Question

Read the following passage and answer the question given below:

Education, since the coming of the British to India, has been secular in content. By this we mean the content of education did not include the study of sacred texts. Schools were open for all to learn and climb the ladder of vertical mobility. The study of the English language as well as the opportunity to study in the English medium was available. It is true that several Indians from certain social and economic strata were the first to access an English education. Many of them later constituted the intelligentsia of our society. We refer to many of them as social reformers, such as, Raja Rammohan Roy, Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar, Pandita Ramabai, Maharshi Dhondo Keshav Karve. They worked for religious, social and educational reform in Indian society. Such visionaries of society continue even in the post-independence era, to the present time. Educational opportunities have grown by leaps and bounds in the last 73 years since Independence. One questions if the educated have merely acquired education or if the education has helped citizens become gainfully employed and more importantly, enlightened enough to transform society at the micro level. It is necessary for the government to consider the interests of all sections of society. Each citizen can play a dynamic role in the development of all people in our society.

1. What are the changes in Indian education during the British Period?
2. Has Indian society really changed due to education?

Answer 1

1. Education was not limited to particular segments of society under the British government's new liberal education policy. The proliferation of secular education broadened Indians’ perspectives. Western ideals have an impact on educated Indians. They acknowledged that a number of traditions and rituals were unfair and unjust. In order to change Indian society, they launched a number of social and religious movements.
2. Education has a useful role in bringing about change at the individual, or micro-level. Nowadays, it is widely acknowledged that education may be an agent or instrument of social development and transformation. Education has the power to start societal change by altering people’s perspectives and attitudes. It may result in social changes by altering the pattern of social ties. Every facet of man’s life has changed dramatically as a result of education. Education is a process that modifies societal behaviour. It is a procedure that makes it possible for each person to contribute positively to the advancement of society and to effectively engage in its activities.