Rekindling optimism

Recently, I visited a state university in Karnataka to act as a resource person at a national seminar on local governance. Upon my arrival, I noticed certain characteristics of a Rural Institute within the university premises. In reality, it is not a Rural Institute, but rather a state university fully funded by the Government of Karnataka. However, it was established with the primary goal of serving the rural community by producing professionals through its academic programmes. Though the buildings are designed to suit the massive requirements of a state conventional university, the activities and academic engagements of the university appear to me as that of a Rural Institute.

Currently, the concept of Rural Institute is not widely discussed in academic and policy circles. Consequently, it is not surprising that many people are unfamiliar with the term ‘Rural Institute’. This concept is closely associated with Mahatma Gandhi's framework of New Education. In order to experiment with the framework on a trial basis, 14 Rural Institutes were established in India at the dawn of Independence. Within a short period, all but one of these institutions merged with the mainstream educational system. The sole exception that retained its nomenclature is the Gandhigram Rural Institute, thanks to its continued funding from the Government of India. Even today, this institute, with its name, serves as a reminder to all to contemplate the essence and purpose of a Rural Institute.

The very purpose of a rural institute is not to merely produce students for the job market or government employment by awarding certificates, diplomas, and degrees. The fundamental idea behind establishing a Rural Institute is to cultivate a cadre of transformational leaders who can collaborate with rural communities to achieve fundamental transformation at the grassroots level. The students coming out from conventional university system typically pursue jobs in the job market or government, with only a small fraction venturing into entrepreneurship or politics. Very rarely do individuals from conventional universities choose to work with rural communities to drive rural transformation. It is a common practice in rural households to counsel their educated children not to return to the village, as village life is very horrible and troublesome.

Furthermore, the entire education system is designed to cater to the needs of the job market, urban development, and government sectors, with minimal focus on rural transformation. Rural transformation has been absent in the discourses in framing education policy for the country since Independence.

In this context, I examine the Karnataka State Rural Development and Panchayati Raj University from a functional perspective. The university has aimed to see the transformative process of the villages through the lenses of Mahatma Gandhi and Swami Vivekananda. To facilitate this, a small structure has been erected on the campus to illustrate the key concepts of Mahatma Gandhi, accompanied by a statue of Gandhi and a portrait of Swami Vivekananda. This serves as a tool to help students internalise the ideas of these two great leaders regarding the transformative process of the masses. This structure is known as Sabarmati Ashram. Every program conducted by the university begins with a tribute to Gandhi, where flowers are offered as "pushpanjali" at Sabarmati Ashram. The university's mandate is explicit: it aims to prepare youth for rural transformation initiatives by actively engaging with rural communities.

The university's mission extends beyond teaching and career-oriented research. It adopts an integrated approach, encompassing teaching, research, training, outreach and beyond. During my conversation with the vice-chancellor, he emphatically emphasised that a university's essence lies not in its physical infrastructure but in its activities and engagements. He went on to explain that the university is committed to bringing students and teachers to the doorsteps of villages to collaborate with local communities.

Three decades ago, at the Gandhigram Rural Institute, the venerable Gandhian Devendra Kumar, serving as Vice-Chancellor, launched a programme called ‘University at the Doorsteps of the Villages’. This initiative was marked by extensive engagement involving students, teachers, and villagers. In a similar vein but with a distinctive approach, the Karnataka State Rural Development and Panchayati Raj University is developing academic and outreach programmes. Observing the university's unique endeavours, I was tempted to ask the question who was behind this creation.

The reply came that it is none other than HK Patil, Minister of Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Karnataka Government. During the previous Congress regime, he held the portfolio of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj. Patil himself disclosed his aspiration to establish an institute dedicated to bolstering grassroots people's institutions, specifically Panchayati Raj, by preparing professionals to work with rural communities. When he shared this concept during his lecture at the inaugural programme of the national seminar, it brought to my mind two eminent personalities — APJ Abdul Kalam, the former President of India, and Verghese Kurien, the Father of the White Revolution. After visiting and observing the activities at the Gandhigram Rural Institute, the former President had remarked that every state in the country should establish a similar Rural Institute to train professionals in rural transformation activities. Kurien observed that for rural transformation, the country needs rural institutions to prepare professionals to improve the quality and standard of life of the rural poor. He established the Institute of Rural Management (IRMA) in Anand. The creation of the Karnataka State Rural Development and Panchayati Raj University follows a similar vision. Currently, the university is under capable leadership, guiding both teachers and students with a clear perspective, despite the challenges it faces. In a short period, the university has carved out its niche, but it still has a long journey ahead. To achieve its goals, strong leadership and a well-trained, well-oriented, and talented faculty, driven by a sense of commitment, are essential.

When PV Narasimha Rao was the Prime Minister of India, he created the National Council of Rural Education (NCRI) to establish a greater number of Rural Institutes in the country and appointed M Aram as Vice-Chancellor of the Gandhigram Rural Institute. Later, he was succeeded by the eminent Gandhian, LC Jain. Unfortunately, the council could not fulfill its intended objectives due to a lack of understanding of the Rural Institute concept among officials in the Ministry of Human Resource Development and the University Grants Commission (UGC). Consequently, the council remained inactive and failed to engage in activities to realise its goals, despite the clear roadmap laid out by PV Narasimha Rao during its inauguration.

But the Karnataka Rural Development and Panchayati Raj University, through its active functioning, instills hope that there is indeed potential for the development of Rural Institutes in this country. This optimism is contingent on the availability of strong political leadership, such as HK Patil in Karnataka.

The writer is a former Professor and Rajiv Gandhi Chair for Panchayati Raj Studies, Gandhigram Rural Institute. Views expressed are personal