Shiv Kumar Padha
padha.shiv@gmail.com
Pedagogically there are many agencies which impart formal and non formal education to the child after birth, but among all, family, society and the school play a major role in educating and shaping the character of the child which go a long way in making him an ideal citizen and an asset for the country he lives in. The child gets his first lesson of love and affection, sacrifice and obedience in the company of his family which is called the cradle of the society. The society broadens his mental horizon and teaches him a sense of co operation, interdependence and collective responsibility. School being the formal agency of education ensures his multidimensional development. The curriculum of the school presents a blueprint of the school activities for the child. Where the curricular activities equip him with the knowledge the co curricular activities shape his character, inculcate the values of discipline, truth and honesty through morning assemblies games, sports and moral lessons. But to the utter dissatisfaction of the nation none of the agencies have been successful in shaping and building the character and inculcating the national values in the youth up to the desired level even after more than seventy of independence. After independence the education sector did not get the kind of attention that it deserved because there was neither any roadmap nor any curriculum available at that time.
It was only Thomas Babington Macaulay whose education policy was adapted for the citizens of free India. Macaulay stressed upon the introduction of English in the Indian schools with the aim to anglicize the Indians to serve as link between Indians and Britishers. Macaulay regarded the learned persons of Sanskrit, Arabic and other Indian languages as ignorant while the learned persons in India were considered as great fools in his opinion. It is amazing that a country like India could not evolve its own educational policy emphasizing the need for inculcating the Indian values based upon the teachings of from the epics, ancient and freedom struggle history of India. It is said that the Lord Macaulay policy which is still vogue I m the country is known both as founder and destroyer of Indian education. According to the data from UGC website there are about 800 universities, 38000colleges11500 standard college institutions In India. But as the ill luck would have it the number the youth passing out from these institutions are exhibiting the behavior detrimental for the integrity and solidarity of the country.
In the absence of any modal national curriculum in the country after the independence many union education ministers framed the curriculum in such a way which totally divorced the Indian values and emphasized upon the propagation of the outsider and invaders culture who destroyed and mutilated Indian history, heritage and Indian values. Instead of introducing the ancient Indian history they promoted the Mugal and the Britishers and portrayed them the actual heroes of India. The political parties and their allies in the government tailored their own curriculums best suiting to their political aged, ambitions and selfish motives. Keeping their eyes on the long range political benefits the parties ruling the country introduced those text books in the schools and colleges which were biased in nature and which contained mutilated facts about the ancient history of India’s freedom struggle whereby projecting and glorifying a particular political party, particular family and a particular community in the country.
The ruling parties accorded autonomy to the hidden educational institutions for minorities functioning under article 30 of the Indian constitution and gave them free hand to function the way their clerics want and preach whatever they liked with the assurance that these schools and institutions have to stand in good stead whenever these parties needed their support. The nation has been feeling the heat of the unwanted, un expected and anti national behavior of some sections of society., youth coming out from colleges and universities, political leaders having taken oath of the constitution dozens of times, designer print and the electronic media and the so called intelligentsia of the country have been sparing no efforts in increasing and aggravating the difficulties of their own country by making the scathing attacks on all the democratic institutions of the country.
Abusing and using vulgar language against the prime minister, president and chief Justices of India, burning their effigies and beating their photos by the shoes in the public. The nation feels annoyed when the small children of three or four shout slogans against India and talks about freedom and killing the prime minister or those not acting upon their dictates. Waiving the tricolor amidst the antinational slogans, revolution in the country, man handling the police and the security force son the highways torching the houses and the public property in the broad day light, rendering moral support to the agenda of the hostile countries joining the Tukde Tukde Gang celebrating martyrdom of Afzal Guru Kasab and Burhan Wani by the students of some universities of the country, disrespecting the national symbols has become a fashion and craze for the youth irrespective of the community they belong to. The press and the paid TV Channels, instead of coming for the help of the government, add fuel to the fire of hatred and terrorism at the instance of their mentors sitting outside the country. The provocative and abusive way of the panelists comprising of the spokespersons of different political parties, religious leaders, renowned lawyersof the country look as if they are committed to collapse the system of the nation lock stock and barrel.
The time has come to take the matter of shaping the character of the nation seriously which conforms to the national aspirations and expectations. It is therefore suggested to;
1. Evolve a national curriculum and road map which can help inculcate national values among the children
2. There must be a provision of daily screening of the 10 minutes documentary films on the lives of the freedom fighters, upon the lives of the great Indian saints reformers heroes f freedom struggle, importance and respect of the national symbols in addition to the singing of national anthem.
3. The photographs of the national leaders be displayed on the corridors of the school so that the students pay tribute to them while entering or leaving their class rooms and the school complexes.
4. Like in sixties the services of the retired security personnel’s be utilized in the schools under National Discipline schemes NDS so that the strict adherence to the disciplinary values among the students can be assured.
5. It must be made obligatory that the front and the back pages of theirtext books and the note books have the photo graphs both on the front and the back of their books.
It is laudable that the NPE 1986 And the NPE 2020 have made headway in this direction which is likely to change and streamline the educational curriculum and the syllabus which the nation cherishes and also hope translating the dreams of our great leaders and the freedom fighters in reality.
Shiv Kumar Padha a social activist Basohli
—— Forwarded Message ——–
From: Shiv Kumar Padha <padha.shiv@gmail.com>
Date: 11/16/2025 4:50:34 PM
Subject: Fwd: Lord Macaulay founder and destroyer of Indian education and values.
To: editor <editor@dailyexcelsior.com>
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