Gandhi’s education policy and NEP 2020

Context:

• Gandhi’s education policy and NEP 2020: Where they meet and where they diverge
• While Gandhi’s Nai Talim advocated learning through doing and manual labour similar to NEP’s vocationalisation, the two differ on end goals

Introduction:

• Ten years before Independence, Mahatma Gandhi put together a set of ideas on education called Nai Talim which was actually a culmination of several decades of thinking and experimenting on education.
• An early experience was Gandhi’s Tolstoy Farm in South Africa where he and his associate Kallenbach educated children including Gandhi’s own who came from at least four different linguistic and religious backgrounds.
• Gandhi’s Nai Talim was put into practice by many Gandhian volunteers.
• Congress governments that had come to power in the 1937 elections tried to implement some of his ideas too.
• After Independence, there was a serious attempt to bring Gandhi’s ideas to reality in education but the march of modernity took its toll and soon enough India had little use for Nai Talim.
• Gandhi, in his own novel ways, sought to address key issues of education in India at that time: equity, access, as well as quality of education and results.
• The National Education Policy 2020 says that predecessor policies were more focused on equity and access whereas it’s now time to address the growing needs of a nation aspiring to be a developed economy.
• But the route it takes has only a few tenuous links to Gandhi’s vision although the Ministry of Education has sought to point out distinct parallels between the two.

Frugal, self-sufficient education:

• As could be expected of Mahatma Gandhi, education was a highly ethical endeavour.
• The ideal product of his Nai Talim was a simple living; high thinking individual who was dedicated to serving others, always stood for harmony and cooperation, was very good with manual work and took to it, and was committed to peace and non-violence.
• He or she was also an expert craftsman. Gandhi’s system of learning was by doing.
• Gandhi, for all his religiosity and mixing of religious themes with the freedom struggle, did not want religious education.
• His focus was the village and promotion of handicrafts.
• At a time when the costs of social services provided by government had to be met largely through liquor revenue, Gandhi, who abhorred liquor consumption, advocated that all primary education institutions should be self-sufficient and pay for themselves.
• He wanted wealthy donors funding medical colleges and big industrialists such as the Tatas paying for engineering colleges.
• Schools had to be self-sufficient too. The expenses were to be minimal. Students themselves were to maintain and run their schools with teachers also serving as active manual workers. Gandhi’s school was frugal.
• And he wanted his schools to earn by creating value through handicrafts that students would learn and do.
• These handicrafts were to be context-driven just as most other aspects of his Nai Talim were. In practice, however, such vocationalization seemed to reinforce hereditary occupations of the caste system.
• Gandhi, however, greatly stressed on the dignity and equality of all forms of manual labour. Work was worship and all students and teachers had to clean the school premises including bathrooms and latrines.
• This was Gandhi’s caste-busting measure.
• For Gandhi, Swaraj meant autonomous, self-sufficient and empowered Indians who were not constrained by state power. The village was to be practically a republic. Self-sufficiency was the acid test for a Nai Talim school.
• Gandhi sought to achieve “literary” goals of education though work and action. He saw English education as producing clerks for government jobs.
• Over the years, however, India has decisively moved away from these notions.

Claims of convergence:

• The Union Ministry of Education has sought to draw parallels between Gandhi’s Nai Talim and the NEP 2020.
• It has pointed out that the NEP advocates education in mother tongue just as Gandhi did.
• In South Africa, Gandhi sought to teach Gujarati children in Gujarati and Tamil children in Tamil.
• Just as in Nai Talim, the NEP wants school students to learn another Indian language that Gandhi preferred to be Hindi.
• NEP advocates the learning of several languages, more than just two or even three.
• The NEP has stressed on how to learn rather than just creating the content for learning.
• Content is available freely in today’s world and what is important is how is the content to be learned.
• Just as Gandhi would have liked, the NEP seeks to de-emphasize institutions and promote cross-disciplinary and cross-institutional learning as well as non-classroom methods such as online courses.
• For Gandhi, classrooms were tyrannical.
• Another thrust of the NEP has been towards vocationalization of education.
• Gandhi inverted the equation and advocated education based on doing.
• But the current orientation is towards producing a skilled and productive workforce, not necessarily one that is highly literary through and through.
• But where the NEP and Gandhi markedly differ is the overall goal of education.
• There is no mention of peace or non-violence in the NEP.
• While the document talks of regard for diversity, inclusiveness and respect for traditions and traditional knowledge, it is silent on a higher ethical focus for India as a nation and how education will serve that.
• The intent of the NEP is not to imbibe selflessness, tolerance and love for fellow human beings in Indian students.
• The goal is to produce a skilled, knowledgeable and empowered worker.

