Apart from official reservations, quality education in India is reserved for the elite. Apart from traditional castes, new castes based on the handling of computers and English have emerged. For all our nationalistic talk, higher education and higher governmental and private sector jobs are reserved for those who know English and computers. In all our official discourse, 80% of the population is missing.

We talk of environmental protection technologies, we discuss emerging trends in management, and we go gaga about Indian ethos and culture all the time. But the tribal belt student, the poor student, the under-privileged, marginalized section remains absent. Even in education, brands sell; places sell, flavors sell. ‘Oh, you’re from Rewa; where’s is it?’ The unsaid lines are, ‘You’re from Rewa, and you are doomed. I’m from Delhi or Detroit or wherever, I’m saved.’ 

All forward-looking nations of the world are heading towards a knowledge-based society where only quality-humans are welcome. When we look at recently implemented immigration rules in Britain or American criteria for that matter, we definitely know that only talented and rich people are welcome now; the rest might not bother with their knocks at these doors. Everybody is looking for quality contribution. 

In India, this talent pool can come from the rough-tough small place youth. This can happen only if we are able to free ourselves from English-computer-status complex. We can term it ‘Engcomstus’ complex. The sturdy boy from the village has everything – health, zest,  hunger for success, intelligence, just everything. But we have given him this ‘Engcomstus’.  

These new castes are making a mockery of our concepts of ‘life, liberty, property, and democracy. All humans are born equal. Every human has a right over her/himself. The fruits of one’s labor are one’s own.’ All these lofty lullabies don’t work if the 80% of the population does not know how to harness its potential; it doesn’t even know that it has the potential.  It considers itself inferior to those who have the means. 

Higher education texts of all disciplines are available only in English. Opportunities exist only for the privileged. There’s an urgent need to harness talent in our country. We have to have a skill-based evaluation of individuals rather than grade/brand based. Intelligence manifests itself in various forms- crafts, arts, farming, and  several forms of skill. How is it than one who gets good grades is better than who sings well, or tilts well, or narrates well? 

But these things are easier said than done. There’s no mechanism that ensures spotting brightness and then nurturing it. Brightness has to spot itself and nurture itself. The magic word is ‘exposure’. When the youth from the village is exposed to higher learning environment, he transforms. He will take care of himself, provided, he is exposed to stimulating situations.  

These are unorganized ideas. But we as a society not only an obligation but also have our self-interest in harnessing talent. Innovation, original thinking and new approaches are the driving force behind any society. Cramming, mugging and reproducing facts and figures cannot propel any society for long. We have to have Bharat Munis, Aristotles, Ramanujans, Rousseaus all over once again if we wish to have direction on our journey as a nation.