It's a crisis of academic leadership, Pg13

Key Highlights:

• A crisis of academic leadership is evident in key Indian educational institutions like NCERT, CBSE, and NTA.
• The NCERT faced criticism from the Supreme Court for a controversial Class VIII textbook chapter, highlighting a lack of institutional accountability.
• CBSE's implementation of On-Screen Marking (OSM) for Class XII exams caused significant uncertainty due to inadequate preparedness.
• The National Testing Agency (NTA) has been criticized for repeated failures in conducting exams like NEET, including alleged paper leaks and a lack of accountability.
• These incidents underscore a shift from academic to bureaucratic leadership in educational bodies, impacting their credibility and student welfare.

Detailed Insights:

• Post-Independence, institutions like CBSE and NCERT gained national and international credibility through strong academic leadership and autonomy.
• The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 emphasizes critical thinking, a principle contradicted by the NCERT's handling of the controversial textbook chapter.
• The Supreme Court's initial ban on external experts for the NCERT chapter, later corrected, highlighted the need for institutions to own their published content.
• CBSE's OSM implementation, reportedly with a dry run less than a month before exams, demonstrated a severe lack of institutional preparedness and accountability.
• The NTA's mechanical approach and the Chief's denial of systemic paper leaks for exams like NEET reflect a significant moral and institutional failure.
• The article advocates for appointing academics to head educational institutions, contrasting with the historical presence of academics in such roles post-Independence.
• The current situation necessitates a thorough overhaul of the system to restore public confidence and ensure institutional accountability, rather than mere administrative transfers.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Academic Leadership: Leadership in educational institutions by individuals with strong academic backgrounds and expertise.
• National Education Policy (NEP) 2020: A comprehensive framework for India's education system, emphasizing critical thinking and holistic development.
• On-Screen Marking (OSM): A digital method of evaluating answer scripts, intended to improve efficiency and accuracy in examinations.
• Accountability: The obligation of an individual or organization to account for its activities, accept responsibility for them, and disclose results transparently.