There is nothing more exasperating for a nation than its ministers making a spectacular mess of things. For the BJP-led coalition, in particular, lurching from disaster to disaster seems to have become a way of life.The recent education ministers' conference was a classic case of inviting trouble. Murli Manohar Joshi, the human resource development (HRD) minister, roused some passions for trying to "saffronise the educational system". Whatever the veracity of these accusations, Joshi's chief crime is not ideology as much as incompetence - sheer incompetence.True, in a time of sharp political divisions, forging a consensus on education policy is well nigh impossible. Yet, Joshi didn't even make a modicum of an effort in this direction. Instead, he happily pursued his fads. Take the Saraswati Vandana at the inauguration. What should have been a complete non-issue ballooned into controversy. The validity of morning prayers in schools may make for an engaging debate in societies across the world. Nevertheless, a patently religious invocation has no place in a state function.More substantively, Joshi's virtually blanket adoption of the proposals made by Vidya Bharati, an RSS affiliate, is extremely questionable. Granted Vidya Bharati has made some worthy suggestions, such as the creation of a regulatory body for education free of political interference. .preferred-source-banner{ margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:10px;}If Joshi had vetted the Vidya Bharati scheme and taken up its better ideas there would have been no quarrel. There is a method, a certain protocol to introducing a subject into the public domain.Vidya Bharati's views, along with any others the minister may have liked, should have been discussed within the HRD Ministry and made public weeks before the conference. By keeping them under wraps till the proverbial eleventh hour, the minister only found himself under a cloud of suspicion. Joshi and his friends could do with some lessons - in transparent governance.Published By: AtMigration Published On: Nov 2, 1998--- ENDS ---
