As the country’s déclassé politicians play elaborate games of thrones in New Delhi and state capitals, a major physical and governance infrastructure collapse is manifesting countrywide. Roads and highways are riddled with potholes, bridges are collapsing, rail accidents are multiplying, and the law, order and justice systems are going from bad to worse. And few if any, of the country’s 10 million school teachers and estimated 2 million dons of 52,081 undergrad colleges and 1,338 universities seem to be aware of the connection between 21st century India’s collapsing physical and governance framework and the poor quality of education being dispensed in the country’s 1.40 million schools and HEIs (higher education institutions).

Hard infrastructure aside, even the fabric of governance is in meltdown. On July 24, the Bombay high court quashed the conviction of 12 citizens found guilty of synchronizing the bombing of the city’s suburban trains which killed 187 and injured 824 commuters in 2006. The court held that the police had severely tortured the accused to extract confessions. The court’s stern criticism of the police for “creating a false appearance of having solved the case” has exposed an open secret of police modus operandi countrywide: they routinely resort to third degree after rounding up innocents and torturing them to extort confessions. 

The root cause of this sorry national condition — pathetically neglected education system — is seldom identified. From pre-primary to Ph D, education institutions are lumbered with obsolete syllabuses and curriculums, rote learning pedagogies, automatic promotion and reckless certification. Graduates who worm their way into government jobs are not sufficiently qualified to build and maintain public infrastructure or govern efficiently. Hence the blood-dimmed tide of anarchy all around. It’s the education system, stupid!