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View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Defence Science Journal Defence Science Journal, Vol 44, No 3, July 1994, pp 203-205 @ 1994, DESIDOC Remembering Daulat Singh Kothari* Prem Kirpal F-3, Sujan Singh Park, New Delhi-llO 003 When Dr Krishna of noble mien and resplendent transcended the official horizons of cooperation culture puffed the last of his cigars and died suddenly between a funding Ministry answerable to the in the Education Minister's room in the North Block Parliament for the financing of higher education and where we were meeting for a discussion about the UGC an independent commission entrusted with the choice Budget, the post of the Chairman fell vacant soon after of programmes and priorities. Being a university teacher CD Deshmukh had retired. I had run to fetch a doctor for many years in Lahore, I had learnt to value the role from the Health Ministry across the verandah, but the and functioning of a University to which Kothari had medical assistance was of no avail. In a few minutes the already made notable contributions. Together we could President, Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan arrived and serve the cause of education in a way more meaningful sadly we bade farewell to the remains of a great than the usual relations between the Chief of a Statutory gentleman. The search for a new Chairman started soon, Commission and a Secretary to the Government that and while the one very hopeful candidate was on his appoints the Commission . way to the Prime Minister's House, Dr Radhakrishnan Simplicity and humility wer~ combined with a lofty advised the Minister to announce the appointment of idealism and a rare sense of duty and service in the Daulat Singh Kotbari who was not in the running among person of Kothari who was always greater than his several aspirants. The third Chairman of the recently calling because he valued and respected the human constituted University Grants Commission on the lines spirit, nurtured and reared by the University of which of the British model, took office in 1961. Little was Jawaharlal. Nehru had written with feeling and known of Kothari beyond the scientific circles of eloquence. He regarded the University as truly a Defence Science and the University of Delhi, but the Temple of .Learning to serve the spirit of man by world of education welcomed the appointment of a knowledge, wisdom and the best of human relations scholar and teacher known and respected for his and values. The calling of a Professor was the noblest learning and dedication to teaching and research. I had a scholar could aspire to and he regarded no. honour met him earlier in the late fifties at a UNESCO General higher than being a Professor. The ideal teacher gathers Conference which he attended as a delegate of India. and imparts knowledge, attains and reflects wisdom, He was happy to meet many well-known scientists and maintains openness and receptiveness in humility, educationists from several countries, but did not take approaches all life with compassion, exercises patience kindly to the procedures and time-consuming debates in hope and perseverance, builds faith of positive of a United Nations Organization seeking consensus of outlook and belief, strives for upsurge of creativity and diverse cultures and personalities. shows the way of Love to himself and his disciples. In After his appointment as the Chairman we met in this way he can achieve and impart creativity in the the North Block when he called on the Minister. Soon pursuit of excellence and togetherness. Kothari we developed a friendship which for me was a most possessed these characteristics of the ideal teacher in rewarding experience. Our relationship quickly abundance and imparted to his disciples and friends the --- Received 24 March 191}4 .Reprinted fTom IASSI Quarterly. 1992, 11(1), 217-21, with kind permission by the Author and Editor. @ Indian Association of Social Science Institutions. 203 DEF SCI J, VOL 44, NO 3, JULY 1994 magic of a truly great personality that fulfilled itself and addenda and annexules upon which a student of inspired others. education could draw for a long time to come. Kothari The following lines that I wrote about Sarvepalli delivered his Commission's Report to the Education Radhakrishnan fitted equally into Kothari's role and Minister MC Chagla on 29th June, 1966 with a brief personality: letter in which he expressed in the following words his own view of Education which permeated the work of On this Teacher's Day the Commission: Which was launched in the Sixties "In a Science-based world, education and research I hail a great teacher are crucial to the entire development process of a Who was always a learner , country , its welfare, progress and security. It is And imparted his teaching characteristic of a world permeated by Science that in With love and compassion, some essential ways the future shape of things is Patience and Forbearance, unpredictable. This emphasizes the need for an Endless striving . For Knowledge and Wisdom . educational policy which contains a built-in flexibility so that it can adjust to changing circumstances. It With faith in Humanity underscores the importance of experimentation and And Man's innate dignity! innovation". Kothari believed fervently that Prt..<;ation should Among the many recommendations of the contribute to man's innate dignity which often suffered Commission, Kothari put special emphasis upon the in the Indian Society of traditional hierarchy and following for bringing about an educational revolution persisting poverty. One day at lunch time he looked in the country: out of the window of my room in the North Block, (a) Introduction of work -experience and social service viewing a large gathering of peons and clerks relaxed as integral parts of general education at all levels in their frugal mid-day meals and cheerful togetherness. of education; He said, "I long for the day when Ministers and (b) Stress on moral education and inculcation of a Secretaries will join such groups and celebrate their sense of social responsibility; togetherness in joyful equality and real humanity". To such an ideal of human development the best of (c) Vocationalization of secondary education; his lifework as Chairman of