September 2005 Edition

What Ails Khagaria?

Of all the nondescript towns in India, there is perhaps nothing very exceptional about Khagaria - a small town in Eastern Bihar near Bhagalpur. Yet, it is perhaps, emblematic of the divide between a modernizing India, and an India that wants to move forward, but can't.

In recent months, thanks to the unprecedented growth in the airline industry, there has been a dramatic rise in demand for airline pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers, and other support technicians. Salaries in some cases will reach six figures a month. However, no graduate from Khagaria's six colleges will need apply.

India's oil exploration industry is also experiencing shortages in key technical skills. But again, there is no one from Khagaria's recent graduate pool who will fit the bill. Leading international high-tech companies seeking to expand their Indian research and development centres can never seem to find enough of the right candidates. But again, they won't be looking for prospective candidates in Khagaria.

In fact, chances are that even Indian BPOs experiencing a turnover of 50% or higher will not find a useful candidate amongst the vast majority of Khagaria's graduating class.

In many of India's booming metros, there are a wide range of jobs on offer, but a dearth of qualified or willing candidates. In towns like Khagaria in Bihar, there are literally thousands graduating every year, desperate for any job, but Indian industry is unlikely to even glance at them.

The reason?

Not one of Khagaria's six colleges will graduate a single science, engineering, architecture or management candidate. In fact, they won't be graduating any students with commerce or economics degrees either (let alone mathematics, geography, product design or technology communication). Forget psychology or sociology, or any vocational diploma. And unlike neighbouring Bengal, there won't be any options to pursue a career in the arts or music either.

Of Khagaria's six colleges, five offer India's famous 'BA Pass', and one offers an "Acharya Shastri" degree, presumably useful for jyotishis, pandits and pujaris.

Of course, Khagaria is not exactly alone in its plight. Throughout the country, the vast majority of small town colleges specialize in India's uniquely popular BA Pass. And it is not just the Private Colleges that offer this most delectable Indian educational specialty, but in fact, it has been popularized as much by the ubiquitous 'Government College'. Throughout the country, in rural areas, and in thousands of tattered towns, millions of Indian high school graduates enjoy the privilege of getting a 'College Degree' - a matter of pride and joy in so many families.

Yet, for reasons beyond the comprehension of the ill-fated BA Pass, it is a degree that nobody in industry seems to respect. Perhaps, some of those who get this degree will get jobs as bus conductors. The luckier ones might become ticket collectors in the Railways (and enjoy all the sources of "extra" income that might entail). Other lucky ones may get a file-pushers job in a creaking government bureaucracy, and yet others may find their way into one or another political party as parasitic hanger-ons. Some, of course, may not need jobs - perhaps, they just need the BA Pass to get married, and then they will live off their partner's dowry. Others may have a petty family business - perhaps a ration shop or a franchise that they will run for which the BA Pass will do just fine. In the more prosperous towns, the BA Pass may find work as a sales or trade assistant, or as a telemarketer, or a courier. But in Khagaria?

It is not as if Bihar couldn't do with more college graduates. As a state with a poorly developed infrastructure that is prone to annual flooding during the monsoons, it could probably use many more civil engineers, architects, construction engineers and power engineers. But of all the states in the nation, Bihar graduates the fewest engineers (or technical diplomas) per capita. With a population of over 80 million, the entire state has fewer engineering/professional colleges than the single city of Chennai (or Bangalore, or Hyderabad). It also has very few agricultural colleges (or agri-research or agri-extension stations).

Politicians throughout the country campaign for votes after opening new colleges. But of course, few take the trouble of ensuring that any of these colleges offer courses that might ever be useful. And an ignorant public goes along - unaware that in most parts of the globe, there would be little demand for such degrees. In fact, no other developing (or developed) nation produces as many BA Pass graduates as does India.

In other developing countries, when high school graduates fail to make it into the science or engineering streams, they try their luck at management or commerce, failing which they get some sort of professional diploma. But in large parts of India, year after year, more and more colleges churn out the BA Pass without regard for employability or practical utility. No sensible nation would waste as many resources as does India on providing such an utterly useless degree to so many of its young adults. But India stubbornly persists.

Throughout the country, there are Indian universities that have a very sizeable enrolment by international standards. For instance, take North Bengal University (NBU): its affiliated colleges now admit over 70,000 students annually. But of NBU's 76,603 undergraduate entrants for 2004-5, only 4444 were enrolled for science courses. Only 2. 5% were registered for professional courses. The vast majority (58,000+) will graduate with a BA degree - most likely a BA Pass. Less than 1% - (about 700) will go on to get an MSc or MCA. And of course, the university offers no engineering or other technical disciplines.

