Just a thought came up to my mind and was transformed into an article. This all started as I went to college yesterday and saw my college’s University main gates were closed. The reason was very much clear as it was shown in the form of a banner on the locked gates. That was the time a thought came and now it’s an article.

The main highlights I would be talking about would be the reason behind the Privatization, Commercialization and of course How Education became an ‘Industry’?

John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) Thirty-fifth President of the USA stated:

“Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and dream which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefit for everyone and greater strength for our nation.”

What is Education? Definition taught to us is, “it is the process of developing and training the powers and capabilities of human beings”. However, in today’s world it is not merely the instruction received at school, or college but the whole course of training the morals, intellectual and physical. Today it also differentiates with proper attention to the moral and religious sentiments of a student.

Education used to be a service to society in the good old times. Gradually it became an occupation, it became a business. Today, Education has become a means of livelihood for some Professionals and a mission in life for some Altruists. But here the Question arises.

Why there was a need for Commercialization and Privatization of Education?

Why isn’t Government capable of taking care of Education?

And many more Questions which could help to carry out a debate. The answer to them is that Government has been providing free and compulsory primary education as its primary duties according to the Constitution, and to do justice to this, Government has frequently increased the amount invested in primary education. This has had an adverse impact on Investment in Higher Education. Government has been concentrating more on primary education than on higher education. Universities have always tried to persuade Government to release more funds but Government has its terms declared that funding for Higher Education must also come from other sources.

Government cannot take up the responsibility to provide Higher Education all by itself and a part of the responsibility has to be delegated to the Private Sector, subject to which it gave birth to Commercialization. Privatization of Higher Education would reduce the amount spent on Higher Education by the Government.

A few points to know how Education is being commercialised:

1. Number of Foreign Schools and Colleges entering India. 2. Increase in number of private Schools and Colleges. 3. Increasing Donations and Admission fees. 4. Brands like Horlicks, Bournvita which have high focus on school activities. 5. Advertising space being sold even on notebooks, stationery etc 6. CCD, Barista and many other coffee shops been set up in many institutional canteens.

I would like to take an Example here of a movie named Paathshala. This movie has tried to focus on today’s Education System in our society. Concept of the movie begins with “Teaching is a noble profession.” The movie tries to find out the reality of the concept on today’s context.

Though Privatization and Commercialization have some positive aspects but they were unable to balance them with the drawbacks which have been faced.

According to TOI, A city unit of a Youth Political Party have joined a Nation-wide protest on Thursday urging Education Ministers of all States and the HRD Minister at the Centre, to take steps to stop ‘Commercialization of Education’.

Many politicians believe that with the entry of the Private Sector in the field of education, the quality of education is bound to get better. Mr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, while addressing a gathering at an Education Summit organised by FICCI, has pointed out the need to increase the public expenditure on higher education.

But as of now Education has became an ‘Industry’. Whether the right to receive Education is a Fundamental Right or not has been debated and will be. But it is settled that establishing and administering of an Educational Institution for Imparting Knowledge to the students is an Occupation.

So, I ask Udaipurites today:

What according to you is an Education?

Would locking down University gates make a difference?

To what an extent is privatization and commercialization right?