Commercialization of Education: Boon or Bane

Have often heard people complaining about rising commercialization of education. As per the stalwarts of industry, this sector has increasingly become money minting machine to many rather than ‘Temple of Learning’ as was conceived earlier. Things came to boil when I came to know about some IITians, who are in coaching business, advising engineering students during a seminar, ‘it is soft skills which is of paramount importance to get a job, content comes only after this’. If translated in marketing lingua, it is tantamount to ‘packaging is important, product comes next’. Commenting upon the current scenario, one Guru exclaimed, ‘A student is cheated so many times by these institutes that he becomes a cynic and skeptic!’

Now, is increasing commercialization of education really bad? Education sector has always been plagued by shortage of eminent personalities in it. There is a stigma attached to it. If you are a teacher or professor, or worse if you are running a coaching institute, people tend to perceive that you are not capable of doing anything else (and that’s why you are here). There is a serious lack of professionalism. During early years of our independence (or shall we say rise of India), there was at least a bit of pride attached with the profession. But advent of LPG, I guess, took away even that minuscule amount of smugness.

Today, no one aspires to become a teacher. Ask any child and most probably he will want to become an engineer, doctor or most probably MANAGER (with a degree from some B school). Sector is simply not attracting talent, and there is marked shortage.

But commercialization of education is opening avenues. Today, best of brands with best of brains are entering the market. And that is possible only because this sector is also showing same promise in terms of remuneration and career growth as that of any other sector. As for students, they are getting world class infrastructure combined with world class brains delivered at their doorstep, albeit with a price tag.

But what most people fail to understand that it is this price tag which is allowing institutions (whether it be colleges/schools or be it coaching and training institute) to scale up to world standards. Usage of latest technologies in class rooms (LCD projector is just a glance), interactive lectures (imagine teaching atomic structure of water with the help of Flash based application which allows student to drag atoms of Hydrogen and Oxygen and bring them together in correct sequence in order to form a molecule of water. Hasn’t someone famously said, ‘A picture is worth thousand words), superbly designed courses based on world class pedagogies (which don’t focus on erecting a ‘Babu’), lavish playgrounds (for skills which cannot be taught in classroom alone, like leadership) and other bells and whistles come at a price.

I am completely in tandem with someone who treats education as a business. In fact, a smart businessman will never compromise on consumer satisfaction (students in this case). He knows that unless and until he keeps them happy, he will not be able to survive for long.

But sadly, it is businessmen without vision who are ruining the market. They open one college after another as if on some mission, without thinking about their strategy or impact. Their college/coaching institute become a place where one comes to buy one’s degree/satisfy one’s parent. As in any other business, integrity is of paramount importance in this one too, if not more. I think, the responsibility is greater here as you are playing with an Individual. You can very well make or mar him.

I have always believed in the adage, ‘excess of everything is bad’. Downright commercialization with the only goal of minting money will prove disastrous to the people involved as well as the sector. Packaging is important, but it is product which will ensure repeat purchase.

But thank God for small mercies, we have eminent educationists who are turning into businessmen. If commercialization is THE factor which brings them in, I am all for it.

SRK

Have been thinking since ages to jot my thoughts, i.e. if I say in lingua of Internet, create a blog space of my own. And I guess, have done it some n number of times too, just to explore. Finally I get a chance to sit and collate my thoughts. And what better way to start than by writing about the man who has been my ideal.

I have no doubts that there will be hue and cry (or at least a smirk) when you read that I am attributing the title of being 'Ideal' to a cine star। I have usually seen two types of reaction towards SRK. Either people downright hate him or simply love him. Haven't seen people indifferent to him. So, I guess the old adage holds true for him, 'Love him or hate, him you cannot afford to ignore him".

Jog your memory cells and go back a bit. I guess, saw this guy for d 1st time while he was working in Fauji (still remember the famous dialog from d serial 'I say chaps'), but didn't take much of notice of him (after all, I was just a kid then). But, the serial was the most popular serial on Doordarshan. The main reason was Shahrukh Khan. He was the most loved character on the serial. The serial showed Shahrukh as Abhimanyu Rai, an irresponsible youngster who trains to become a commando and finally matures up. He trains under his own brother who is shown to be a strict disciplinarian. Most of the characters were adorable and the serial was very patriotic and fun to watch. “I say chap”, the line was so cool and within weeks was on everybody’s lips.

Then came another serial based on Punjab strife, 'Doosra Kewal'. The serial had Shahrukh playing Kewal, a village lad who goes to town and never returns. The story is told as memories of his mother and daughter and the village people. Shahrukh dies trying to prevent his friend becoming a terrorist. The last episode showed his friend coming to Shahrukh’s home and his family accepting him as the second Kewal. Sort of reincarnation of Shahrukh. Hence the name Doosra Kewal or The Second Kewal. This serial made me sit up and notice this lanky personality.

