3 Review(s)

With the passage of the Right to Education Act (RTE), 2009, universalizing elementary education and making it a fundamental right, India’s commitment to providing education to all has taken a giant leap. However, even as the law is translated into action, there is a need to delve deeper into the loopholes in the Indian educational system to aim at a more holistic development. It is disturbing that the dropout rates among Indian student are astonishingly high even though India has one of the largest higher education systems in the world. The country’s technical education and legal education also need qualitative revisions. The Fire of Knowledge, the fourth volume in the continuing series on Unleashing India, not only identifies and analyses in detail the deficiencies and fault lines in the Indian education system, but also comes up with innovative strategies to address the educational needs of the country. The author compares the higher education systems of India, China, the US, Singapore and other countries, and makes a case for the inclusion of practical training in college syllabi, enhanced infrastructure in education and increased investment in curriculum and textbook development. He suggests encouraging equitable access to education through public and private funding. As India works harder towards developing a robust knowledge economy, the need to revisit our education system and bridge the gap between education and growth is higher than ever. About the Author M. Veerappa Moily is a distinguished political leader, an eminent administrator, a reformer, a statesman of high calibre, an economist of repute and a renowned literary figure. An advocate by profession, he has been in politics for almost four decades now. He has been the Chief Minister of Karnataka, served as the Chairman of the Tax Reforms Commission Government of Karnataka; Revenue Reforms Commission, Government of Karnataka; Second Administrative Reforms Commission, Government of India (GOI); and of Oversight Committee, GOI. He has also been the Minister of Law and justice, GOI. He is currently the Minister of Corporate Affairs, GOI. A gifted writer, he has written extensively in both Kannada and English. He has published three plays, four novels, three poetry collections and a compilation of his lectures. His most ambitious work to date is the epic Shree Ramayana Mahaveshanam which received the prestigious Moortidevi Award of the Bhartiya Jnanpith. He has also authored the continuing series, Unleashing India: A Roadman for Agrarian Wealth Creation, Water: Elixir of Life, and Powering the Nation. The Fire of Knowledge is the Fourth volume in this series.