Exclusive Interview with Shri Indubhai Bhatt - Principal of Princess School

Interview With : Shri Indubhai Bhatt
Date: 13-11-2009
Venue :Princess School, Kalawad Road, Rajkot
Date Of Birth: 19-4-1928
Interview Time: 9:30 AM
Interviewed by : Reena Sodha
Photography by : Shriram Devmurari

From which date have you joined this institution? Besides educational field are you associated with any other fields?
I have passed more than 60 years in the field of my activities. From the year 1949, I was working in Mountain Project of the central Government. In this project, one such area was selected from where large quantity of coal was obtained. If this area is developed properly, then it was estimated that in coming 100 years, coal would be available throughout. That area was so difficult to assess i.e. in very interior, that there being no facility of electricity etc. we had to move up to a distance as far as Junagadh is from here, for sewing clothes and to cut hairs. In this area, we could see crowds of lions at 100 meters distance. Then after, Coaches for first class railway passengers were being manufactured by the Central Government in this area.

Where did you have your education?
I am born in Ahmadabad and there only I studied up to LLB. Thereafter, we shifted to Uttar Pradesh and stayed there for 15 years.

Please give your views regarding Grading systems.
From the very beginning I had made an initiative for grading system. Guardians of today are making their children to race for every single mark which is not proper. Every child usually labor according to its capacity. This burden on child will get reduced on account of grading systems.

Which system, out of the three, viz. Grading, Semester and with books do you consider best?
Out of the three, I consider with book system the best. In many countries, examination with books is already in vogue. It will not cause any difference in so far as the students’ proficiency is concerned because in system of with books, the questions themselves would be objective so that even with number of books provided to the students, they will not be able to solve the questions if he has no study of the subject. In this system, per hundred questions, hundred minutes should be allowed in the examination.

Don’t you anticipate any fear of tendency among the students to have been reduced with the system of with books?
Even today, there is no tendency among the students to read. Today, list of such students who have not read a single book of our honorable author Shri Jhaverchand Meghani is very large. For increasing students’ hunger for reading to burden them is not proper. Culture is more important than books.

In what way does your organization differ from other educational institutions of Rajkot?
We attach much importance to culture rather than to education. For teachers, specific norms are decided also. As per my opinion to lady teacher, the students feel sentiments either of mother or elder sister. We have already fixed certain rules in respect of dressing of lady teachers, as well as discipline of the students.

There was a time, when India was considered a place of pilgrimage for education. On account of prominent universities of Takshashila and Nalanda, India’s name was in whole world very famous. When do you expect such golden period of education to come?
To my expectation, we are very much near to such golden period of education. The educational institution in Ahmedabad being run by Reliance does very commendable activities. Sometime ago, our girl’s student head ranked second in the board. On realizing her achievements, Reliance head proposed to take her in their company. I feel that the said golden period of India will first come in Gujarat only.

What reasons do you see behind tendency of Indian students to go overseas for higher education?
It is not always a fact that the students coming from foreign countries are clever. The capability lying in the students will remain as it is where ever they go. Students going abroad forget their Indian culture. This fact would be born out of an incident really occurred. A son of a family living in Rajkot Ring Road was staying at London with his wife. His kidney being damaged, his health became precarious. They could not have help from anywhere. After knowing this fact, his brother fro m Rajkot gave him his own kidney but his condition also got worst in some time. While coming to knowledge of this fact, he told via phone that not to call or expect any kind of help from him. This is an example to suggest as to how the upcoming culture make people forget their intimacy relations.

What efforts should be done to stop commercialization of education?
There must be strict laws for all education institutions. Government must not approve any whatsoever institutions. There will be a compulsory act by Gujarat Government for the schools to give free education to 30% of weak students in near future. In addition, special efforts should be made to raise educational standards of these students.

Educational standard of our Government primary schools is getting lower and lower, what efforts do you suggest to improve their positions?
Government schools should be closed forever, because as I feel, the main activity is of deciding salaries of the teachers only, and not their responsibilities. In any public sector company or bank, the responsibilities of their employees are earmarked and they should give the decided target of output. It is on account of these systems, that they, employees are inclined to do better job. For providing concessional medical services, the government has established hospitals but there the patients do not get proper and timely services. There is no meaning of such free services. In any institution, if the beneficiaries have to incur somewhat expense to the relevant services, it would be appropriate and reasonable but where any service is available free, and there is no facility, or its result, then there is no use of such institutions.

Kindly describe any memorable event associated with the organization.
There are numerous memories I have with the institution I am associated with. Of these, I would like to give an account of one such case. A girl student from Gondal took admission in our institution in year 1976. Her father having received amount of 14-15 lacs, he had purchased a good car, house etc. after December 1977, she stopped coming to the school. Some days thereafter, her mother came to me in a white saree and requested me to remove the girl student’s name from the school register. According to her, they had incurred a debt of 5 lac rupees. She was not in position to allow her daughter to continue her study further. Our institution adopted the girl and educated her. Today, she is a head teacher in our school having salary of 15000 rs. The girl has resolved not to marry for whole of her life. This is glorious for her mother and to our institution. After this incident, I have resolved that whenever the earning member of a family dies, the institution will take all responsibilities of the child. In 1970, I met an accident and there hadn’t been single injury to my body. It is on account of people’s love and blessings that I am healthy at this stage and do feel that I am passing years of my age.

Kindly define success in your views.
That individual can only be successful, whose life is transparent like a glass. The person who is firm in his words as well as actions can achieve success. Such a person was Gandhiji, who was man of his words and also actions.

Today, education makes children weaker than making them powerful. Please give reasons.
Today, children are suffering from over burden. The grasping ability of a child ony develops after six years. However, children of our society are burdened heavily before this age.

Which education can be regarded as higher education?
The education is a mean of training a child for betterment of life. The education which enables an individual to attain best aims of his/her life can be considered as higher education.

Why does our young generation stay away from politics?
Politics is the only field where no qualifications are required. No norms are prescribed in politics. The cost of contesting an election is two crore. How can youth find an entry in politics? There is no scope for entry in politics for youth of ordinary family, though he is fully eligible. The provisions for the election fund should be made by government only. Moreover, on set providing for right to recall should be brought. The ministers whose performance is not up to expectation should be removed from their ministry.

What sort of opinion do you hold for the people of Gujarat?
Gujarati people usually prove feeling of intimacy. Whatever the situation our country is put to, Gujaratis never forget the sentiments of friendship. Gujarat is the safest state in the world.
In every talk with Uncle-ji, his experience always came to surface very clearly. From very small child to aged individuals in the organization, all the people should very much respect him. He believes his organization as his family and with such regards for it, he addresses whatever the problem faced by any of its members, as an elder of the family. Any individual associated with organization, wherever he is, always will keep close contacts with Uncle-ji. In respect of any problems of the organization’s employees, Uncle-ji provides necessary advice to him. As an elder of the family, Uncle-ji is a witness of the time of achievement of India’s independence,is really an elder person of the educational world.