We have presented corruption-free good governance, says Prakash Javadekar

In an interview to CNBC-TV18's Rituparna Bhuyan, Prakash Javadekar, Minister-Human Resource Development said that they have presented corruption-free good governance in the last three years.

Javadekar also spoke about other issues like natural resources, spectrum and coal auctions.

Below is the verbatim transcript of the interview.

Q: Thank you for joining us.

A: I am always happy to talk to CNBC because you do very relevant programmes and basically a business and economies channel. The three years have changed the markets also and the market mood is – when we came, I think we were 23,000 or something and now it has passed 30,000 mark. So, it is a huge sentiment upliftment what has happened, what has resulted. That is also one indicator of the good economy and good governance.

Q: In your ministry, you have taken up a lot of policy initiatives, but before that, the CBSE results were announced and it is not surprised that the girls did very well. You spoke to Raksha Gopal who topped the CBSE?

A: I talked to all the first 3-4 students.

Q: So, what was your message to them?

A: Message to them is that country needs all good people and everybody has talent, so what you have succeeded is your hard work, discipline, your parents' love and affection and their guidance and the teacher's guidance. So, continue on that path because knowledge is empowerment. And one wants to be IAS Officer, one wants to be an economist. One is interested in politics even. So, we need good people in politics also.

Q: So, personally what would you prefer?

A: I have come to politics by choice. Right from my school days, I was very decided that yes, I will because our decisions of life, right from your birth certificate to death certificate, rules are framed by politics. And if good people do not join politics, in physics no vacuum remains, so bad people will be in. So, that is a disaster and therefore, good people need to come. And one wants to be an engineer.

So, I have talked to four students and now I am organising yet another programme because this one special point is this time, government schools have performed exceedingly well even much more than some of the private schools and therefore, I am going to organise a big programme to felicitate economically backward students from government schools who have earned more than 90 percent marks. I am going to felicitate them.

Q: Speaking about marks, there are people obviously who have done very well and there are some who feel that they have not done as per their expectations. Some in fact, with 90 percent feel that they have not done well in the examinations. What is your message for such students and more importantly, what is your message to the parents who have very high expectations?

A: My first message is to parents. Understand what the best part of your child is. Recognise the talent and allow it to grow. Allow him to work to his passion. Only imbibe discipline and sense of purpose in the boys, nothing more than because you cannot have Sachin Tendulkar, Ravi Shankar and also a tabla player or a musician, all into one. You cannot have like that. So, it is not that your unfulfilled desires, the children have to take it forward. That is not the way.

Every person is a different person. Every person has some different abilities and those we must recognise and allow them to flourish.

Q: Continuing with this issue regarding CBSE results, one thing that had played out during this period was regarding moderation of marks and you have made it very clear that your ministry will not intervene at this moment. But going forward, next year, do you see marks moderation coming and secondly, five state boards, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Haryana, they have already released the results. Will the students of those boards be at a disadvantaged position?

A: No I do not think so because, in my time, I used to get marks, we used to get marks only what we have written. So, there was no provision of even grace marks. But then slowly started grace marks, then it was for one subject, it was for only 2-3 marks, then five marks, then 10 marks, then it became all subjects. So, today practically, 25 percent is the pass percentage in many states.

Second, even in Delhi, if you observe CBSE, last year above 90 were say 14,000 students, this year it is 10,000 students. So, realistic to bring to a reality is academic call. But as I said, we are not interfering in academic calls. All boards need to come together and decide because you are creating frustration unnecessarily even when you get 90 percent marks. Even take away inflation of marks. Still that boy has got more that 70-75 percent marks.

So, that is a good result, nobody should be really worried and ultimately, when we are in Delhi, we think of Delhi University, but there are 800 universities, there are top-based institutes, one son of compounder has topped the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) exam and that is how things happen. Therefore, let us not forget that that is an academic call and therefore we do not intervene, they have to take a call.

Q: Next year?

A: I don’t know, they will be coming. If they ask me, I will definitely say we have to bring it but any change should not be mid-way for the next year.

Q: There was one more issue and that is regarding NEET. Students are concerned, what do you think will be the way out?

A: It was very successfully conducted examination as per the Supreme Court guidelines. There was only one incident, out of 11 lakh students only one incident happened in Kerala where we have taken action. So, there is no problem. There was again an issue that regional languages papers were different than English and Hindi. There is always as we know – we are moving to a new area where GRE/GMAT, every student has different paper, he gives different paper. No two students give similar paper. However that is most trust worthy because there is a very strong equalisation formula which takes care if difficulty level is different for different questions. So, that is a good established practise so that there will be no injustice with anybody.

Q: One of the Twitter questions is that if there is a problem regarding either a CBSE exam or a NEET exam, CBSE should communicate better because it leads to a lot of concerns amongst parents and students.

A: Yes, timely communication and straight communication is the best policy. I have already instructed my officers and they are also trying. You must have seen much better communication this year and it will improve further.

Q: As regards to reforms in education, you have started the process through several policies. Let us start by talking about the new education policy which will have five pillars – accessibility, equity, affordability, quality and accountability. Give us a broad thrust of what will this policy be about and when do we see this policy being implemented?

A: It will be a policy because 30 months democratic consultation has happened. We have received millions of suggestions. They are being now scrutinized and each issue wise what are the suggestions and all secretarial work is done. There will be committee this week and within next 4-5 months I hope that there will be intensive work. They will come out with a document which will be a very guiding document for next full generation where we will have modern education to build in scientific temperament in the students. It will ensure overall personality development because subject knowledge is not just one part of the story, skill is another part of the story.

To create a good human being out of education is the real necessity. Therefore it will have those human values also to be incorporated. It has to be inclusive, it must equity, social justice and we must ensure a system where there is cost to education but somebody is not deprived only on the grounds that he is poor. So, any meritorious student who is eligible to take admission anywhere must be able to take it. So, there are many aspects on which it will work right from primary education to higher education.

Q: Will there be a PPP element to this as well because as of now it is government which is taking forward … (Interrupted)

A: In school sector government has 17 lakh schools but private sector has 2.50 lakh schools. So, there is already a PPP arrangement. In higher education we have 800 universities but many are private, 41 colleges many are non-aided. So, there is already a strong PPP which exists.

Q: Another query on Twitter is, first is a suggestion saying that why not have a performance index for university professors.

A: Many professors want performance indicators to be applied, some don’t want. I am creating a system where everybody has to strive hard to retain their position and to excel because ultimately unless teacher excels student won’t excel and the country will not be prosperous. Therefore there are very responsible professors and they improve themselves and they really shape up these students and therefore that lot should increase.