International Day of Non-Violence 2024

Introduction:

• The International Day of Non-Violence, celebrated annually on October 2, marks the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, a global beacon of peace and non-violence.
• This day, proclaimed by the United Nations in 2007, serves as a reminder of the power of non-violence in shaping societies.

Gandhi’s Legacy of Non-Violence:

• Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of Satyagraha and non-violent resistance remains one of the most potent forces for change in modern history.
• His peaceful protests against British rule, particularly the Dandi March in 1930, exemplified his belief in the power of non-violence to confront oppression.
• For Mahatma Gandhi, non-violence was not merely a political tool but a way of life, grounded in the belief that peace could only be achieved through peaceful means.
• Mahatma Gandhi famously said, “Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction.”
• This belief continues to inspire movements around the world, from Martin Luther King Jr.’s fight for civil rights in the United States to Nelson Mandela’s struggle against apartheid in South Africa.
• His ideas influenced countless leaders and movements, underscoring the universal appeal of non-violence as a powerful instrument of resistance and reform.

Mahatma Gandhi’s Relevance in Today’s World:

• In an era marked by political, social, and environmental challenges, Mahatma Gandhi’s principles of non-violence resonate deeply.
• Terrorism, conflict, climate change, and growing inequality emphasize the urgent need for peaceful solutions.
• Gandhi’s belief in the intrinsic goodness of humanity offers a roadmap for healing divisions and addressing modern crises, including pandemics and poverty.
• His philosophy reminds us that peace is not just a distant ideal but an achievable goal! His teachings offer a timeless message of hope and reconciliation.
• Mahatma Gandhi’s wisdom extended beyond political resistance to touch on issues of sustainability.
• His famous quote, “There is enough for everyone’s need, but not for everyone’s greed,” underscores the link between non-violence and responsible resource use.
• In today’s context, his values of simplicity, conservation, and self-reliance are reflected in India’s initiatives like the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Campaign), which promotes cleanliness and environmental sustainability.

Global Commemoration of Non-Violence: Honoring Gandhi’s Legacy:

• The International Day of Non-Violence serves as a global reminder of Mahatma Gandhi’s enduring philosophy of peace and non-violence.
• Observed on his birth anniversary, this day pays tribute to the principles of non-violent resistance that he championed throughout his life.

Celebrating Gandhi’s Legacy:

• Mahatma Gandhi’s teachings continue to profoundly influence India’s social and political framework.
• Various government departments and institutions actively uphold and promote his ideals, ensuring that Gandhi’s vision for a cleaner, self-reliant, and peaceful society is integrated into modern governance and public life.
• Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission), launched in 2014, stands as one of the most significant initiatives reflecting Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of cleanliness as essential to nation-building.
• The campaign, aiming to create a cleaner and healthier India, resonates with Gandhi’s belief that “cleanliness is next to godliness.”
• It motivates citizens to take collective responsibility for maintaining their surroundings, fostering both individual and community involvement.
• The Swachhata Hi Seva (SHS) 2024 campaign, with its theme of ‘Swabhaav Swachhata, Sanskaar Swachhata’, was held from 17th September to 1st October.
• The campaign culminated with Gandhi Jayanti on 2nd October, marking the 10th anniversary of the Swachh Bharat Mission.
• The SHS campaign focused on promoting behavioral change and community participation to maintain cleanliness and sanitation across India.

Khadi: A Symbol of Self-Reliance and Sustainability

• Mahatma Gandhi’s advocacy for self-reliance and sustainability continues to resonate through the promotion of Khadi, the hand-spun fabric that symbolizes simplicity and economic independence.

