05-22-2006, 08:07 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Two Knowledge Commission members resign over quota
Monday May 22 2006 17:48 IST
IANS
NEW DELHI: Two members of the National Knowledge Commission on Monday resigned over the ongoing reservation controversy, stating that quotas in elite institutions violate the cardinal principles of a knowledge-based society.
Pratap Bhanu Mehta, member-convenor of the commission and president of the Centre for Policy Research, had earlier voiced his reservation against the central government's decision to implement a quota policy for other backward classes (OBCs) in institutions of higher learning.
Mehta said the government's measures were not based on an assessment of effectiveness and the proposal is incompatible with the freedom and diversity of institutions.
In his reckoning, such a move would thoroughly politicise the education process, injecting an "insidious poison" that will harm the nation's long-term interests. The measures, he said, will not achieve social justice.
Renowned sociologist Andre Beteille said in his resignation letter that the quota proposal was a cynical misrepresentation of the recent provisions of the constitution.
Pointing out that the caste quotas are not required by the constitution, he said any such policy would be unwise.
A majority of members of the commission last week asserted that the government should not extend reservation to OBCs as proposed by the human resources development ministry, and called for maintaining the status quo on the issue till more effective avenues of affirmative action were explored.
Only two members - P M Bhargava and Jayati Ghosh - supported extension of reservation to OBCs, subject to certain conditions, even as six members called for maintaining the status quo.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had constituted the National Knowledge Commission in 2005 with eminent communication expert Sam Pitroda as its chairperson to "sharpen India's knowledge edge" and promote excellence in the education system.
The commission, expected to complete its work by October 2008, was to advise the prime minister on matters of institutions of knowledge production, knowledge use and knowledge dissemination.
Its basic charter was to offer advice on how India can promote excellence to meet the knowledge challenges of the 21st century, promote knowledge creation in science and technology laboratories, improve the management of institutions generating intellectual property, improve protection of IPRs and promote knowledge applications in agriculture and industry.
Also part of its mandate, the commission was to suggest how the government's knowledge capabilities can be made more effective, making the government more transparent and accountable as a service provider to the citizen.
http://tinyurl.com/rgfby
June 2, 2005
The Prime Minister has constituted the National Knowledge Commission. Shri Sam Pitroda will be Chairperson and Dr P.M. Bhargava will be Vice-Chairperson. The Members of the Commission will be Shri Nandan Nilekani, Dr. Deepak Nayyar, Shri Ashok Ganguly, Dr. Andre Beteille, Dr. Jayati Ghosh and Dr. Pratap Bhanu Mehta.
The Commission will advise the Prime Minister on matters relating to institutions of knowledge production, knowledge use and knowledge dissemination. The mandate of the Commission is to sharpen India's "knowledge edge".
The Commission will advise the Prime Minister on how India can promote excellence in the education system to meet the knowledge challenges of the 21st Century; promote knowledge creation in S&T laboratories; improve the management of institutions generating Intellectual Property; improve protection of IPRs and promote knowledge applications in agriculture and industry. It will suggest ways in which the Government's knowledge capabilities can be made more effective, making the Government more transparent and accountable as a service provider to the citizen. It will also explore ways in which knowledge can be made more widely accessible in the country for maximum public benefit.
The National Knowledge Commission will be assisted by a Technical Support Group to be staffed by young recruits, hired on contract from premier educational institutions in the country. The Planning Commission will provide logistic support to the National Knowledge Commission. The National Knowledge Commission is expected to interact with different Ministries that handle knowledge areas and encourage Ministries to generate their own plans for upgrading institutional capacity.
The Commission will be guided in its work by a National Steering Group chaired by the Prime Minister and including the Ministers of Human Resource Development, Agriculture, Commerce and Industry, Communication and Information Technology, Dy. Chairman, Planning Commission and Minister of State, Science and Technology. The Commission will identify its action programme by 2nd October, 2005 and complete its work by 2nd October, 2008.
http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?reli...edge+commission
Comment:
<!--QuoteBegin--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->
http://www.knowledgecommission.org/
When I browse through this website parading focus areas: Access to Knowledge; Knowledge concepts; Knowledge creation; Knowledge application; Knowledge services; I get the impression of egg-heads trying to mould the samajam according to their own whims and fancies attempting to create a knowledge society.
It is not dissimilar to my early forays into systems flow-charting identifying inputs and outputs little realizing the importance of the impact of the outputs.
It is a cliché to say that netas are useless, that organizations do not focus on intellect and make a stereotyped statement that political entities in particular indulge only activism with disdain for things 'intellectual'.
I have a problem with this term, 'intellectual'.
Who is an intellectual? Is he the person who talks about knowledge as the focus for achieving global destiny?
What is knowledge? Is there a distinction to be drawn between knowledge and wisdom?
