27 April, Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi
	Education has been a cause for great debate in India. A powerful instrument of social transformation, it has been unable to ride the hydra- headed monster of Equity and Quality, that would ensure universalization of education for every child in the country.
	Education has always been seen as the privilege of the Ruling Classes - the feudal overlords, the upper castes, traders, merchants, money lenders, people who could pay to educate their young.
	Based on a single point entry in Class 1 at age 6, sequential annual promotions from class to class, full time instructions by full time professional teachers, put the economically poor at a serious disadvantage.
	Lack of access to good schools near their homes, the need to work as soon as one was old enough to be “useful” meant that most children missed their chance at the age of 6, and were condemned thereafter to a life of illiteracy, a life in no way an improvement to that of their forefathers, either in economic terms or that of social status.
	Yet through some reformist measures, the British also set the foundation for a more egalitarian system of education. Special schools for girls, policies that forbade the barring of “untouchables” from entry into government schools – an attempt was made to break traditional mindsets and taboos. Though politically motivated, efforts were made to promote education amongst the backward sections of society.
	These are some of the burning issues that are of a concern to every citizen in this country.
	The Common School system of neighborhood schools was recommended by the Kothari Commission in its education report of 1966. Today, 40 years later, we are attempting to implement this system with an admission procedure recommended by the Ganguly Committee Report, and there is utter chaos!
	Should this process be applicable only to government schools or also aided private schools? Does this mean it does not apply to unaided private schools?
	Which brings us to the moot question – the Constitution of India clearly states that the Right to free and compulsory education is a fundamental right for every citizen of India. Is this to be applied merely in form or in the spirit of progress and national development?
	Is every educational institution not bound, therefore, to extend its portals beyond those students who can “pay” market rates, and include a fair percentage of those from economically backward classes?
	Should Quotas and Reservations be made mandatory or will this challenge “meritocracy” – the current slogan of the middle class!
	With 51% of India’s population below the age of 25, it is a matter of shame for us that even today, approximately 25 crore Indians live below the poverty line. Will these children be condemned forever to a life at the subsistence level?
	Does “Shining India” have no mind space, no heart to be inclusive in its plans for growth? In its dream plan for becoming an economic power house, in“Vision 2020?
	These are some of the questions we will debate on the Tehelka platform, with policy makers, educationists, teachers, NGOs at the grass root level working with marginalized groups as well as our key stakeholders – students from diverse backgrounds.
	Supported by UNESCO, issues of the qualitative aspect of education will also examined – the relevance of the curriculum, the pedagogy of teaching methods, the acquisition of life skills education and the preparation of the students for the competitive job market.
	“Equality, Quality and Quantity – the Elusive Triangle in Indian Education” is part of an on-going series on Education that Tehelka is committed to. The deliberations that emerge from this one day conference will form part of an Action Plan, a base document that will pave the way for future dialogue.
	The conference will be inaugurated by the HRD Minister, Shri Arjun Singh. Luminaries like Professor Yash Pal, Dr. Krishna Kumar, Padma Shri Sister Cyril, Shantha Sinha, Rohit Dhankar, Ashok Ganguly, Arun Kapur are some key participants in this dialogue.