Conclusion:

• The International Day of Non-Violence is a powerful reminder of the enduring relevance of Mahatma Gandhi’s teachings.
• By embracing non-violence, not only as a strategy but as a way of life, we can build a more harmonious and sustainable world for future generations.
• Through education, awareness, and the promotion of non-violent solutions to global challenges, we honor the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and his profound contributions to humanity.
• His timeless message-that peace is achievable through non-violent action-continues to inspire millions around the world.

Solar eclipse

Context:

• Solar eclipse to create rare ‘ring of fire’ over South America
• The Moon will be further from the Earth than usual, so those in parts of Chile and Argentina will be able to witness a kind of ring of light coming from the Sun

News:

• An annual solar eclipse will create a rare “ring of fire” phenomenon visible in parts of South America on Wednesday, October 2, 2024.

More info:

• A “ring of fire” occurs when the Moon lines up between the Sun and the Earth to create a solar eclipse but does not block out the Sun’s light entirely.
• This year, the Moon will be further from the Earth than usual, so those in parts of Chile and Argentina will be able to witness “a kind of ring of light coming from the Sun.
• A “crescent sun” will be visible before and after the ring, as the Moon passes in front of the Sun.
• The solar eclipse’s path will begin in the North Pacific, pass over the Andes and Patagonia regions of Latin America, and finish in the Atlantic.
• “The eclipse will last more than three hours, from 1700 to around 2030 GMT,” according to NASA.
• “But the “ring of fire” phenomenon is expected to last just a few minutes, occurring around 1845 GMT,” according to the IMCCE institute of France’s Paris Observatory.
• “A partial eclipse will be visible from Bolivia, Peru, Paraguay, Uruguay, parts of Brazil, Mexico, New Zealand, and several islands in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans,” NASA said.
• Space agencies and institutes have warned against observing an eclipse with the naked eye, saying it can cause irreversible damage to the retina. Ordinary sunglasses offer insufficient protection.
• The only safe methods, according to NASA and the IMCCE, are using certified special eclipse glasses, or watching indirectly through a pinhole in a cardboard sheet projecting the image of the eclipsed Sun onto a second cardboard sheet.
• The next partial solar eclipse will take place on March 29, 2025, visible mainly from western North America, Europe and northwest Africa.

M23 – a rebel group

Context:

• Rebel group in Congo generates $300,000 monthly in seized mining area, UN official says
• In April, the M23 – a rebel group with alleged links to Rwanda – seized the Rubaya mining area in eastern Congo, which holds deposits of a key mineral used in the production of smartphones and computers

News:

• “A rebel group in Congo generates around $300,000 a month in revenue through its control of a mining area in the east of the country,” a United Nations official said.

More on the news:

• “In April, the M23 – a rebel group with alleged links to Rwanda – seized the Rubaya mining area in eastern Congo, which holds deposits of a key mineral used in the production of smartphones and computers.
• Over 15% of the world’s supply of tantalum, a rare metal extracted from coltan, comes from Rubaya.
• Unless international sanctions are imposed on those benefiting from this criminal trade, peace will remain elusive and civilians will continue to suffer.
• Tantalum is among the minerals that were identified earlier this year in a letter from Congo’s government questioning Apple about the tech company’s knowledge of “blood minerals” being smuggled in its supply chain.
• The decades long conflict in eastern Congo has produced one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with more than 120 armed groups fighting for power, land and valuable mineral resources while others try to defend their communities.
• Some armed groups have been accused of mass killings, rapes and other human rights violations.
• The violence has displaced some 6 million people in the country’s east.
• M23, or the March 23 Movement, is a rebel military group mainly made up of ethnic Tutsis that broke away from the Congolese army just over a decade ago.
• They staged a large offensive in 2012 and took over the provincial capital of Goma near the border with Rwanda, the same city they are threatening again.
• Congo alleges that Rwanda has been involved in war crimes in the east, and U.S. and U.N. experts accuse it of giving military backing to M23.
• Rwanda denies the claim, but in February admitted that it has troops and missile systems in eastern Congo to safeguard its security, pointing to a buildup of Congolese forces near the border.
• In July, U.N. experts estimated that between 3,000 and 4,000 Rwandan government forces are deployed in eastern Congo alongside M23, which has been making major advances.
• Last week, a regional court in East Africa opened proceedings in a case filed by Congo against Rwanda, accusing it of violating Congo’s sovereignty and territorial integrity by sending troops to help rebels in the country’s east.