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Hold out an olive branch

• Home Minister recently claimed that the challenge of Naxalism in the country is on its “last legs”

• 122 Maoists have been killed across the country in the first six months of 2018

• Naxalism has shrunk to 90 districts only (from 223)

• National Policy and Action Plan is showing impact – emphasis on security and development construction of roads, mobile towers, setting up of banks, post offices, Kendriya Vidyalayas poverty reduction

• It would be naïve to think that we are about to see the end of Naxalism/Maoism in the country – twice before the govt. has been lulled into believing the same

• Naxalism – Resurgent since 2004

• Then PM Manmohan Singh said on September 15, 2009, while addressing the police chiefs of the country, that “left-wing extremism is, perhaps, the greatest threat our country faces.” However basic problems which gave rise to the Naxal problem continue to haunt us.

• Corruption is at the root of several factors which cause popular dissatisfaction.

• Agrarian unrest • Economic inequality – ‘British Raj to Billionaire Raj’ Planning Commission in 2008 – ‘the development paradigm pursued since Independence has aggravated the prevailing discontent among marginalised sections of society because the benefits of this paradigm have been disproportionately cornered by the dominant section at the expense of the poor, who have borne most of the costs.’ Government today holds the upper hand and has 2 options –

1. Crush the Maoist movement – The possibility is that the movement would resurrect again, maybe in a new avatar, which could be even more lethal and devastating.

2. Olive branch to the Maoists leaders – carry out sincere measures to redress grievances, particularly those relating to tribals. Offer of peace from a position of strength is always credible and has greater chance of success

Governor’s touch

▪ 2016 – Burhan Wani

▪ Rapidly increase in recruitments & also increasingly, the killing of militants in “encounters”

▪ Malik is the first career politician in nearly three decades to be appointed Governor of J&K

▪ Malik has worked with all kind of leaders

▪ He will hopefully bring to the table a flexibility that can help break the frozen silences and expand the spaces for engagement in the state.

▪ He must help lay the ground for the resumption of the political process in the state

The path to excellence

▪ 2016 budget – “enabling regulatory architecture will be provided to 10 public and 10 private institutions to emerge as world-class institutions”

▪ 2017 – UGC approved the guidelines for creating 20 world-class institutions that were renamed “institutes of eminence” (IoE).

▪ Out of 900 universities, only six have the potential to become worldclass universities?!!

▪ It is dangerous for the Indian higher education system

▪ The attention should have been on empowering existing brown-field universities, rather than Green field universities.

A paralysis in India’s higher education system :

• No world-class universities that are globally ranked • Only 3 Indian universities in the top 250 in the QS World University Rankings 2018.

• No Indian university features in the top 250 in the Times Higher Education World Rankings 2018.

• The Committee should have taken cognisance of the robust methodology that is used to rank institutions.

• The key characteristics for world class universities is internationalisation of faculty, research, students, courses and outlook. • Focus on science completely neglected humanities and Commerce