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The Broken Blackboards of India: Why Our Education System is Failing the Future

The Constitution of India directs the State and the Government of India to provide equal opportunities for education to its citizens. This serves as a guidebook for the authorities. However, does it truly matter to the State, the Government, and its citizens? When the British left India, the country's literacy rate was a mere 10%. From an entirely agrarian society, we gradually built and strengthened our educational infrastructure, creating educational hubs in almost every field of study. Yet, contemporary India faces massive challenges. Challenges in Contemporary India Inefficient Education Policies Inefficient Infrastructure Improper Auditing and Lack of Transparency Low Coordination within Departments and the Bureaucracy Lack of Research and Innovation Opportunities Irresponsible Government and Citizens 1. Inefficient Education Policies The contemporary world is data-driven and technology-led. The Government of India introduced the National Education Policy (NEP), yet today, aro...

Stubble Burning: A Ground Reality Check

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I was crossing Haryana when my eyes caught the paddy crops—it was harvest time for some farmers. For others, it would take another 5 to 6 days before they could harvest. I was in the car with a few relatives from Haryana, and curiosity got the better of me. I turned to them and asked, "What do you guys do with the remaining rice straw, the stubble?" One of them replied casually, "We use it as fodder for our cattle, and whatever is left, we simply burn it." "Okay," I said, pausing for a moment. Then I asked, "Why don't you cut the straw into little pieces with a thresher and let it decompose? You'd likely get better soil fertility for the next crop." He shook his head. "We can't do that because it takes 1 to 3 months for the stubble to decompose. We can't wait that long for the next crop. We have to sow wheat seeds by the end of October, otherwise the yield will be delayed or even ruined. So burning the leftover stubble is ...