Er. Prabhat Kishore
Dr. Rajendra Prasad was the first President of the Republic India and served the country in that capacity for the longest period i.e. from 26th January 1950 to 13th May 1962. He was a freedom fighter, three times party President of Congress, first food & agriculture minister in Interim Cabinet, Chairman of the Constituent Assembly and disciple of Gandhi & Patel; but the most noteworthy is that he was a great scholar too. His message to teachers and students paves the way for success as well as nation building.
Rajendra Babu believed that some kind of training and discipline should be introduced in the educational curriculum of our schools & colleges to enable the young people to be ready to meet any emergency situation prevailed in the country. It will give the youth a sense of discipline and enable them to work in comradeship with others. These are qualities that are essential not only for soldiers but also among people if they wish to progress in their civil life as well.
He stressed that the educational institutions have to equip their pupils with health of body, mind and spirit so that they may be able to cope with all kinds of difficulties in life. General and specified knowledge of different subjects to obtain a university degree is not enough. No system can be said to be successful unless it is able to help in the growth of a full man. The pupil has to contribute a lot from his side. The teacher can only sow the seed, but there must be the capacity in the person to whom the seed is sown to make it sprout, grow, blossom & fructify. Teacher is only a gardener; he can sow the good seeds and evil habits by his own sloth, ignorance or bad habits.
Rajendra Babu recalled that in ancient times, the teachers were not man of wealth, but they were highly respected. They were man of learning & character, before whom the rich & the poor, the prince & the peasant, sat with folded hands and received knowledge of not only reading, writing and studying books, but also in building up good character and a disciplined life. This contact between the teacher &the student has now growing thinner & thinner every day resulting in lack of discipline amongst students.There is neither atmosphere nor opportunity for teacher &student for acting & reacting on each other for good, which ultimately has led to domination of evils. Such students, who have received indifferent training, when becomes teachers then the system collapses. So, the close contact in some form or the other between teacher & student is absolutely necessary for improving the standard of education for preparing the type of person the society require.
Rajendra Babu lamented that the mushroom growth of institutions without necessary equipment does more harm than good. No institution can serve its purpose without sufficient preparations and equipment. The country is in a hurry to carry advantages of education to largest number of people and in fact our aim is to make everyone at least literate in the shortest possible time. There has not been corresponding depth and that quality has suffered on account of exclusive attention towards quantity resulting in lowering of standard at secondary & university level. In course of time this deterioration in the standard of education will affect the standard in all aspects of our life and ultimately the country will be a loser in long run.There should be certain diversification at the early stage so that those who are considered fit for higher qualifications, whether in general or technical, are selected out and rest are allowed to take to the lines for which they are fitted instead of crowding the higher educational institutions from which they cannot derive the benefits that is intended, and thus only serve to lower the standards for all.
Rajendra Babu remarked that in colonial days, foreigners were interested only in turning out men & women for the work of running their administration, especially in the lower grades, and character building had no place there. In the absence of moral education in educational institutions, there has been a decline in moral values in the society. All religions have been given equal status in country. But that does not exclude the inclusion of those fundamental principles on which rest right & wrong and which are acceptable to all. Young men & women who have received degree from universities should conduct themselves as models, by spreading good ideas & laying down better standards by their conduct, for those who have been less fortunate. Difficulties will come in life and the scholars should face them with determination and character to meet them squarely & boldly. Succumbing to one temptation would invite a hundred more temptations to come in the way and the task would become more difficult. But if one refuses to succumb to temptations, the success will not elude all the time.
Rajendra Babu urged the student that they should remember that they have to fulfill the expectations of not only their here & dear, but also the society & country. Honesty & efficiently both equally are necessary to make the country progress. Students after completing their education close one chapter in their life and open a new one. Scholars should make the new chapter as bright as they can, and in spite of all difficulties, a determined will can succeed.
Rajendra Babu was a boon to the soil of India. Throughout his life, he follows the path of truth, non-violence, patriotism and human values. He will remain a symbol of nation building not only for students and teachers, but for all sections of the society.His ideas and thinking will continue to illuminate the country for years.
(The author is a technocrat & academician).