children and to ena"le the latter eventually to surpass their own

children. he immensity of this travesty of *ustice demands action of the most decisive#ind. o root out the evil, it is necessary to upset the very foundations of the educational

system. Merely "oycotting the Government Universities will have no effect, and will only

endanger the careers of many "right young students. -etting up a parallel educational

system, on the other hand, will allow us to fight the evil entrenched in the system whilealso securing our own future.

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Is it legal?

While I am no legal e+pert, it seems that there ought to "e no legal hurdle for the %ree

University. he University see#s no recognition, funds or help of any #ind from theGovernment. It see#s no affiliation with or accreditation from any Governmentrun

University. )s far as the Government is concerned, the courses run "y the %ree

University should then "e no different from the many coaching classes which arecurrently running across the country, e+cept that the students are not registered with any

Government University. he degrees awarded "y the University are worthless as far as

the Government is concerned. hats fine with us. Were not training our students to

"ecome "a"us anyway. he only sanction and recognition we see# is from Industry, andto satisfy it we shall have to provide education of a level at least equal to, if not "etter,

than that offered in any staterun University. 1ow, does that sound difficult'

Will it work?

While the principle of the %ree University is very simple and clear, there are some

difficulties which could arise in practice23. here is really nothing to prevent unscrupulous characters from setting up more

and more nonaccredited colleges and Universities and running su"standardcourses or giving out degrees without real education, undermining the credi"ility

of the entire private education system.

4. It could prove to "e very difficult to gain acceptance among students and parents,who would have to "e willing to ta#e the ris# of ones entire career to get a

quality education, which may or may not "e accepted "y industry.

5. )cceptance "y industry2 his is where I foresee the fewest pro"lems. )s anemployer see#ing the "est employee you can afford, whom would you prefer'

One who has ta#en the route of merit through a %ree University or one from an

University where the 6hief Ministers daughter !naturally$ has to stand first'

&rea#ing the Governments stranglehold on education can have farreaching effects.

-tarting from education, we can end Government interference in all aspects of our lives

where Governments ought not to meddle. We only have to ma#e this wor#. I appeal to alleducators, parents, students and employers2 *oin in to "uild the %ree University. &rea#

free from the tyranny of mediocrity.