Deceitful claim
Every one hasn't said yes to OBC quotaTHE disingenuousness of Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh and his factotums, it would seem from their latest disinformation campaign, is limitless. On Thursday ministry officials told media persons that private aided deemed universities have voluntarily agreed to implement Singh’s plan to set aside 27% seats OBC candidates.Sections of the media dutifully put out what is now established as nothing but wilful disinformation to shore up the minister’s faltering case.
To begin with, representatives of only a few deemed universities were called for a meeting where they are believed to have accepted Singh’s proposal, of course, with certain conditions. By no means can these deemed universities be taken as a representative body of the 60 such private, unaided institutions across the country.
The exercise is reprehensible as the Centre is yet to legislate on this matter. In recent weeks, the Supreme Court has made certain observations about caste quotas that have caused discomfort to the government.
Was Thursday’s meeting a move to influence the Supreme court? In any event, the claimed “agreement” does not tell the full story, either. For instance, the representatives of the deemed universities who we present at the meeting have made it clear that they will require both time and resources to implement the OBC quota. In a sense, the obnoxious attempt to coerce private deemed universities and institutions of higher education to fall into line with the minister’s thinking reflects poorly on the prime minister’s ability to keep his colleagues, especially those from the Congress, on a tight leash. The prime minister would do his party and the nation a great favour if he were to summon the courage to tell Arjun Singh to lay off from causing further damage to education and educational institutions.
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BITS Pilani and Tagore Gitanjali
The country "where the mind is without fear" is the only country in which true scholarship can engage with the great issues of society. Are we losing that country?
Its time for every Indian to read Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore's Nobel prize winning poem and appreciate the stand taken by Ekla Chalo Re BITS Pilani, in the context of reservation fire raging the length and breadth of the nation.
'Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high"
While various deemed universities said that they would wait, watch and ultimately toe the government line, BITS Pilani's bold stand that it would not implement quotas and reservations in admissions shook the conscience of the nation. For BITS Pilani, courage is what it takes to stand up and speak. Its for nothing Andrew Jackson said "One man with courage makes a majority".
"Where knowledge is free"
BITS Pilani is a privately funded institution playing an eminent role in the nation building task at par with the IITs and the government of India as well as all its agencies must ensure that autonomy for admissions, fees charged, curriculum design, faculty recruitment etc are not encroached and eroded.
"Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls"
BITS Pilani has ensured the creation of a classless, casteless society and thousands of BITS alumni take pride in identifying themselves as Indians and not belonging to any caste, religion or language.
"Where the words come out from the depth of truth"
BITS Pilani had no hesitation in stating that students who take admissions through a criterion other than merit would find it difficult to pursue higher education and as such would be a drain on the system.
"Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection"
BITS Pilani believes that any departure from merit will only end up deemed or otherwise universities becoming doomed universities.
"Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit"
To ensure homogeneous input in higher education, BITS Pilani has emphatically stated that merit and nothing but merit should be the only criterion for admission.
'Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action"
BITS Pilani has said what millions of Indians wanted to say by saying that the Government and Society at large must focus on Primary education and schooling system by giving special attention, care, concern, scholarship and coaching so that candidates of weaker sections can compete with other students and become worthy citizens of the nation.
"Into that heaven of freedom my Father, let my country awake"
Will our country awake, will our country awake, will our country awake ............
Everyone may be singing the song below thinking that Future is indeed shocking
Wisdomless Politicians
Meritless Admissions
Meaningless Curriculums
Substance less Examinations
Faculty less Departments
Student less Colleges
Principal less colleges
VC less Universities
Knowledgeless Society
Developmentless Nation
Into that hell of gloomdom
My Father, let my country go to Sleep
let my country go to Sleep.....
but BITS Pilani believes just not in forseeing future but in enabling it. Future indeed belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams and BITS Pilani converts each of its dream to a goal by adding a deadline.
While a group of deemed universities including some prestigious ones on Thursday Oct 26, 2006 backed HRD Minister Arjun Singh's move for reservation in unaided institutes, BITS, Pilani, strongly opposed it. BITS, Pilani was invited but could not attend the meeting. In fact the institute has already submitted a note to the ministry expressing its views on reservation of seats in admissions for the weaker sections.
For BITS, Pilani merit which is so vital to ensure homogenous input into the higher education system must be the only criteria for admissions and that can not be compromised.
BITS Pilani has always been a Leader who Knows the Way, Goes the Way, and Shows the Way.