POLICE MEN :TOUGH IMAGE, BUT SOFT JOB

In the United Kingdom, a police constable can occupy the highest police position by performance over a period of time. But not in India. The IPS blocks the constable's growth. At best a constable may become a Sub-Inspector ; but most may not cross the post of Assistant Sub-Inspector. But for many constables, attractive  openings are available as Orderlies in the houses of their superior officers. An orderly is a Domestic Servant doing a variety of services for the  Officer'sfamily and its members. When there is shortage of constabulary for law and order, and criminal investigation duties,  many constables are posted for domestic duties in the houses of  the police officers. After a tough selection process and  giving bribe to politicians in a good number of cases, the young  recruits are shocked to see their posting as domestic help. The wife of a police constable lamented that " my husband is doing even a scavenger's job at the officer's house. I was proud to marry a policeman. But now I am ashamed ."

A Police officer is often referred to as YAJAMAN,  meaning Feudal Landlord because of such unacceptable practice and the way many function. Strangely even a Police Constable is called YAJAMAN by the poor ,  an illustration of  the vertical violence of the social order by those entrusted with  the responsibility of  upholding its integrity. A Standing Committee of The Parliament recommended the abolition of the orderly practice quite a long time ago. But like the other pressing Police Reforms which remain unattended by the central and state governments , this recommendation is also ignored.

Child labour, bonded labour, domestic labour and many ther vulnerable  working class are exploited in India despite some form of protective legislation, Police labour or Orderlies have no legal umbrella to prevent this practice or to regulate the working hours, nature of work and working conditions. While Human Rights activists  will condemn this practice, the ordinary citizens are happy that their daily tormentors are treated this way by an indifferent  state.

PEDAGOGY OF THE POWERLESS

After various permutations, combinations and experimentations, Indian education finally settled for 10+2+3+2 pattern from the primary to the postgraduate levels. But all of a sudden there was an implosion in the Delhi University. The Vice-Chancellor , with a supporting cohort , decided to introduce a 4-year Bachelor's degree followed by an 1-year Master's degree by research. This unilateral decision was made possible because of the paralysis of the UPA's policy makers and the HRD Ministry. The 4-year Bachelor's degree may give more learning time ,  and load the tired and bored students with more information while diminishing absorption of real learning will be the end result. An one-year Master's degree by research is attractive to label , but a counter productive academic measure in the present research scenario in India. The decision of a 4-year Bachelor's degrree by the Delhi University lacks a sound rationale of the coverage of the curricula at the first degree level without consideration for the employability and the educational mobility of the students. As far as the duration, why 4 years, why not 3 1/4, 3 1/2 , or 3 3/4 years? By creating an Exclusive Degree Club, inclusive education is a given a farewell by the self-admiring educationists at the Delhi University. They never bothered about consensus-building on an issue that affects the future of millions of our young students. They had least concern for the financial burden of such an extended degree. Their decision created academic chaos in our education system.A decision of this nature ought to have been linked to a human resource policy. But where is such a policy in India ? In the US, employment / unemployment data is available month-wise. But in India, such data is collected once in five years: that too fudged statistics.  In May 2014, the powerless voted out the bedridden and the paralytic UPA rulers, and elected a new government with great expectations. BJP is committed to the abolition of the reckless experimentation of the Delhi University TUGLAQS. History has given Smriti Irani, our HRD Minister a great opportunity to abolish this 4-year disastrous degree with the Prime Minister's support.