Saturday, April 15, 2006

"It's the supply, stupid!"


If there were enough high quality insitutions (schools, colleges, IITs, IIMs, and institutions of all other kinds), no one would need to clamour for reservations or endlessly debate the percentages. But as long as the supply is restricted, there is no alternative to reservations - indeed they are necessary.

This scarcity of educational opportunities is of our own doing. Our successes in the food and telecom sectors in addressing scarcities are pointers to what could have been in the education sector. There's no reason why we can't replicate the success in the education sector too.

From this excellent post by Satya in his blog, Education in India. It is a summary of his great ideas, developed and honed over the years, on higher education in India.

Let me just say that I am just glad to be on the same side as Satya on how enhancing supply (of educational opportunity) can let us all move beyond reservations.

2 Comments:

  1. Anonymous said...

    I cant understand why IIMB has to open an institute in Singapore? Why cant they spend time and effort in increasing intake, starting new courses, opening more institutes in India. More education for the masses. And at the same time, we will stop putting IIM grads (I am one too) on pedestals.

  2. Abi said...

    Yes, Hawkey, I too have wondered if IIMs really needed to open centres in other countries.

    As Satya has argued, increasing the supply of education should take care of a big part of the problem; 'reservation' would not be such a major issue.