But the icing on the cake for me was the serial 'Circus'. Am sure, most of my generation who had access to TV and hence Doordarshan will remember and love this serial. I had moved to a boarding school, Birla Vidya Mandir, Nainital and had limited access to TV. Don't remember how, but some way or other always managed to watch this serial (guess it came on Sunday). He essayed the role of son of a circus owner who comes back from USA and is forced to take control of a failing circus. He tries to sell the damn thing off many a times but some inner power stops him from doing the inevitable. It had Renuka Sahane playing Shahrukh’s love interest. She was very young then. Her smile was beautiful then too :-).

There was another serial with him too, namely 'Dil Daarya'. As I was in a boarding school and hadn't that much of access to a TV set, I guess I missed this serial completely. Oh! Fun filled days of Doordarshan! Digressing a bit, but 'Kachhi Dhoop, Vyomkesh Bakshi, Bikram aur vetal, Purane Kile ka Rahasya, Udaan, Buniyaad, etc.' were a treat to watch. I guess haven't followed a serial religiously since the advent of cable TV.

But, the turning point for me was 'Darr'. I remember I was in Lucknow then and preparing for my board exams in Motimahal (a grand place where Birla Vidya Mandir shifted to during winters for 10^th and 12^th class students to prepare for their respective board exams). While writing for one of our weekly tests, someone played at an outrageous volume ‘Jaadu Teri Nazar’. The song started at such a beautiful note (strumming of guitar strings) and then magical voice of Udit Narayan filled the silence (maintained as test was going on). I distinctly remember putting my pen down as if in trance and listening to the song till it was over. And thus started never-ending tryst with music and Bollywood. We were shown a movie of our choice on Sunday on VCR. Guys brought Darr one Sunday. The print was horrible and I decided to skip the movie.

Just before we were to shift to Nainital again to write our board exams, we were given a break of 3 days. We were supposed to study and pack our belongings, but we had other ideas. Three days were spent in watching back to back movies and Ganjing (ppl frm Lucknow will understand). And then I watched ‘Darr’. ‘Blown away’ would be an understatement. And as luck would have it, next movie I watched same day was ‘Kabhi Haan Kabhi Na’. I suppose I need not say anything.

Newcomer (for me, hadn’t seen Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, Deewana, Chamatkar, Dil Ashna Hai, King Uncle, Maya Memsaab, Baazigar yet as was in a boarding school), negative role, pitted against an established actor (Sunny Deol) and this guy emerges smelling roses. The performance was simply superb and d movie awesome (Yash Chopra knows how to pull strings of your heart). Apparently Sunny Deol was so miffed that he vowed to never do a Yash Chopra movie again.

‘Kabhi Ha Kabhi Na’ was a contrast in comparison. He essayed a lovable character with golden heart but having shades of grey (as in he is not strict moralist as was the trend in pictures then. He doesn’t think it bad to fib a little in order to land a contract or for that matter plotting to have his girl) and the movie stays fresh even today.

I remember thinking, how tenacious (not exactly the same word, my English wasn’t so good then) is this guy. Non-filmi background, average looks, and not a stylist (thr wasn’t ny mannerism to copy other than his now famous stutter) and this guy has made all the way from TV serials to rule the roost. And I was hooked, big-time. There was something in middle-class background, the boy next door looks and energy and passion in the work which had the whole nation enamoured. I will not go on and recount his journey to DDLJ, an iconic movie and which made Mr. Khan a la King Khan. But I think you get the picture.

He did everything to earn money (be it acting in movies, doing ads, or dancing at weddings), with his philosophy being ‘I will not be able to earn till eternity, so why not make hay while sun shines’. And that philosophy gelled with me somehow. What is the harm in amassing wealth by the sweat of your brow???

It is not that he is an exceptional actor, he is not. He has far more illustritious contemporaries. What makes him exceptional is his business acumen and ability to pour heart in a project in which he believes. I admire his courage (turning into a producer when he had firmly settled his acting career), his confidence (taking the world in his stride irrespective of ppl panning him), his passion and zeal (hv heard/read n number of times abt his energy levels), his ability to walk the talk (putting money for movies like Main Hoon Na and OSO), his candour (admits freely that he dances in weddings, so?) and not to mention a warped sense of humour (said while accepting Best Actor Award for DDLJ, ‘Where were the costumes’, commenting upon Rangeela winning the Best Costume Award).

People say his movies click because he promotes them well. My take – agreed he promotes his movies well (and why should not he?), but at the end there has to be something in the product which makes him THE bestseller of India today. Am a marketing guy, so strongly believe in the adage ‘you can’t fool all the people all the time’. There is something in SRK which prompts people to say, ‘In Bollywood, there sells only two things – sex and SRK’ (attributed to Neha Dhupia) or market to declare SRK as the most saleable brand in India.

To many more years to come, to the most astute businessman Bollywood has ever produced, to proving it right that dreams fructify if u follow them with zeal and passion, to the one and only SRK! Cheers!