How Bihar and Jharkhand can be hub of Higher education
http://www.apnabihar.org/bibhuti.htm
Eastern India was the hub of education and research in ancient times. Right from the beginning of cultured human society, when many world’s societies were in sleepy state, this region played very significant role in making people educated and research oriented. Nalanda and Vikramshila are instance of this. It is well known that Nalanda University was the first international University which produced many great scholars including Aryabhatt and varahmihira. The scholars from all over Asia, Greek, Persian and Chinese studied here. Vikramshila was also one of the unique learning center esp. for Tibetian buddhist and for tantrism.
Until before Independence, this region was cynosure of education and research. People used to come and study in Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand based universities from different parts of India and abroad. University of calcutta, Shanti Niketan(Calcutta), Patna University were the best learning centers.
Patna University was called as Oxford of the east. University of Calcutta produced three best scientist in the same batch once in which two (Prof. Chandrasekhar and Sir CV Raman) got Noble Prize. Prof. Satyen Bose didn’t get Noble prize but he discovered “Boson”, one of the fundamental particle of the atom. He shared name with Einstein (Boson = Bose+Einstein). Similarly Shanti Niketan was started by Rabindra Nath tagore, a noble laurete . He modelled this institute on the lines of the ancient gurukul system.
But later, these states started lagging behind in not only education but almost all sectors. Many factors were involved for this sorry state on which I am not going to discuss much. It would be unjustifiable lapse, if I don’t mention that paucity of visionary leaders and lack of political will have been the major factor. I do strongly believe that politicians were and are involved in cheap politics, they only think about making money, they forgot that their primary concern is to develop their region and make people more happy. They ruined all well established and managed system for which these state were well known. They put education on least priority.
In the micro-level, I do also believe that businessman, and capable educationists of Bihar and Jharkhand(Old Bihar) didn’t contribute for the development of state. Nobody stopped any businessman for starting any engineering college/medical colleges, pharma colleges and any other R&D centers despite the fact that Bihar /Jharkhand has huge potential and Brains. Now Both states are at nadir. Bihar is performing slightly well because of present good regime but Jharkhand has become almost failed state despite all high expectation that this state would become richest state in India. Anyway, my primary concern of this article is how these states can again perform well in higher education and research. Lets discuss pointwise.
Complete overhauling of the higher education system
Bihar and Jharkhand based universities and Institutions need complete overhauling of the education system and their pattern. Their attitude of “no work, dilli dalling, passing buck to others, no learning” must be changed for the sake of education system. In addtion to this, I feel following improvement are required
· Professional website: Institutions require professional looking website providing all information and their researches, the video lectures of its best teachers, PhDs thesis, and other papers. There are very few colleges in Bihar and Jharkhand which has professional looking website. Some college has their website but with very unprofessional look and technologically backward. It gives wrong impression among visitors. Institutions must learn from IITs, foreign universities, central university and private instituion website and follow their standards.
· Updated Syllabus; syllabus are not revised and updated. It should be revised regularly on the basis of current technological advancement and market needs. Learning is the regular process in Life. Professors must learn new subjects, new technologies as soon as it come or invented. All information should pass to the students and later it should be included in the course curriculum.
· Dynamic Vice Chancellor: I found that in Bihar and Jharkhand, Vice chancellors are either not dynamic or because of system, they don’t use their full potential in improving education system. Most of VC’s office lying vacant; they go to their own places very often and don’t reach to the office on time. That’s the reason their subordinates also work in the same fashion and as a result complete system becomes slow and no performing. His maximum time goes in dharna and boycott. In my view, before appointing VCs, govt. must ask about his vision towards the improvement of university and must be given well defined task to execute in university.
· Professors and Research work: Teacher community is suffering from coaching fever and it has developed as maniac which is dangerous portent of the education system and the society. Civil society as well as university rules must be strict on this. Professors should be in their office for minimum 8 hrs and also their performance should be measured on the basis of papers presented in national and international conferences, research articles published in the journals and also no of Ph.d and Post doc students. Time bound promotion should be strictly prohibited for some years. Let only performing professors be promoted; let other feel that they should work not only for the sake of the society but also for development of his family. In addition to this, university must decrease their teacher and student ratio. It should be as per international standard of maxm 14 students.
