This article has been written for Techkriti Blog for a Cause Contest. The topic was: 90% of children in India don’t go for College Degree.” How far have we progressed in terms of Education and what can be done to improve the scenario? For more information visit: http://www.socialscribblers.in/techkriti-blog-cause/

1. 90% of children in India don't go for college degree.
How far have we progressed in terms of education
and what can be done to improve the scenario.
"90% of children in India don't go for college degree. How far have we
progressed in terms of education and what can be done to improve
the scenario."
India is a country with such a great educational background. We have
the world’s oldest university in India and our higher education system
is the third largest in the world. Ample of talent and intelligence is
hidden in India’s dwellers. The only need of the present hour is to
widen the platform for such talent and expand the horizons of such
intelligence.

2. Higher education acts as a catalyst in not only the enlightenment of a
soul but also in the progress of a nation. It causes deepening of
awareness and knowledge. Yet, it is taken for granted by many of us.
Higher education in India is accessible to 1 in 10 young Indians, which
means that 90% of the children in India do not go for college degree. It
clearly shows that we are lagging far behind in terms of education. As
per the latest (2013) report issued by the All India Council of Technical
Education (AICTE), there is a huge enrolment provided by Science,
Medicine, agriculture and Engineering institutions in India. Despite this
success, there are various factors which are corroding the rate of
college going children in
India.
India has enough resources to bring development for the country but
they are concentrated in just a few hands. That is why an estimated
29.8% of Indians live below the poverty line. These people can hardly
afford education. Thus, economically backwardness has become the
Achilles heel of the Indian economy and a big hurdle in mission
education. This is accompanied by the dearth of government colleges
in India. The children who can’t afford the education in private
institutions lay their entire hopes on the government institutions but,
when they find no such institutions in need of them, all their hopes
shatter. Indeed, the NCAER survey shows that, in places like Bihar and
Uttar Pradesh, the state is hardly spending any money on education
and human development and so the rate of graduates is pathetically
low whereas, the rate of graduates is considerably high in the state of
Kerela, because there the government has spent and focused much
on education, and human development.
Nowadays, giving donations for receiving education in private colleges
has become a major trend. Children from rich families, who even don’t
score well, get the admissions in even elite colleges by giving donation
but, the children who belong to poor or not so rich families ain’t

3. fortunate enough to possess this benefit even after they perform the
same as those fortunate ones. Eventually, a time comes when these
unfortunate children wander about in search of colleges. It should be
well understood that education cannot be bought but it is to be
achieved by hard work and dedi One of the greatest miseries is caused
to these children when they suffer from sudden parental loss or loss of
any earning member of the family. Such situations bring a crisis before
them, thus, turning their mental and economical position against
them. Again, the shortage of money costs them their further
education. In many such cases, the eldest child of the family is loaded
with the umpteen responsibilities of his/her siblings. Ultimately, this
forces them to work for earning without even completing their higher
education. Thus their higher studies and education is kept on the point
of needle. However, troubles are like washing machine, they twist,
turn and knock us around, but in the end we come out brighter and
better than before.Even today in India, a very poor rate of girls get the
privilege to opt for college degrees. In 1991, less than 40% of the 330
million women aged 7 and over were literate, which means today
there are over 200 million illiterate women in India. No sooner than a
mother takes her baby doll in her hands for the first time, her limits
and horizons are set. Orthodox thinking and conservative cultural
attitudes pull them back from living their lives. The patriarchal society
which we are living in provides lower status to girls and fewer
privileges than boys. They are meant to perform the household
chores, get married and look after their families all their lives like
machines which shouldn’t dare to err.
The health and well-being of her children depend on mother’s
education. A recent survey in India found that infant mortality rate
was inversely related to mother’s educational level. Therefore, their
education must be valued because if girls will be educated then the
evils or bad omens will themselves be eradicated. Also, it is evident
that the girls generally perform better than the boys. Therefore, the

4. negative stereotypes or the mind set up of people about girls have to
be crushed and thrown into the bin. Women have to come out of the
hearths and come forward to explore this amazing world.
The other cause that is accountable for such frenzy is the children
being indulged in criminal activities. This is also one of the major woes
we are facing today. The upbringing of children, the bad company and
the ambience they are living in affect their present as well as their
future. A lot of cases have been highlighted in which children indulge
in bad deeds and unseemly addictions which decline the importance
of education for them to almost null. This is one of the most
dangerous and shameful trends being practised in the country.
Also, a lot of people today are preferring vocational courses over
professional courses. Agriculture, tourism, tailoring, make-up, to
mention a few, are the popular vocational courses offered. These
courses are provided for only a short-term basis and don’t even
require high academic grades or much of point-blow. Hence, they are
popular among many of the children. This has reduced the number of
children going to colleges.
Our great leaders had laid great hopes on us. Swami Vivekananda
said," I've faith in my country and especially, in the youth of my
country." He called the youth 'muscles of iron' and 'nerves of steel'.
We have to live upto their dreams and pay what we owe to them.
India is a hub of excellence and knowledge. In India, we have all the
facilities to improve this scenario and overcome this widespread plight
in the country. Firstly, the masses should be convinced to take their
children’s education seriously. It is seen that educated parents spend
more on their children’s education. Secondly, as individuals we should
follow the motto of ‘each one teach one’. It is said that the more
knowledge we impart, the more it increases. We can take up the task
of educating a few children. Thirdly, more and more NGOs must come
forward to take the initiative of sponsoring the children for higher

5. education and spreading awareness about the importance of higher
education among the masses. Fourthly, to give education all the nook
and corner of India, a survey and mass cooperation is needed. Like the
way the masses were once mobilized for strengthening the Indian
National Movement to buzz off the British rule from India, they have
to be once again mobilized to buzz off the dominance of illiteracy from
the nation. To take a great leap forward, government can adopt some
simple yet effective measures. Firstly, regular surveys must be
conducted by the government institutions to estimate the growth rate
in the number of college going students. Secondly, every person in the
government job who is working to educate those masses who can’t
pursue higher education must be given good pay or incentives.
Thirdly, reservations for the women and economically backward
classes in the universities and colleges is perhaps one of the best ways
to impart them higher education and ensure equal participation of
them in each and every field. Fourthly, government should ensure
equitable distribution of resources. Fifthly, the unfair practice of
bribing or giving donations must be strictly prohibited. Sixthly,
government should do to increase job opportunities, and family
incomes, to get more people to study. Chalking out free education
plans for poor would also do a great favour to them.
This way the numbers wanting to study will increase, and we'll come
up against the shortage of colleges and universities.
"We each have a purpose, each have a role, each with a dream, each
with a goal." No other time is better than this to realize that purpose,
pursue it and live on it to achieve our goal.
- Sunaina