Manmohan Singh: Comprehensive reforms needed for higher education

OPINION

The National Knowledge Commission's reports have many useful ideas that merit serious discussion.

Our higher education system is in need of comprehensive reforms. The National Knowledge Commission's reports have many useful ideas for reforming higher education. These are all ideas that merit serious discussion. I would urge the Commission to take these ideas across the country and build consensus. The recommendations on vocational education merit immediate attention, given their relevance for expanding the employment potential of the economy.

I am happy to have launched today the India Water Portal and India Energy Portal developed by Arghyam and Teri, with support from the Commission. These portals are a good example of harnessing information technology to address complex, multi-stakeholder problems. The science of water use is critical to our food security. It is also vital to our health security. The lack of sanitation creates a public health crisis. Water availability and use have a gender dimension as well in our society. We are a water-rich country. So, the issue is not one of absolute scarcity, but one of management. We need to improve water management as it holds the key to addressing our water problems.

A host of developmental activities are being carried out in India in these sectors. However, there is a lack of assimilation and dissemination of such diffused activities. This underscores the need for sharing of information, and resources on a continued basis. I am happy that the National Knowledge Commission has taken the initiative to support the development of national web-based portals on certain key sectors such as Water, Energy, Environment, Education, and Citizen Rights. This is a good example of using knowledge to address the real problems of our people.

In order to ensure that the benefits of these portals reach people, we need to ensure that the portals are available in all major Indian languages and that they address the practical needs of our citizens.

We look forward to more work from the Commission in the coming year, particularly on reforming our schools, promoting research, meeting the knowledge needs of agriculture and small and medium enterprises and facilitating innovation and entrepreneurship.

I must however reiterate that the Commission should not see its role only in terms of guiding reforms in government policy. The Commission must be involved in ensuring the implementation of their innovative ideas. It must finally serve as the lighthouse for society, showing the way forward in the knowledge century.

(Prime Minister Manmohan Singh releasing the report of National Knowledge Commission on January 12, 2007)