In contrast, the Union Territory of Chandigarh has 12 colleges that offer a Science program in addition to others that offer a BE, BTech, or BCA (Bachelor of Computer Arts). There are several vocational options as well. In addition, the territory has more than six institutions that offer post-graduate degrees in science, technology or management.

Delhi has over 30 colleges and institutions offering science degrees as well as numerous engineering and vocational colleges. Over 20 colleges and institutions offer post-graduate options in science, engineering or agriculture. Other metros have comparable or greater strengths. But a Khagaria with its five BA Pass colleges and a Shastri college is completely unequipped for modernity.

In fact, it is quite puzzling as to why the Hindi belt continues to support as many 'Shastri' colleges as it does. Jaipur district (an otherwise more advanced district) has 9 Sanskrit Mahavidyalas offering a BA in "Acharya Shastri" . In fact, there are 40 such institutions in Rajasthan, 61 in Bihar and 20 in MP. Ironically, inRajasthan, there are more institutions offering an Acharya Shastri degree than institutions that can offer post-graduate degrees in science (about 23), engineering (about 7) or agriculture (about 10). Likewise in Bihar. Altogether, there are only about 20 odd science, technology and agriculture related post-graduate colleges and institutions in Bihar (the same as in Delhi), but over 60 'Acharya Shastri' institutions.

(Of course, religious colleges are not unique to Rajasthan or Bihar. In educationally advanced Kerala there are 12 Arabic Colleges to produce Ulemas and other religious authorities.)

This is not to say that the country's Sanskrit Mahavidyalayas couldn't be doing useful work. For instance, Sanskrit experts are sorely needed in Archaeology, History, Anthropology, Linguistics, Comparative Literature and Culture Studies. There is a vast treasure trove of unstranslated material in Sanskrit that needs to be studied, interpreted and disseminated into other Indian and international languages. But most of these 'Mahavidyalayas' are not really interested in moving with the times. If the Madrasahs represent one pole of archaic learning, the Sanskrit Mahavidyalayas represent another.

But this isn't the only problem. In the rural areas of the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra there is an inexplicably large number of colleges geared solely towards a degree in Physical Education - not agriculture, or rural development, or rural infrastructure, or marketing, development or preservation of folk arts and crafts, (or other disciplines that could enhance rural life) or enable urban employability. In Central and Eastern Maharasthra, there are also an unusually large number of colleges devoted entirely to training in social work. One would think that if the region produced more graduates trained in rainfed agriculture, developmental planning, or computer-assisted public administration, there might be the need for fewer social workers. Even in a relatively more developed state such as Karnataka, arts and commerce colleges tend to dominate the rural lanscape.

The net result: a remarkable misplacement of academic priorities.

This is not to say that every small town like Khagaria must be like a metro. That is clearly not possible in the forseeable future. But there is no reason why a Khagaria couldn't be more like some other small towns in India where a degree from a local college can at least be a stepping stone for better opportunities elsewhere in the country (even if local prospects were minimal).

For instance, there are small towns in Chhatisgarh such as Ambikapur, Janjgir, Mahasamund, Jagdalpur or Kanker (in Bastar) - all of which have PG colleges (that appear to offer both UG and PG science degrees). In Madhya Pradesh, there are almost 100 PG Colleges (mostly Government-run) offering an MSc program - many of which are located in smaller district towns such Vidisha, Sanchi, Narsinghgarh, Pipariya, Rajgarh, Harda, Hoshangabad, Itarsi, Betul, Sehore, Ganjbasoda, Raisen, Balaghat, Mandla, Sihora, Mhow, Bhind, Datia, Morena, Shivpuri, Guna, Chhindwara, Panna, Chhatarpur, Bina, Damoh, Tikamgarh, Jaora, Ratlam, Neemuch, Shujalpur, Mandsaur, Sidhi, and Shahdol. Of course, closer inspection reveals that not all these PG colleges are truly staffed for a full-fledged MSc program, but at least they are all capable of providing a decent undergraduate program in the basic sciences, and what is pleasantly surprising is how several of them (especially in Bhopal, Gwalior and Jabalpur) are quite good.

