Just as the election season was heating up with all its drama and eccentricities, the INDIA alliance put an ambivalent full stop by saying, “Appropriate action will be taken at the appropriate time.” The public sat down and continued with its grind. On the same day, NEET exam results were declared, causing major uproar across the country. Multiple students scored a perfect percentile from a particular center, and the ensuing outcry about the arbitrary distribution of grace marks underscored one important point: the integrity and sacrosanct trust of the exam were compromised.
Fast forward a few days, and after lakhs of students had taken the UGC-NET exam, they received a 440V thunderbolt when the NTA released a circular stating that the exam was canceled (you read that right, I am talking about the exam, not a train). This sequence of events should not be viewed in isolation. It clearly points to a systemic rot that has set in our education system.
In this article, I want to dwell on the immediate ramifications of these catastrophic events and unpack the bigger picture, beyond the surface noise of the NTA’s failure, the resignation of officials, and the loss of trust in institutions—all of which are genuine concerns. First, let us look at the immediate areas of concern that have emerged.
1. Accountability & Failure of Governance:
It is rather unfortunate that public education is not a priority for the current dispensation. The cutting down of educational budgets, butchering tools of accessibility like scholarships for the backward and minorities, curtailing the democratic atmosphere on campuses, and gagging dissent are the standard policy and modus operandi. In this milieu, the failure to conduct transparent and fair exams is an utter failure of governance. This further highlights the priorities of the government and exposes their hollow slogans. This is not the first time; even during the pandemic, we witnessed the total collapse of the health system. It is rightly said that crises reveal the true nature, and these events have exposed the government and the system.
2. The sacrosanct and Integrity of the exam were compromised:
Lakhs of students enrolled in our educational system, along with their parents, burn the midnight oil to crack these exams and secure a gateway to a brighter future. Students leave their hometowns and states to ensure good preparation. Now that such scams and fraudulent schemes have been unmasked, it will be tough for students to find motivation and for parents to find the resolve and conviction to move ahead. This is a body blow for the stakeholders involved.
3. Jeopardy about the future:
Unfortunately, these exams have become a high-stakes poker game with a winner-takes-all phenomenon. Consequently, lakhs of students are in limbo, caught in a situation reduced to a pure demand-supply gap. Under these circumstances, such events will further deteriorate and put extra strain on an already overburdened system. Mental health concerns may also see an escalation.
There may be other concerns too. In the next section, I want to look holistically at the major factors behind this chronic illness that has become carcinogenic.
A. Instrumentalization of Education:
Education has been reduced to a mere commodity. The lofty objectives of education—creating a conscientious human being, a moral citizen, an informed and wise individual—have been left behind and are now seen through a purely utilitarian lens of investment and returns (ROI). Our universities have been converted into marketplaces, a concept borrowed from George Ritzer’s “McDonaldization of Society” and referred to as McUniversity. As a result, education mafias are mushrooming across the country. Values and morality no longer find importance in our curricula and outlook. Instead, we have an assembly line model with standardized classrooms that produce mark-producing, docile students/customers.
No wonder our newspapers and public hoardings display the marks of toppers as if they were the results of a horse race. Unless and until we acknowledge this phenomenon and break the metaphorical wheel of this machine, we are doomed to remain stuck in this soul-sucking limbo. Therefore, exam leaks shouldn’t really surprise us; sometimes, they may turn out to be a cheaper investment.
B. Commercialization of Education:
On the one hand, the utilitarian outlook on education has dampened its true spirit, turning the noble field of education into a commercial, money-minting business. The mushrooming of coaching empires, which deceive students with the mirage of success and a brighter future, entraps poor souls. A cursory glance at Kota, which is fast becoming the suicide capital of India, highlights the poignant state of the capitalistic model of education. The exorbitant fees of private colleges further underscore the growing success of this model, where the savings of parents are burned to pay for courses. The sorry state of public education seems to be a deliberate policy by the government to shirk its responsibility and open the entire sector to private vultures.
C. Standardised Testing:
One of the intrinsically attached issues is the onslaught of standardized objective assessment. This epidemic has curtailed access to higher education. For example, consider the UGC-NET exam, where a scholar’s ability to conduct research is assessed based on their ability to recall years of books written by authors rather than their critical engagement with ideas. Previously, at FTII Pune, a film studies institution, there used to be an essay section where prospective students could express their thoughts and ideas through words and imagination. Now, entrance to such courses has been reduced to standardized objective testing. This reminds me of the discussion initiated in the film “Three Idiots” on the difference between being well-trained and well-educated. Our system seems to prioritize producing well-trained monkeys rather than critically thinking humans. The additional layer of centralization further complicates matters.
D. Values and Morality Left Behind in the Race:
One of the poignant results of the utilitarian approach to education is the lack of emphasis on values and morality. Marks and degrees have become the sole focus of this cult. The recent pandemic highlighted that empathy, care, solidarity, and community are the treasure troves of humanity, yet we remain blinded by the rat race. Polarization, hate, vulgarity, and obscenity are the outcomes of education without values and responsiveness. It is high time, as Maulana Azad, the first education minister of India, said, that education imparted with the heart can bring about a revolution in society.
In the age of AI and machine learning, rote learning and mere well-trained, docile individuals will not be able to navigate the challenges of the present age. We need an education that revolves around empathy, humility, passion, and curiosity to usher in a new era of peace and prosperity. Arundhati Roy has written that the pandemic is a portal, and if we can envision a better future, we can transport ourselves. The challenge is in front of us; let us engage!