the Indian Education ( d) Strengthening of centres of advanced study and Commission was directed in true dedication and service. setting up of a small number of major universities The Indian Education Commission of 1964-66 was .which shQuld aim at achieving the highest a great enterprise of educational thought, organizational international standards; structures and new linkages of institutions and stages (e) Special emphasis on the training and quality of of educational development suited to the needs and teachers for schools; resources of a new resurgent India and the emerging (f) Education for agriculture, and research in horizons of a World Society of human welfare and agriculture and allied sciences; and solidarity. It set up 12 Task Forces and seven Working (g) Development of quality or pace-setting institutions Groups for different sectors and problems of education, , interviewed 900 persons, including many well-known at all stages and in all sectors. authorities from home and abroad; travelled extensively The report of the Education Commission was hailed to the States of the Union and drew upon the cultural as a landmark of educational development in India and experiences of many countries and regions, especially other developing countries. At home its in cooperation with UNESCO and through India's recommendations got bogged down in the vagaries of. growing links with countries such as the USA, the a system which was not congenial to performance and USSR, the United Kit1gdom and the British implementation. For UNESCO, however, it served a~ Commonwealth, Japan and the Asian countries. The a model for the launching in 1971 of the International story of the Commission's work is told by JPNaik and Commission on the Development of Education under Jim McDougal in a voluminous Report, with bulky the Chairmanship of Edgar Faure. Its Report entitled 204 KIRP AL: REMEMBERING DAULA T SINGH KOTHARI Learning to be-the world of education today and himself who subsequently developed his thought about tomorrow, influenced educational thinking and atom and ahimsa expressed briefly under para 1.86: planning for two decades. " Atom and Ahimsa, of to put it differently, man's Kothari's leadership of the Indian Education knowledge and mastery of the outer space and the space Commission was a remarkable achievement, made within his skull, are out of balance. It is this imbalance possible not only by his vast experience and commitment which mankind must seek to redress. Man now faces to education, but also by the moral and intellectual himself. He faces the choice of rolling down a nuclear qualities of a rare human being, deeply imbued in the abyss to ruin and annihilation or of raising himself to spirit of service and compassion, derived from the new heights of glory and fulfilment yet unimagined ..." nature of science and the essence of the cultural Kothari drew upon the Kena Upanishad, the experience and traditions of India. Notable among many writings of the Cambridge Scientist, E. Schrodinger , who served the Commission was my friend and and Jawaharlal Nehru's Azad Memorial Lecture on colleague, JP Naik. Naik possesse.d immense energy 'India and the world' in expressing his thoughts on a and knowledge of Education with a rare sense of loyalty challenge and a faith. The writing on 'Social, moral and and deep dedication to persons and causes. As spiritual values' is even more pertinent today than in Member-Secretary of the Commission his contribution 1966. I recall one fine morning in the spring of that year to the enormous task of steering its activities was when Kothari came excitedly to my room in North Block unrivalled. As a specialist he had the natural tendency for a drive into the Central Vista where we discussed of projecting his own views at the centre of recorded the content of his draft and felt happy with what discussions among the members; it was necessary to emerged after a discussion. I discovered that he escaped correct this element in the making of the Report, which often to such drives for fresh thoughts in solitude which Kothari, as Chairman, performed with great tact, he valued much. courtesy and wisdom. I conclude this tribute to Kothari's memory by For the speedy completion of the Commission's task recalling briefly the experience of our travel together and its harmonious functioning for mobilising so much in the US and the USSR at the invitation of their talent in its deliberations, all credit is due to the Governments. We travelled extensively, conferred with leadership of Kothariand the labours of its indefatigable academicians and officials about cooperative Member-Secretary, JP Naik. Respect for colleagues, programmes in the fields of Education and Culture. and encouragement of workers at all levels and good human shared ~he thoughts and vistas of the World of relations marked the style of Kothari's leadership which Knowledge in the two dominant civilizations of that yielded rich dividends in the creative functioning of the time. Those travels were great adventures of learning Education Commission and the relevance and wisdom and of the discovery that the Humanity of the Mind of its wide-ranging recommendations. To all who and the Spirit transcended the modes, styles and belicfs worked with him, he was a remarkable person imbued of rival systems of Economics and Power-politics. Like with human values that brought out the best in those a dazed child Kothari viewed the treasures o(the Library associated with him in both Science and Education of Congress at Washington and the Hermitage Museum which he served with rare distinction. at Leningrad. Among precious assets of travel were Among many pleasant memories and significant some beautiful books and pictures given to us as tokc!1); experiences of the Commission's work, I recall the of friendship which we valued and cherished. Somc drafting of the last few paragraphs of the first Chapter abiding spirit of the child remained with him through entitled -Education and national objectives'. Under a long span of life. which endeared him to all who had -Soci.11 moral and spiritual values" and. A challenge and the good fortune of experiencing the fellowship of a .1 f.lith"- much of the drafting was done by Kothari very lovable person . 2(!5
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