Weren't my 'illiterate' great=grandmother and great-grandfather who talked about dharma wise? Were they disdainful of knowledge? Or, try to wear 'knowledge' on their sleeves as some some neo-rich IT czars seem to do? Aha, these czars have a solution for everything, including achieving a developed Bharatam by expanding the IT.
I have followed everyone of the superb presentations made by HE the President Bharat Ratna Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. Every knowledge-peddler would do well to read these presentations and absorb the wisdom contained in them. They are available at http://presidentofindia.nic.in/scripts/s...ctures.jsp All that the National Knowledge Commission has to do is to categorise this nidhi of thought and come up with specific policy guidelines to the Substitute PM and request the latter to come up with a time-line for implementation.
What indeed is intellect?
Our pitr-s, rishis have wrestled with this question. Many savants came up with a consensus statement which is generally mentioned as a justification for any of their writings. The key phrase which is used for justifying the writing is: loka hitam. I am doing this for lika hitam. I hope this contributes to loka hitam. If it does not contribute to loka hitam, it is vyartham.
The key determinant of intellect is its impact. Does it contribute to loka hitam? In fact, the same touchstone is applied even to dharma. What is dharma? That which leads to abhyudaya and nihs'reyas. Abhyudaya is general welfare; nihs'reyas is achieving the union of an atman with the paramatman.
Does National Knowledge Commission and its deliberations contribute to loka hitam? At least the resigning members of the Commission do not seem to think so; else, they would not have quit the Commission announced only last June 2005 with fanfare by the substitute PM, Hon'ble Manmohan Singh.
I have posed a few questions and answered little. Maybe, the terminology is the problem, terminology such as knowledge which is alien to the bharatiya cultural idiom. Maybe, we have to fathom the meaning of the term jnana in Hindu thought. To my knowledge, Hindu thought is the only forum which has attempted to unravel the manas, buddhi, chitta as a unique framework to understand sat and experience ananda. Who knows?
We seem to assume too much competence in ourselves little realizing that we have miles to go to achieve yoga. Jaati des'a kaala samaya navicchinnah saarvabhaumah tad mahaavratam. I really do not know.
Maybe, this is the same tension which is going through the thoughts of the agitated professional students in institutions of 'higher' learning. Maybe, they have started questioning if too much power has been given to the politicians. If so, it is time to rethink the form of government we chose in 1951 by adopting the Consitution of India, that is Bharat. Maybe, the Constitution is the problem and hence, should be the Knowledge focus area. After all, a Constitution should be a means to achieve abhyudaya.
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Monday May 22 2006 17:48 IST
IANS
NEW DELHI: Two members of the National Knowledge Commission on Monday resigned over the ongoing reservation controversy, stating that quotas in elite institutions violate the cardinal principles of a knowledge-based society.
Pratap Bhanu Mehta, member-convenor of the commission and president of the Centre for Policy Research, had earlier voiced his reservation against the central government's decision to implement a quota policy for other backward classes (OBCs) in institutions of higher learning.
Mehta said the government's measures were not based on an assessment of effectiveness and the proposal is incompatible with the freedom and diversity of institutions.
In his reckoning, such a move would thoroughly politicise the education process, injecting an "insidious poison" that will harm the nation's long-term interests. The measures, he said, will not achieve social justice.
Renowned sociologist Andre Beteille said in his resignation letter that the quota proposal was a cynical misrepresentation of the recent provisions of the constitution.
Pointing out that the caste quotas are not required by the constitution, he said any such policy would be unwise.
A majority of members of the commission last week asserted that the government should not extend reservation to OBCs as proposed by the human resources development ministry, and called for maintaining the status quo on the issue till more effective avenues of affirmative action were explored.
Only two members - P M Bhargava and Jayati Ghosh - supported extension of reservation to OBCs, subject to certain conditions, even as six members called for maintaining the status quo.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had constituted the National Knowledge Commission in 2005 with eminent communication expert Sam Pitroda as its chairperson to "sharpen India's knowledge edge" and promote excellence in the education system.
The commission, expected to complete its work by October 2008, was to advise the prime minister on matters of institutions of knowledge production, knowledge use and knowledge dissemination.
Its basic charter was to offer advice on how India can promote excellence to meet the knowledge challenges of the 21st century, promote knowledge creation in science and technology laboratories, improve the management of institutions generating intellectual property, improve protection of IPRs and promote knowledge applications in agriculture and industry.
Also part of its mandate, the commission was to suggest how the government's knowledge capabilities can be made more effective, making the government more transparent and accountable as a service provider to the citizen.
http://tinyurl.com/rgfby
June 2, 2005
The Prime Minister has constituted the National Knowledge Commission. Shri Sam Pitroda will be Chairperson and Dr P.M. Bhargava will be Vice-Chairperson. The Members of the Commission will be Shri Nandan Nilekani, Dr. Deepak Nayyar, Shri Ashok Ganguly, Dr. Andre Beteille, Dr. Jayati Ghosh and Dr. Pratap Bhanu Mehta.
