Hardly the soft sciences

“There is an urgent need to initiate a generational change in India’s university leadership.”

The social sciences and humanities will be critical in helping us understand what the sciences will become in the future

Common sense has defeated the social sciences and humanities in India. As the rush for college seats begin, parents worry if there are any viable options outside of medicine, engineering, management or studying abroad. What good would a B.A. in history or sociology do other than a roll-of-the-dice chance at the civil services? As a historian, I have often faced blunt questions: what can a job prospect possibly be if you spend three/four years learning the causes of Mughal decline or the Permanent Settlement of 1793? This ably describes why most people see the social sciences, with the exception of economics, as a losing proposition. But has the tide begun to turn?

One of the most significant bursts of funding in the social sciences and the humanities occurred during the Cold War years. The United States, keen as it was then to establish spheres of influence, invested heavily to learn about how societies understood themselves and which ideology appealed to what individual. The money ran into hundreds of millions of dollars with the Ford Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York pulling funds from deep pockets. The Social Science Research Council and the American Council of Learned Societies were other key players who helped sponsor innumerable workshops, conferences and academic seminars. These efforts resulted not only in a vast number of publications, but helped develop many enduring concepts which arguably continue to explain the world we live in. Scores of scholars, research communities and university departments, in being caught up in strategic concerns, ended up harnessing the social sciences and humanities to understand how nations and societies dealt with authority, ideologies, politics and power. Hardly the ‘soft sciences’!

Read the Op-Ed page article from The HIndu

Where are the engineers?

“Ironically, engineering education is completely broken not in spite of but because of the very success of the IITs and engineering colleges.”

That only a third of IIT students go on to pursue technology is symptomatic of the deep crisis in engineering education today, and could be solved if practice is preferred to theory in the institutions.

A crisis, pundits on American television often say, is a terrible thing to waste. The recent unpleasantness following the de-recognition of the Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle by the Indian Institute of Technology administration is a case in point. That the administration found a graceful way to put an end to the impasse and come to some reconciliation with the small group of students involved is, of course, important. But it also gives us occasion to ponder over some bigger questions involving higher education in India.

The issues concerning greater inclusivity for long-marginalised groups and of freedom of speech on campus are important but most university administrators have found effective ways to resolve these problems through models such as affirmative action and diversity policies, gender and ethnic sensitivity training, modular learning programmes, remedial education and so on. Indian universities could adapt these to the local context. Periodic workshops and meetings of senior academic administrators could also help.

Read the opinion page article from The Hindu dt. 17th Jun 2015

They have a dream, too -- An inclusive society will make it easier for the physically-challenged to achieve their goals.

Karthik Sawhney hit the headlines in 2013 for gaining admission to Stanford University. His case was special because he had achieved that in spite of being visually challenged. In a country where such students are actively discouraged from taking up science streams on the premise that they cannot cope with the lab modules, Karthik not only took up the challenge but also scored 98.5 per cent in his higher secondary exams and subsequently won a place in Stanford University and is now working for his B.S. (Computer Science) degree.

Though it has been a struggle for Karthik, the fact remains that he was able to break the barriers and study the subject of his choice.

For many students with disabilities, the situation is still bleak and unrelenting. Even if we consider only visual and hearing impairment and disabilities involving the lower limbs, each of these involves different kinds of challenges and demands specific attention.

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Across the Atlantic -- Eight reasons why you should explore the option of studying in Canada.

Considered to have one of the best education systems in the world with a diverse multi-cultural landscape, Canada gives students every chance to broaden their educational and cultural horizons. Around 150 colleges and institutes are situated in practically every province across the country, with over 20 making it to the THE-QS World University rankings. They offer a host of programmes including certificates, diplomas, associate degrees, degrees, master’s, doctorate and so on. Canada also offers the highest level of funding for post-secondary courses. Not only does the country provide a safe, clean environment, but it has been consistently ranked by the U.N. as one of the world’s best places to live in terms of quality of life. Here are the top eight reasons why you should consider studying here.

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200 Free Kids Educational Resources: Video Lessons, Apps, Books, Websites & More

This collection provides a list of free educational resources for K-12 students (kindergarten through high school students) and their parents and teachers. It features free video lessons/tutorials; free mobile apps; free audiobooks, ebooks and textbooks; quality YouTube channels; free foreign language lessons; test prep materials; and free web resources in academic subjects like literature, history, science and computing. This newly-released list is a work in progress. Please tell us if we’re missing something good.

Visit the resources page