- One of the most conspicuous lacunae that can be rightly attributed to the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance is its seemingly insufficient thrust towards propagating information about several reformist measures initiated. In an extremely vast, diverse, and disparate countries like India where every region throws up a challenge vis-à-vis language, tradition, culture, and habits, it becomes imminent for the authorities to ensure whatever reforms being contemplated or envisaged should be communicated clearly without leaving any room for ambiguities. However, experience amply demonstrates the ruling dispensation at the center finds itself in a tricky situation for want of aggressive dissemination of information on crucial reforms.
PC: Hindustan Times
- As such, reforms in India, again and again, run into the problem of too little time spent explaining them to the intended beneficiaries. Take the case of the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) which is going live in as many as 90 universities this year. This is the latest instance of repeating the cardinal error of underselling. Set to begin on Friday, 15th July, the release of its dense schedule on Monday has caused anxiety and panic. Much of this could have been averted had the National Testing Agency, the University Grants Commission, and the education ministry undertaken better public communication on the schedule ahead of releasing it. You guessed it right, the administration was found wanting in here too.
- Mind you, that CUET would replace board marks altogether was after all announced back in March, leaving many intervening months to deliver a clear understanding of the test to its central stakeholders, the students. Many students are experiencing a deep sense of injustice, even fear if they have been allotted an early test date, as compared to their peers. But a student’s score card will only carry her percentile score, and only her relative performance vis-à-vis students who appear in the same test as her, say on July 15, will matter. Those who take the test on say August 10 will be scored as a separate cohort. Thus, the perceived advantage of students allotted later test dates does not stand to reason.
PC: GUEST AUTHOR
- Moreover, a reform that originated with the commendable goal of reducing student stress is producing the opposite effect, which was so avoidable. NTA must now go out of its way to accommodate student requests for shifting test centers, fixing admit card errors, etc. Indeed, with 15 lakh registrations across 54,000 unique subject combinations, it must be on its toes to address the inevitable glitches. CUET is undoubtedly the way forward, facilitating convenient and uniform applications spread from Delhi University and TISS to Hyderabad University, and Visva-Bharati University. Worryingly, not diligently following professional implementation of any reform is only bound to dilute the criticality of maintaining public trust in it.