In fact, as per college data acquired from Hyderabad-based GISTNIC's educational search engine, "Bimaru" Madhya Pradesh seems to have quite a reasonable list of colleges (225+) that offer UG science degrees. In contrast, the relatively more prosperous and more industrialized state of Gujarat lists only about 65-75 colleges that offer science degrees. Even allowing for some statistical undercounting in Gujarat, and eliminating half of the colleges in Madhya Pradesh on account of inadequate staffing in their science departments, it does appear that in some very fundamental way, Madhya Pradesh is now better placed than Gujarat to meet the modern world.

In fact, a disproportionately high number of Gujarat's colleges are exclusively focussed on commerce, and although that may explain the state's enterpreneurial strengths, it also explains why Gujarat (in spite of its larger industrial base) is no longer the focal point of technological innovation in India.

Ironically, in spite of its Khagarias, Bihar too appears to have a much larger base of UG colleges that can offer science degrees. Although there are too few colleges in Bihar that can offer an engineering or vocational degree, (and too few institutions for higher learning and research), it appears that there are more than 260 colleges that can offer a basic science program. Even if one were to assume (that like Madhya Pradesh) - a considerable number of these colleges are not adequately staffed to fulfil their roles, it would still seem that Bihar too may offer a more broad-based foundation for future scientific and technological upgradation.

In Gaya district alone, where Bihar's Magadh University is located, there are over 50 colleges offering a science elective - many of them located in towns unheard of outside Bihar such as Biharsharif, Aurangabad, Nawada, Kankarbagh, Naubatpur and Bakhtiarpur. If even some of them could begin to offer PG courses (and/or) diplomas in technical fields, Bihar could then emerge as a valuable recruiting ground for the Indian technology sector.

(In contrast, UP does a lot worse. Although UP has several premier research institutions and universities in its major towns, and many more PG Science colleges than Bihar, opportunities for a basic UG science degree are too limited for a state of its size. Excluding the districts close to Delhi, there are too few colleges that can train students in science, engineering or agriculture.)

For Bihar or UP to progress to the next stage of modernity, some crucial attitudinal changes will be necessary. It cannot be emphasized enough that an exceedingly important co-factor in the scientific and technological modernization of any state - is the attitude towards gender roles. For instance, during the colonial period, the gender gap in education was enormous. If families could only afford to educate one child (which was often the case) the eldest male child recieved that privilege. Even if the daughter/s in a family were taught to read and write, college education was invariably a male pursuit. In more enlightened circles (where it was considered as important for girls to be educated as boys), girls were seldom encouraged to study science or engineering. In rare cases, it was possible for girls to study economics, or medicine, or to train for the job of a teacher. In more conservative and more traditional families, even that was considered too radical, and Home Science was the only acceptable college option for girls.

Although there has been a steady shift in attitudes, what is astounding is how such attitudes continue to prevail in so many socially conservative districts of the country. For instance, in most UP districts, and in an unusually large number of districts in Gujarat (especially in Kutch, Saurashtra and Kathiawar) - colleges for girls only provide Home Science electives (or a BA Pass). This is not to suggest that Home Science programs are not useful and relevant. In Haryana and Punjab, Home Science programs have been modernized to include programs in rural development, textile technology, food processing, application of appropriate technologies (to agriculture, horticulture or animal husbandry), energy-saving techniques, and rural environmental management, in addition to child psychology and child development.

However, what is of legitimate concern is if girls aren't given the option of studying other things. And this is where there appears to be a very strong divide between the economically vibrant and relatively progressive districts of the country, and the relatively insular and economically moribund interior districts of the country.

One of the reasons that the South has acquired an edge over the North in recent decades is precisely this difference in gender attitudes. Unlike in the North, there are far fewer taboos or restrictions on educating girls. In fact, even in the smaller towns in the South, having an uneducated girl in the family leads to social disrespect. So much so that not only are girls as likely to graduate from high school as boys, a girl with an engineering degree is now beginning to garner the respect that was given to male engineers in earlier decades. As a result, one is much more likely to find a woman on the faculties of engineering colleges in a small town in Tamil Nadu or Andhra than elsewhere in the country.

Without a growing pool of educated women in the sciences, it would have been impossible for the Southern states to dramatically increase their engineering enrolment, because the growing demands for engineering faculties would have starved the science colleges of staff. In fact, this is precisely the fear expressed by senior educationists in Gujarat. Since women are not equally encouraged to study science and engineering, as more young men in Gujarat shift to engineering and vocational courses, it is becoming impossible to maintain adequate student and staff interest in the already shrinking UG science programs.

