US, Russia and EC can't hold a combined candle to literate India

India, as far as literacy goes, stands head and chest above the United States, Russia and any European country you care to name.

In fact, according to renowned educationist Dr B M Sankhdher, it can take the whole lot all at once and still beat them hollow -- there are more literates here (58,800,000, to be precise) than in the US, Russia and European countries combined!

And as for literate women, again, India beats the foreign countries hands down. Though 97 per cent women could hardly read or write at the time of Independence, the country now has more educated women than the US and Russia. Better still, the combined figures of Japan, Germany, France, England, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Greece and Italy falls short of the Indian total!

Dr Sankhdher, professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University's School of Social Sciences, made these statements at a workshop (on National Agenda for Education in India: Some Priorities) in New Delhi.

Despite all its limitations, India has been producing 20 doctorates every day since Independence. And every 100 days, without fail for the past 50 years, the country sees a new university coming up.

The educationist said India has the largest universities in the world. While the total number of scholars in foreign universities do not exceed 40,000, many Indian universities have a strength of around 300,000.

Another unique feature of the Indian educational system is that more than 10 million students get free lunch, uniform and text books.

"This has never happened anywhere in the history of the human race,' the educationist claimed, "Ours is the most elaborate, enlightening and inspiring system."

The Indian system, Dr Sankhdher continued, has inherited the educational traditions of ancient universities of the world such as Takshashikla, Nalanda, Vikramshila, Valabhi, Navadweepa, Kanchi and Madura. In addition, we have also absorbed the British ideas.

Outlining India's future priorities, Dr Sankhder said the country should now, besides achieving 100 per cent literacy, concentrate on improving the quality of education.

The educationist also underlined the need for high-level research in biophysics, microbiology, computer science, biochemistry, geophysics, missiles, satellites and philosophy.

UNI