The Commission will advise the Prime Minister on matters relating to institutions of knowledge production, knowledge use and knowledge dissemination. The mandate of the Commission is to sharpen India's "knowledge edge".
The Commission will advise the Prime Minister on how India can promote excellence in the education system to meet the knowledge challenges of the 21st Century; promote knowledge creation in S&T laboratories; improve the management of institutions generating Intellectual Property; improve protection of IPRs and promote knowledge applications in agriculture and industry. It will suggest ways in which the Government's knowledge capabilities can be made more effective, making the Government more transparent and accountable as a service provider to the citizen. It will also explore ways in which knowledge can be made more widely accessible in the country for maximum public benefit.
The National Knowledge Commission will be assisted by a Technical Support Group to be staffed by young recruits, hired on contract from premier educational institutions in the country. The Planning Commission will provide logistic support to the National Knowledge Commission. The National Knowledge Commission is expected to interact with different Ministries that handle knowledge areas and encourage Ministries to generate their own plans for upgrading institutional capacity.
The Commission will be guided in its work by a National Steering Group chaired by the Prime Minister and including the Ministers of Human Resource Development, Agriculture, Commerce and Industry, Communication and Information Technology, Dy. Chairman, Planning Commission and Minister of State, Science and Technology. The Commission will identify its action programme by 2nd October, 2005 and complete its work by 2nd October, 2008.
http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?reli...edge+commission
Comment:
<!--QuoteBegin--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->
http://www.knowledgecommission.org/
When I browse through this website parading focus areas: Access to Knowledge; Knowledge concepts; Knowledge creation; Knowledge application; Knowledge services; I get the impression of egg-heads trying to mould the samajam according to their own whims and fancies attempting to create a knowledge society.
It is not dissimilar to my early forays into systems flow-charting identifying inputs and outputs little realizing the importance of the impact of the outputs.
It is a cliché to say that netas are useless, that organizations do not focus on intellect and make a stereotyped statement that political entities in particular indulge only activism with disdain for things 'intellectual'.
I have a problem with this term, 'intellectual'.
Who is an intellectual? Is he the person who talks about knowledge as the focus for achieving global destiny?
What is knowledge? Is there a distinction to be drawn between knowledge and wisdom?
Weren't my 'illiterate' great=grandmother and great-grandfather who talked about dharma wise? Were they disdainful of knowledge? Or, try to wear 'knowledge' on their sleeves as some some neo-rich IT czars seem to do? Aha, these czars have a solution for everything, including achieving a developed Bharatam by expanding the IT.
I have followed everyone of the superb presentations made by HE the President Bharat Ratna Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. Every knowledge-peddler would do well to read these presentations and absorb the wisdom contained in them. They are available at http://presidentofindia.nic.in/scripts/s...ctures.jsp All that the National Knowledge Commission has to do is to categorise this nidhi of thought and come up with specific policy guidelines to the Substitute PM and request the latter to come up with a time-line for implementation.
What indeed is intellect?
Our pitr-s, rishis have wrestled with this question. Many savants came up with a consensus statement which is generally mentioned as a justification for any of their writings. The key phrase which is used for justifying the writing is: loka hitam. I am doing this for lika hitam. I hope this contributes to loka hitam. If it does not contribute to loka hitam, it is vyartham.
The key determinant of intellect is its impact. Does it contribute to loka hitam? In fact, the same touchstone is applied even to dharma. What is dharma? That which leads to abhyudaya and nihs'reyas. Abhyudaya is general welfare; nihs'reyas is achieving the union of an atman with the paramatman.
Does National Knowledge Commission and its deliberations contribute to loka hitam? At least the resigning members of the Commission do not seem to think so; else, they would not have quit the Commission announced only last June 2005 with fanfare by the substitute PM, Hon'ble Manmohan Singh.
I have posed a few questions and answered little. Maybe, the terminology is the problem, terminology such as knowledge which is alien to the bharatiya cultural idiom. Maybe, we have to fathom the meaning of the term jnana in Hindu thought. To my knowledge, Hindu thought is the only forum which has attempted to unravel the manas, buddhi, chitta as a unique framework to understand sat and experience ananda. Who knows?
We seem to assume too much competence in ourselves little realizing that we have miles to go to achieve yoga. Jaati des'a kaala samaya navicchinnah saarvabhaumah tad mahaavratam. I really do not know.
Maybe, this is the same tension which is going through the thoughts of the agitated professional students in institutions of 'higher' learning. Maybe, they have started questioning if too much power has been given to the politicians. If so, it is time to rethink the form of government we chose in 1951 by adopting the Consitution of India, that is Bharat. Maybe, the Constitution is the problem and hence, should be the Knowledge focus area. After all, a Constitution should be a means to achieve abhyudaya.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->