Close X
Monday, November 11, 2024
ADVT 
India

Indian educational system broken somewhere: Writer Chetan Bhagat

Darpan News Desk IANS, 02 Aug, 2014 08:32 AM
  • Indian educational system broken somewhere: Writer Chetan Bhagat
Celebrated writer Chetan Bhagat feels that the college cutoffs should not bog one down because hard work can also take people places, adding that the country's education system is "broken somewhere".
 
"A student securing 98 percent is no less capable or intelligent than the one securing 99 percent. The emphasis on cut offs every year just goes on to show that the educational system is broken somewhere," Bhagat, an IIT-Delhi and IIM-Ahmedabad alumnus, told IANS in an email interaction from Mumbai.
 
One should not feel dejected after being rejected, as there is a place for everyone, Bhagat believes.
 
"Students can survive even without securing the highest cutoff because that definitely does not set the standard of the quality of education he or she has been getting since childhood," said the 40-year-old.
 
Equipped with the best qualifications, he enjoyed a high-profile banking job for 11 years, but decided to move away from number crunching to writing. And the rest is history.
 
As a writer, he raised the bar by churning out bestsellers like "Five Point Someone", "The 3 Mistakes of My Life", and "2 States" and most of his novels have been adapted into successful movies.
 
"I believe hard work can take people to places. I have IIT and IIM degrees, but currently in my scope of work in Bollywood, the degrees are irrelevant.
 
"My work speaks for itself and that's how it should be for people in the professional world," said Bhagat, who penned the screenplay for Salman Khan-starrer "Kick", which has crossed the Rs.100 crore mark at the box office.
 
As a father too Bhagat would never compel his twins - Ishaan and Shyam - to follow in his footsteps.
 
"Honestly, it would give me enormous joy to see my kids to be a part of IIT and IIM. But they are free to choose a career of their choice as long as they are happy. As a father I will completely support their choices," said Bhagat, who is married to his college classmate Anusha.
 
Amidst the traditional education system, new modes of teaching are evolving and Bhagat has teamed up with DTH-provider Tata Sky to promote its "TV Is Good" campaign.
 
"As a parent I am very well aware of the fact that kids today are exposed to a lot of content on television as well as on the internet, some useful, some harmful, as compared to the past," he said.
 
Sometimes it is difficult for a parent to keep a tab on the content that is accessible to their kids.
 
"But at the same time, if they are guided well by parents to experience the right content, kids can actually end up grasping a lot more than the limited knowledge that they are exposed to in schools," he added.
 
A picture can tell a thousand words and visual learning can equip children for bigger goals in life.
 
"Visual learning has greater impact than text book learning as children are more receptive to things they witness visually. While books prepare the children in subjects like maths and science that help them secure a job, the learning required to win in life is not limited to these books," he said.
 
Bhagat is also ready with his next book, a love story based in the semi-rural setting of India between a rural boy and an urban girl.
 
"It's slated for release in October," he said.

MORE India ARTICLES

Harsh Vardhan clarifies on sex education, slams UPA's 'crudity'

Harsh Vardhan clarifies on sex education, slams UPA's 'crudity'
Seeking to end an "unseemly controversy" kicked up by his views on sex education, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan Friday denied that he proposes a ban on sex education in schools, saying he supports "pedagogy that is scientific and culturally acceptable".

Harsh Vardhan clarifies on sex education, slams UPA's 'crudity'

Five killed in Bihar train derailment, sabotage ruled out

Five killed in Bihar train derailment, sabotage ruled out
At least five people were killed when the Delhi-Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express derailed in Bihar early Wednesday, police said. Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi ruled out sabotage while his Assam counterpart Tarun Gogoi asked a top police officer to visit the spot and oversee relief work.

Five killed in Bihar train derailment, sabotage ruled out

Gaining education, 35 women plan to uplift their communities

Gaining education, 35 women plan to uplift their communities
How do you help your backward community living in remote, virtually inaccessible villages to progress if most of them are uneducated? Simple, finish your own studies, train as teachers and then use your knowledge to spread the cause in your home - as these nearly three dozen women are doing.

Gaining education, 35 women plan to uplift their communities

Railways announces relief in fares for suburban travel

Railways announces relief in fares for suburban travel
Amid concerns in the ruling NDA over the impact of rail fare hike on election-bound states, the railways Tuesday announced relief in monthly season tickets and second class suburban fares.

Railways announces relief in fares for suburban travel

Global Economy Prize for India's biotech queen

Global Economy Prize for India's biotech queen
India's biotechnology queen and Biocon chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw has been awarded the coveted Global Economy Prize for business by the Kiel Institute in Germany during its centenary celebrations.

Global Economy Prize for India's biotech queen

UGC, DU standoff continues; colleges defer admissions

UGC, DU standoff continues; colleges defer admissions
The standoff between the UGC and Delhi University (DU) over the four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP) continued Monday with most of the university's colleges deferring admissions, leading to confusion among lakhs of aspirants just a day before the admission process was to begin.

UGC, DU standoff continues; colleges defer admissions