Thanks for your informative cover story ‘India’s top think tanks’ (EW March). It was an eye-opener that India hosts 292 think tanks — the third largest number after the US and China, and that six of them have been rated in U Penn’s Global Go-To Think Tank league table. The encouraging take-away from your story is that the country’s think tanks are actively engaged in helping and advising the Indian government on drafting policies and programmes which will benefit the public at large. There’s no doubt the Central and state governments need all the help they can in framing and implementing people-friendly polices backed by strong research and evidence.

Given that India’s 600-plus universities are notoriously research averse, the onus is on think tanks to conduct studies on the country’s many pressing socio-economic problems, and recom-mend solutions. On behalf of our countrymen I want to express my gratitude to the 292 think tanks silently engaged in valuable research on issues of national importance. They deserve our full support!
Manoj Saxena
Delhi

Valuable national resource

Your cover story ‘India’s top think tanks’ (EW March) was well written and researched. I was totally unaware that India has 292 think tanks. Although they are miserably underfunded, they are a valuable national resource.

Unfortunately, most decisions taken in government and industry tend to be seat-of-the-pants decisions based on insufficient information and evidence, made in a hurry and regretted later. Such decisions cost heavily in terms of time and money. I hope government and industry will heed your advice and commission more research by think tanks, so they can make informed decisions in the interest of growth and development and faster project implementation within the Indian economy. Initiatives backed by strong research have greater chances of success.
Mathew Varkey                                                                                                                               
Bangalore

Invaluable  service

The special report ‘Idealism is not dead: TFI takes wing’ (EW March) was a heart-warming and inspiring story. While the efforts of Teach For India must be applauded, it’s shameful that TFI doesn’t receive any government support, even though it provides a valuable service to the country. As you stress in your story TFI is totally dependent upon private philanthropy, whereas Teach For America (TFA) and in 27 other countries where the TFA model is being implemented, governments provide significant financial support.

TFI is providing the type of education children in government schools should be rightfully getting, but don’t. In fulfilling this huge need, neither the Central nor state governments provide financial support. Nor can TFI fellows be formally employed as government school teachers. Evidently, even though the Central and state governments don’t seem interested in the future of the children of India, there are highly qualified college graduates who, rather than make money, want to contribute to society. That’s inspiring.

The greatest injustice India’s children suffer is lack of good quality education. More power to TFI and its fellows for the invaluable service they are providing the children of India!
Nandini Deshpande
Mumbai

Appalling statistic

Thanks for your special report on Teach For India (EW March). It’s truly a remarkable initiative. And it’s reassuring to know that ‘idealism is not dead’ in India and there still are young people who will give up cushy jobs and high-profile careers to commit two years of their lives to teaching underprivileged children in government and low-budget schools. Shaheen Mistri and her team of dedicated staffers deserve our appreciation and thanks.

In the same story, I was shocked to read that 94 percent of teachers who wrote the Central Teacher Eligibility Test failed, and that 99 percent of those who failed had a B.Ed qualification! This is an appalling statistic and bodes ill for our school children, particularly in government schools. Teachers who themselves are ill-qualified and unprepared, will do more harm than good in classrooms. That’s why learning outcomes of children in government schools are decreasing year on year.

TFI’s 500 fellows are a drop in the ocean. We need to address this monumental human resource challenge confronting the nation by thoroughly revamping the syllabuses of the country’s B.Ed colleges, and setting high-quality benchmarks for teachers. 
Sanjay Roy
Kolkata

Powerless Bharat

I am a regular reader of Education World and enjoy reading your editorials, most of which are critical of India’s pathetic national development effort. Recently I received a reply to an RTI query I filed with the Union power ministry. According to the reply, 34,875 villages in India are still unelectrified. Currently only a few states in India host villages which are fully electrified i.e.  Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Goa, Haryana, Kerala, and Punjab. The maximum number of unelectrified villages is in Uttar Pradesh (10,856) followed by Orissa (10,029). These statistics are further proof of India’s underdeveloped status.

Those who feel nuclear power plants should be banned in India need to be aware that gross energy generation from nuclear plants is 27.450 (in billion units). It’s the third major source of electricity generation after thermal (631.436) and hydro (99.071) power. India also imports 4.710 billion units of electricity from Bhutan. The total gross energy generation from all sources was 762.667 billion units in 2012-13. The total requirement of electricity in India is 833,230 (MW) against the availability of 759,849 (MW).

The denial of electricity to 34,785 villages shows that while India is arguably shining, Bharat is being ignored. If we are ever to hold our heads high in the global community of nations, we have to provide electricity to every nook and corner of India. Only then can the dream of a developed India come true.
Kush Kalra on e-mail