This may also be why the Madhya Pradesh government has had such a hard time finding and retaining faculties for their UG and PG science programs. If a majority of girls (in smaller towns and villages) who enter college are only encouraged to get a BA Pass or Home Science degrees, it is virtually impossible to generate enough faculty members that can support the entire range of demands that a modern economy places on the education system.

In fact, in every advanced nation, women make up at least 30% (or more) of their country's science professionals, and at least 20% (or more) of their engineers. Although Biotechnology, Computer Science and Electronics are some fields where traditional taboos are breaking down even in the North, in more gender-equal cities (Pune, Bhopal, or Chennai), there are women in Chemical, Mechanical or Power Engineering departments as well.

But in general, greater gender equity and openness towards modern science is what distinguishes the small towns of Andhra Pradesh or Tamil Nadu from many small towns in other parts of the country. There has been such a significant cultural shift that in every small town, a science and/or engineering and/or vocational college is the norm rather than the exception. And these colleges are educating girls as well as boys. In states like Tamil Nadu, one would be hard pressed to find colleges that only offered a BA Pass, and in Andhra, (in many districts), the college that only offered a BA Pass would be in a minority.

Although the literacy rate in Andhra Pradesh was only a few notches ahead of Bihar ten years ago, it is now joining Tamil Nadu as one of the nation's intellectual power-houses with annual engineering enrolment touching 83,000, and a widespread network of science colleges to complement its engineering colleges. It is therefore not inconceivable that with more able leadership, things could change in Bihar and other 'BIMARU' states as well.

Notes

Throughout the developing world - whether in Peru, Nigeria,  Kenya, Indonesia, or even in rapidly industrializing China - educational opportunities in smaller towns are exceedingly limited. In fact, on paper, India does significantly better than China (or any other developing country) in terms of percentage of students graduating with college degrees. Moreover, India's smaller town universities are actually somewhat better staffed, with more teachers having PhDs or Post Graduate degrees than their counterparts in China. More small towns in India have degree colleges than perhaps any other developing nation. 

However, unlike India, other developing nations do not waste precious academic resources on a dead-end degree such as a BA Pass. A look at what is offered by universities (or colleges)  in other developing countries (such as in China, Latin America or the ASEAN nations) reveals a range of intriguing options: two or three year diplomas in horticulture or fisheries development/maintenance; diplomas in appliance repair,  facility maintenance, commercial inventory management, industrial logistics, computer-aided data entry/retrieval, product-quality testing, technical writing, technical communication, urban landscaping, public sanitation, provisioning of public services, ship/vehicle maintenance/repair, basic properties/availability of construction or engineering materials (for small manufacturers), machinery/equipment operation/maintenance, reading/interpreting technical/service manuals etc.

In some cases, students do need some basic high school science (or maths) education (or the ability to make rational/logical decisions) - but it is not at the level that may be required for a full-fledged science or engineering degree.

Although the polytechnics are indeed filling the gap in some states, this is not so everywhere. In many parts of India, a college degree is viewed as a ticket to upward mobility and social respectability that the Polytechnic diploma doesn't quite provide.The BA Pass - in spite of its very limited utility, creates a strange mindset in its recipient. The BA Pass cannot imagine pumping gas, or driving a garbage truck, or operating a machine. The BA Pass develops an egotistical sensitivity that will not allow him/her to do just any job. The BA Pass now has ambitions of an office job, one where he/she can sit around, and perhaps order others to do the real work. But without any skills in industrial or process management, or service management, the BA Pass often becomes a liability in both industry and government.

This means that the social milieu must also change. Rather than revere paper qualifications that are almost useless in the real world, Indian society needs to give up its partiality towards office work, and learn to respect those who work with their hands or with tools or machines. The plumber and the carpenter are more useful to society than the average BA Pass. Respect should come with skill, training, experience and innovation - regardless of whether that expertise is employed inside an office, or on the factory floor, or in the cities' sewers. India has yet to fully overcome its aversion for "dirty work". No work is "dirty" if it is useful. And "clean" work is not always useful. When we learn to respect useful work, we will also find ways to train our youth in more useful and productive ways.

Dec 2005 Update:

Since this essay was first published on our website, we have come to learn that Khagaria actually does have a college that offers a BSc Pass course. Due to certain anomalies in the GISTNIC search engine, this information was not readily available when this article was first written and published.

However, because the general thrust of the article remains valid, we have decided to retain the original version of the article for the time being.

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Higher Education in India

Poverty and Underdevelopment in the Hindi Belt

India - an IT Superpower?

Human Development and Infrastructure in the Indian Subcontinent

Is India Shining? Where is India headed in terms of Culture and Civilization?

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