Revisiting the Kothari Commission (1964-66) Report from the perspective of strengthening our science education and research enterprise

Abstract

Last year (2016) was the fiftieth year since the submission of the Report of the Education Commission (1964-66), popularly known as the Kothari Commission Report. This report, in four volumes, was the most comprehensive among other such reports and laid the foundation for the national education pattern. In the sphere of higher education and scientific research, the report strongly urged the necessity of rooting our science on indigenous ethos and priorities, maintaining highest autonomy in academic matters in our institutions of higher education, making our universities the arena of high-quality teaching and research, maintaining high efficiency in the utilization of scarce resources including that of our scientific manpower, selectively encouraging certain centres of excellence so as to bring them at par with international institutions of repute and, above all, nurturing a value system in our scientific temperament, so that we draw nourishment from our rich cultural and spiritual heritage. In this article, we dwell upon these aspects of the report, some of which are rather unconventional. A review like this is still relevant, particularly in the context of making our science, technology and innovation system more productive and socially relevant.