Bangalore University to teach Gandhi to jail inmates
After eliciting a very poor response for its one-year post-graduate course on Gandhian studies, the Bangalore University has been forced to offer the course across all jails and remand homes in Karnataka free of cost.
With not a single student coming forward to enroll for the post graduate diploma course in Gandhian Studies this year, Bangalore University has written letters to remand homes and jails across the state asking authorities to select candidates interested in the course, which will be offered free of cost.
Even last year the response for the diploma course on Gandhian Studies had been poor. Just one student enrolled for the course last year. This year, the Bangalore University had not received a single application.
The course focuses on life and works of Gandhi and his social and political thoughts. Bangalore University’s Distance Education Director B C Mylarappa said the University was prepared to conduct classes in jails. “We will given them all support in the form of scholarship, fee waivers and study material for the course”, he said.
Though the entire course had been priced at Rs 1,500, the University authorities have now decided to offer it free of cost to inmates of jails and remand homes across the state.
Though the University seeks to spread the Mahatma’s ideals among inmates of jails and remand homes, the poor response to a post-graduate diploma course on Gandhian Studies is viewed with concern.
‘Though Gandhiji is such a popular figure, it beats me why there is nobody who wants to do a course on him. Today’s youngsters feel they would rather do a job-oriented course than study Gandhi”, Mylarappa added.
In contrast, the full-time course on Ambedkar Studies offered by the Bangalore University evokes an overwhelming response. “Though both courses started around the same time, 81 candidates applied for a post graduate diploma in Ambedkar Studies, which has an intake of 20 students a year”, an official said
2 comments:
Hi Shabnam,
Your interesting post led me to conclude/hypothesise the followings:
a) Gandhi as a course curriculum has been probably overdone;
b)Ambedkar is the sunrise area;
c)Only jail inmates can be forced to study Gandhi;
d)Reading Gandhi has no pay-off where as reading Ambedkar has;
e) Nation is more indebted to Ambedkar than to Gandhi;
f)If Ambedkar is kept alive in the memory of the nation then policy of reservation can be perpetuated whereas the same may or may not be achieved by remembering Gandhi;
g) Karnataka is more ready for giving technical education than Gandhian instructions;
h)This University believes that the thinning of studentship in Gandhian studies is a temporary phenomenon and it will be back in focus sooner rather than later;
i) Even freeship will not be able to attract students for Gandhian studies; and so forth.
Sincerely
Nanda
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http://books.myvisitindia.com
http://ramblingnanda.blogspot.com
Mr Nanda has hit the nail on its head when he says Reading Gandhi has no pay-off whereas reading Ambedkar has.
A big question mark has indeed arisen on the relevance of Gandhi in the present day.
The possibility of Jawaharlal Nehru's great grandson (Rahul) winning an election and becoming the Prime Minister is much more than Mahatma's great grandson (Tushar).
It is really sad the way the world is shaping.
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