Pulling education out of rut

That there is only one regular lecturer for the 181 students of a government college in Haryana’s Hathin block of Palwal district reflects the general malaise afflicting the Mewat region. Along with the adjoining Nuh district, Hathin block is Haryana’s most backward area. In fact, in April 2018, Niti Aayog identified Mewat as India’s most backward district. The college, set up in 2017, is just one of the many initiatives by successive governments over the past decade to bring the area out of a morass. Sadly, like most other projects, this too has failed to make an impact. Will Mewat be able to rise above its barren and alkaline landscape? Or, will its situation continue to be exacerbated by the acutely poor state of its residents, majorly comprising the minority Meo Muslim community, in agriculture, literacy, health and per capita income?

Though touching the bustling Gurgaon and Faridabad, both of which have benefited immensely from their proximity to Delhi, development seems to have stopped short of Mewat’s threshold. This is best evident from the Census 2011 report: Gurgaon district has the highest literacy rate of 84.7 per cent in the state, while Mewat with 54.1 per cent makes the lowest end. The young students braving these utterly difficult socio-economic odds deserve a much better deal. But what they are offered is just one teacher for three days a week. Because, on the other days, the lady teaches at another college! And, she is expected to cater to the needs of both arts and commerce streams. An impossibly daunting task! 

Education is the key to development. Political and administrative will is required in extra measure to lift Mewat out of the rut. Posting enough quality teachers in both schools and colleges of the region is the first step. Give them additional incentives for having to serve in this most backward segment. A well-read generation of the local population thus produced will have sufficient power to pull development from the threshold well into their courtyards.