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 India has a long tradition of learning and education. The
country presents an image of impressive scientific and
technical progress, while showing massive illiteracy and a
weak educational system.
When India became independent, only 14% could read and
write. After the liberation, a debate arose between those
who wanted to preserve the British-Indian education system
from the colonial era, and those who wanted Mahatma Gandhi's
alternative system (nai taleem). Gandhi's system,
which emphasizes that theory and practice should develop
throughout the child, was given priority.
The Constitution states that the states are responsible
for ensuring that all children between the ages of 6 and 14
have an 8-year free and compulsory schooling. Equal
educational opportunities should be provided for all, the
school should be free and give special protection to those
belonging to linguistic or religious minorities. In 1999,
almost 100% of children started primary school, while less
than 50% continue in high school. See TOPSCHOOLSINTHEUSA for TOEFL, ACT, SAT testing locations and high school codes in India.
The school varies enormously, from well-equipped
public schools based on British designs, schools run by
Gandhi's educational ideas, to schools without educated
teachers and textbooks. The idea of combining theory and
practice has been difficult to implement. In 2000, only
about 5% of the students were on vocational lines. Curricula
for primary and secondary schools are the responsibility of
the state, while the central government is responsible for
higher education. India has 216 universities and over 8000
colleges. The oldest universities are located in Kolkata,
Mumbai, Chennai and Allahabad. 6% of young people take
higher education.
According to UNESCO estimates, well over 42% of the
population over the age of 15 was illiterate in 2000. But
there are major geographical and gender differences. In
Kerala, only 6% are illiterate. In the four states of the
so-called Hindi belt, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh
and Rajasthan, almost 50% of the country's illiterates live.
Women account for 2/3 of illiterate.
English colonialism
Babur's descendants consolidated Islam - especially in
present-day Pakistan and Bangla Desh respectively. northwest
and northeast. There was a boom in culture and art. Among
other things. the Taj Mahal was built around 1650. But at
the same time the Europeans began to emerge. In 1687, the
British East India Company was established in Bombay. In
1696 Fort William was built in Calcutta, and from this, wars
were fought through parts of the 18th century against the
French, who also tried to settle. They were only finally
beaten in 1784. From 1798, the Company's troops, led by a
brother of the Duke of Wellington, began to systematically
conquer Indian territory. Around 1820, Britain hadin this
way, almost all of India, except Punjab, Kashmir and
Peshawar, ruled by one of their allies, the Sikh Ranjit
Singh, ruled. In 1849 Singh died and the British annexed
these areas as well. The "faithful allies" retained a
nominal autonomy that allowed them to retain their courts,
palaces and privileges.
Meanwhile, the Indian economy was uprooted. Based on
craftsmanship, very high quality textiles were exported, but
this hindered the development of the English textile
industry. It was outperformed by poor industrially
manufactured English textiles. It hit the villages hard,
where most of this production was located. At the same time,
they were affected by the conversion of agricultural
production to export crops. The immediate consequence of
English colonialism was therefore a reduction in income and
greater unemployment. The colony administration reshaped the
economic structure to good standing. For example. became all
military spending - including the military campaigns against
Afghanistan, Myanmar (Burma) andMalaysia - paid out of the
Indian Treasury. In fact, 70% of the budget consisted of
"defense spending". All UK spending was posted as
expenditure on the Indian Empire, no matter how little they
had to do with India.
The parole of the colonial power was: "Share and rule".
Rental troops from one region were sent to another, to force
it. It was e.g. the case of the Nepalese Gurkhas
and Sikhs from Punjab. The religious differences
were also exploited to the extreme. For example. at the
beginning of the 20th century, an electoral reform was
implemented, according to which Muslims, Hindus and
Buddhists could vote only on candidates of their own
religion. During the colonial era, this manipulation led to
a myriad of social explosions, both at local and national
levels. Some with low participation and others very
extensive.
The main revolt was the cipayo - Indian soldiers
in British service - the uprising in 1857-58. It started as
protests in the barracks, brought in several demands and
became a nationwide protest movement. The Hindus and Muslims
joined forces, reaching as far as the proposal for the
restoration of the Great Mogul empire. The protest movement
stated that the British East India Company was unable to
administer all of India. The consequence was that the
British crown, after violently fighting the uprising, took
over the administration of India.
The educational system was based on the English model and
was to prepare the "natives" to step into the administration
of the colony. But at the same time, it created an
intellectual elite familiar with European culture and
thought. In 1876, the first public service union was formed
in India under the leadership of Surendranath Banerdji. The
English had not imagined that this new association should
take its inspiration from Giuseppe Mazzini and make him the
patron saint. It was this intelligentsia who in
1885 created the Indian National Congress - the later
Congress Party. Liberal Britons also took part in Congress,
and for many years it confined itself to proposing
superficial changes in the British administration.
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