Administration & Management

Singh-Obama 21st Century Knowledge Initiative

The first visit of an Indian Prime Minister, who happens to be Dr. Manmohan Singh to United States of America during the tenure of Mr. Barack Obama, as President has result in many new initiatives and signing of many historical agreements for the mutual benefit of both the countries.

Dr. Manmohan Singh and Mr. Barack Obama have agreed to expand educational exchange between India and USA, so as fuel the growth of the knowledge based Economies.

The first step to be taken is to expand the Fulbright Nehru Fellowship Program to bring more students and scholars under its ambit.

The initiative would be known as “Obama-Singh or Singh-Obama 21stcentury knowledge Initiative”, as said by USA’s President Barack Obama amid laughter.

Now probably the number of such Knowledge Initiatives reaches three and second with United States of America. India has one such program in tie up with United Kingdom too.

Due to being an student of Management  [known as technical and professional education, in the past] I am aware of UK – India Knowledge initiative where from Indian side it  is All India Council of Technical Education [AICTE], which is functioning as facilitator.

Just Analyzing the Benefits that are supposed to Accrue or have Accrued from two existing Initiatives.

[1] Despite of being an student and academician in the field, where it is must for institutions to go for accreditation of AICTE, I as an individual never got a chance to see any advertisement released or candidature forwarded or nominations made for UK – India Research & Knowledge Initiative. Neither did any body, or any communication was received in which the consent of person would have been asked. I do not know for whom this initiative is meant. May be probably the Government of India and All India Council of Technical Education are interested in capacity building of persons above the age of 58 or 59 (Fifty Eight or Fifty Nine) years plus, so as to derive the benefits for the country and institutions during his remaining active and fruit full years, where in majority of cases, the retirement age is fixed at 60 [due to many Institution being in various States where the age of Superannuation still remains 60 or 62 ]. I, probably due to the reasons of just having crossed 35 years, and there probably am not grown enough to get the exposure and thus the institution or AICTE or country may loose the opportunity to benefit from me.

[2] Even if, I talk of Indo – US Agriculture Knowledge Initiative – I can say that the scenario here too is not a happy one. Here, at the Indian side the facilitators are, to mention (a) M/s Satguru Consultants, (b) Tamil Nadu Agriculture University; and (c) G. B. Pant Agriculture University.

Here also the person selected for capacity building remains the same every time and aged above 58 years. As, I, happen to be working as an academician in Agribusiness Management, also, the story here too is same.

The interesting feature that I see here is that, the person in particular selected for purpose is selected on the name of domain of Agribusiness, is employed as an administrator and is not even qualified to be a lecturer in the field of Agribusiness Management.

I am not aware of the fact, as to why this prestigious institution and Government have done a compromise. Probably some day media would be discussing on the issue.

I hope to see headlines reading “Biggest Scam Uncovered in Academic Sector”. Probably I may not be the initiating trigger.

Note:

[i] Analysis in both the cases above has frequent uses of the words ‘me’ and ‘I’ throughout the discussion; but has been used to represent any male or female scholar, academician, consultant, researcher of the age 40 years and less.

[ii] I, as an individual, am neither complaining nor maligning any one’s or any institution’s image. It just an experience sharing.

———-Always Yours’ as Usual —- Saurabh

Saurabh on Issue: Governance, Administration, Management