Caste oppression or discrimination continues across the country in various forms. If I am trying to speak against it, am I mistaken? Yet I have no answer

The Orientation Course

The Feberuary month I spent on the hills of Aravali in Delhi. It was the occassion of an Orientation course at the Academic Staff College, JNU. When I was leaving Lucknow, many thoghts and plans were flonting in my mind, which I drafted in the last one month. I was really excited that I will work for my research and manuscript on Russia. But after one month, I feel I did something else, that is the assessment of the Orientation course.

The UGC guidelines on orientation course defines its objective as: to make the teachers self reliant and familiarize them with the problems of Indian society, economy and so on. I could not understand what does 'self reliance' mean. It gives an impression as if a teacher in the college or university is a parasite who should be taught how to learn on its own.

Secondly, I found it rigid in its second objective. The purpose of a teacher is (or ought to be) to obtain knowledge and to communicate it to the masses in the most effective manner. Understanding problems of any particular society is a part of this exercise. In other words, the process of knowledge is not confined to any country or society. Rather it is universal in nature. The UGC guideline is very much against it.

Though the JNU model of orientation course was somewhat different and interesting (but boring at times as well). The emphasis was to tell the teachers what the education system is and what are the serious challenges before the humankind. However, somehow I found it very vague and haphazard. Of course, it depends on the person who is coming to deliver the lecture as well, yet there can be few points on which the ASC can work upon.

Firstly, it would have been better if the first lecture would have been on the philosophy of knowledge. It would have generated some interest for research in the newly appointed faculties who otherwise have lost interest in reseach and innovation. Web designing was a good idea but it should be modernized. For instance, various softwares in google. blogging, social networking etc. Besides, three or four major fields should be decided in advance, keeping in view the composition of participants. Above all, I would strongly argue that UGC (or whichever new body comes in) should be informed about the problems with the philosophy of the orientation programme. The orientation programme can be a better training exercise for the teachers. I would congratulate JNU ASC for its wonderful endevor.