I read with interest and sadness your special report, “Science education on slippery path” (EW September). It’s unfortunate that today’s youngsters are not interested in science and there are only 157 people per million pursuing research in India. It’s no wonder that despite giant strides in the information technology and related sectors, India by far still remains underdeveloped. The near-bottom ranking of India’s top science institution “Indian Institute of Science” is a clear indicator that science education in the country is on the rocks. The Union human resource development ministry should take urgent and immediate steps to reverse this trend, even if it means increasing the education cess from 2 to 3 or even 4 percent. I look forward to the day when India will have more than 5,000 researchers per million people. Susheela Kumar Bangalore Also read: Science education on a slippery path Early education information lacuna I am thrilled to see that EducationWorld is addressing many controversial issues that have long been waiting to be brought into the public domain. I hope you will continue to do so. Perhaps you are aware that several studies have shown that the early years are the most crucial to a child’s overall development and subsequent success in life. This is particularly so in a country where 67 percent of the children do not complete class II. Despite this fact, I am disappointed about the general shortage of information specific to pre-primary and primary education in India. There is a grave shortage of information regarding new technology developments, teacher training, learning resources, classroom management, behavioural issues, child psychology, theories of learning etc. I hope you and your team will give this matter due consideration. Katherine Rustumji Gintara Foundation, Bangalore Highly-enriched issue The sustained effort of the EW team across the country to bring education into the homes of parents and teachers is a mission which needs to be supported by all people regardless of class, religion and politics. You deserve special congratulations for your highly-enriched August issue which contained a brilliant analysis of the Union budget 2004-05; an insightful report on the tragic Kumbakonam incident and perceptive columns by Rajiv Desai, Dilip P. Patel, and S. C. Arora. I hope EW will continue its crusade to reduce the increasing disparity in Indian education. Divakaran.V.V. Kannur, Kerala Private sector contribution I read your editorial “CET case for deregulating Indian education” (EW September) with great interest. I agree with your basic proposition that the Karnataka government’s interference in professional institutions- engineering, management, medical etc, by demanding a 75 percent quota for students chosen by government and determining the fee structure is neither prudent nor justifiable, morally or rationally. The net result would be that in future, decent businessmen will refrain from promoting colleges because of unwarranted interference by government. However, unscrupulous businessmen would not be deterred since they can beat the system. If a businessman constructs an apartment complex or a hospital, the government does not insist that 75 percent of them be given to those chosen by the government, at government-fixed prices. In the…
