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Thursday, August 04, 2005
Knowledge and the State
The Telegraph writes:
Knowledge has advanced not because of the state but despite its presence. The state has a natural propensity to regulate, to monitor and to control. The pursuit of knowledge strives to free itself from shackles of any kind. These are irreconcilable positions. But in India the belief persists that the state can directly participate in the advancement of knowledge. This participation goes far beyond the funding of educational and research establishments. The attempt to control these institutions is common to all governments in India, irrespective of their ideological orientation.The editorial correctly points out that the new Knowledge Commission set up by Manmohan Singh aims for "not the pursuit of knowledge, but of utility." It correctly concludes: "The state should leave knowledge alone if it wants knowledge to flourish." Read the full piece.
