India lacks in innovation in education as children are discouraged to ask questions in schools something which should not be allowed to go on, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said today, contending “unless you rebel, unless you challenge the status quo, how can you innovate anything”.
“Innovation is a process of rebellion essentially. Unless you rebel, unless you challenge the status quo, how can you innovate anything,” he said, emphasising the Modi government’s focus on innovation in education.
Why do we lack innovation in India? Because, we don’t allow questioning. We don’t promote inquisitiveness. If a child asks questions in school, he is asked to sit down. This should not go on. We need to promote inquisitiveness, children should ask questions.Prakash Javadekar, HRD Minister
Javadekar said if children are encouraged to be inquisitive, innovation would follow as the status quo would be challenged and there would be transformation.
Earlier, the minister had made a remark in what can be seen as a departure from his predecessor’s stand. Responding to queries on whether he was afraid that he had inherited campus unrest from Smriti Irani, Javadekar said,
See, I am a product of student agitation. So, we will always talk with everybody. I think with dialogue in place, agitations don’t happen. There will be no necessity of having (student) agitation.
Irani’s two year tenure was marked by various controversies including the JNU agitation and the protests in University of Hyderbad related to Rohith Vemula’s death.
(With PTI inputs.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)