· Regular Seminar and Conferences: Seminar and conferences should be regular feature of the institutions. I believe that weekly seminar, half yearly conference, and bimonthly visiting professor lecture should be organised. At Present, very few conferences is being organised by the colleges/universities. Bbrains Deveopment society has taken initiaitve to organise Bihar Science Conference in different universities of Bihar/Jharkhand on the pattern of the Indian Science Congress. It has become show case of Bihar. This year it was orgnised in Gaya college, Gaya which was inaugurated by Dr. Kalam hon’ble former president of India. Because of this effort, a research in Bihar is coming on the map. I feel that colleges must organise conference on a particular subject which will give impetus to improve R&D in that particular area. Thru conference, many national and international scientists may be associated for technical exchange as well as bringing projects. International tie-ups are important for improvement of R&D.
· Alumni association: Let every institute have an active association with its alumni and use the successful ones for guest lectures, whenever they visit their home state. Let funds be created with their donation totally dedicated to advance education.
· Students whole day engagement: Students must attend 80% classes; must get regular projects from their professors. In international universities, students get heavy load of work and projects; they get full infrastructure and funds to execute projects.
Defence and other Research Centers
Bihar and Jharkhand are the least priority for Central govt in establishing DRDO, CSIR, IIT, IISER, Biotechnoloy Lab, central university, world class universities, and other socio-economic research centers. At present, there are 280 odd institutes and major labs under department like DAE, DOS, DBT, ICAR, CSIR, DRDO, DIT and department of health etc but if you look at statistical figure, Bihar (present Bihar + Jharkhand) has only three Scientific research Institutes; all are in Jharkhand; Bihar has none.
In spite of the fact that these states produces large no of techies and scholars who are contributing in national and international forum, these states are in this pathetic condition at present.
In population, Bihar has more than 8% of total population of the country, this position is absolutely outrageous. In my view, this is nothing but regional imbalance and negative sidelining attitude by the center towards both states. If national leadership would have taken care for restoring parity to the state by allocating at least 40 of centrally funded autonomous institutions (out of total of over 433 as Per expenditure committee report 2004-05 or CAG report which states the number above 499 in year 1998-99 report), state would have been definitely be a much improved place for its denizens. In my view, Bihar and Jharkhand should get fair share of 20 research centers each (out of a total of above 250 such research centers across the country) or for that matter 12 national academic institutions (out of over 175 such institutions under various ministries
Academic center for excellences: IIT, IIM, IISER, IIIT, central university and other central govt funded institutions are the center for excellence which has got international fame. In 2005, Dr. APJ Kalam advocated the need of IIT and IISER in the state of Bihar during his speech in Global Bihar Meet in 2007 and joint session of Bihar’s Parliament. Now Bihar has got IIT at Patna but still waiting for IISER(Indian Institute of Science Education and Research). I feel that Bihar and Jharkhand both should have IISER. This center has immense potential for revitalizing Scientific research. Central govt has established in Pune, Kolkata, Bhubaneshwar and Chandigarh.
The BiharBrains Society took initiative to demand of IISER in Bihar; They submited report to Bihar govt (51 member commiitte of BiharBrains). A report has been given on http://www.biharbrains.co.in/bihar-brains-demand-NISC-IISER.php. In turn Govt of Bihar, put case before Hon'ble CM (you can see on www.dst.bih.nic.in) and Also Hon'ble CM wrote letter to Hon'ble PM about need for the establishment of IISER in Bihar. In the letter written to PM, He on behalf of Bihar Govt. assured the land for this mega project. During 3rd Bihar Science Conference 2010 at Gaya too, myself (on dias) talked to Hon’ble CM Sri Nitish Kumar about need of IISER in the state. I reminded him about the govts earlier action and do hope positive action plan for the same.
But Jharkhand leaders didn’t even demand from the state. Leaders and Beurocrates remain silent. These states leaders must take lesson from Tamil Nadu CM Sri Karunanidhi who at once demanded IIT, IIM and IISER in the different places in the state which was figured well in media but these states doesn’t even demand.
Similarly Bihar and Jharkhand doesn’t have IIM centers and IIIT centers though there are lots of potential in Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Darbhanga in Bihar and Jamshedpur, Ranchi, Hazaribagh and Dhanbad in Jharkhand. Pity is that both states never demand and take effort to bring these institutes.
Recently in 11th plan period, Central govt. has taken other major initiatives for reviving higher education in India. Bihar and Jharkhand has also been figured in some projects (given below) but this is not sufficient. I would request both govt. first to pay more attention in establishing these centers and later continue demanding from center for more projects. This is urgent need of the hour.
