Gross National Wisdom

GROS S NA TI ONAL WI SD OM ( GNW) : TH RO UGH E NG AGE MEN TS OF UN IVER SI TI ES WI TH TH E SO CI ETY

Dr. K. Chidananda Gowda

Former Vice-Chancellor, Kuvempu University Shankaraghatta, Shimoga District. Karnataka, INDIA

The Society is the first floor, and the University system is the second floor built above the first floor. But the builders forgot to build the staircase linking the two floors. - Ravindranath Tagore 1

BHUTAN: GROSS NATIONAL HAPPINESS AIM → To measure the progress in the welfare of Human beings Parameters used by Bhutan are: ❃ ❃ ❃ ❃

Care for nature Economic progress rooted in the principles of ecology, and gender and social equity Good governance as reflected in freedom from corruption Promotion of cultural and spiritual values

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GROSS NATIONAL WISDOM (GNW)

WISDOM: The ability to use intelligence for good purposes GNW can be measured using the following indices: ❃ ❃ ❃ ❃ ❃ ❃

Relationship of knowledge to life Fitness, Quality, and Excellence Equity and Literacy Technology and Value addition Co-existence and Harmony Self-empowerment 3

UNIVERSITY and SOCIETY

UNIVERSITY Lessons are learnt first

SOCIETY

followed by:

Testing times & Experiences first followed by:

Tests

Learning Lessons

Practical Experiences

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RELATIONSHIP OF KNOWLEDGE TO LIFE

✒ “ Know thyself” in order to attain wisdom-Socratis ✒ Unless men increase in wisdom as much in knowledge, increase of knowledge will be increase of sorrow - Bertrand Russel ✒ Knowledge is power ✒ Knowledge combined with folly, leads to tension in Society ✒ Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? - T.S. Eliot ✒ Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers. ✒ Knowledge has no meaning unless it could be applied to life - Gandhiji 5

FITNESS ✎ Survival of the Fittest - Charles Darwin ✎ The species which survives during evolution is not the strongest nor the biggest, but the one which is the fittest in the changing environment. ✎ Because of competition on account of Globalization, the most appropriate technology survives the fittest person for the job is selected, and only the best product is desired by the consumers. ✎ Nations have passed away and left no traces, and history gives the naked cause of it, one single simple reason in all the cases - they fall because their people are not fit. ✎ It is the duty of the Academia to properly advise the society about the changes taking place globally. 6

QUALITY ▼

Quality is the fitness for the purpose

▼

Quality of the products matters most when there is competition, national and international

▼

In quality awareness, India’s rank is 12th among 14 developing nations.

▼

A public sector company in India exported several crores worth of machinery to Iran. But as the quality was below the acceptable standard, the entire consignment was rejected by Iran. The sales-deed was cancelled. India had to pay a fine of Rs.7.5 crores as per the agreement made.

▼

Academia should propagate the culture of Quality.

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EXCELLENCE ✝

That which is done using knowledge, dedication and identity with the work, that only becomes excellent. - Upanishat

✝

We are what we repeatedly do; Excellence, then is not an act, but a habit. - Aristotle

✝

Thomas Gray’s “ Elegy written in a country Churchyard:” The poet had detested the 1st, 2nd, 3rd ... Versions. He was only satisfied with the poem’s 75th version.

✝

Trifles make up perfection; but perfection is not a trifle - Michelangelo

✝

The academia should lead by example and spread the culture of Excellence 8

EQUITY DIMENSION Survival of the fittest

- Jungle law - animal mindset

Survival of the weakest

- Civilised law - human mindset

Kautilya’s mathsya (fish) metaphor: “As there is a tendency of a big fish to eat small fish, the kingdom or State should use its power and authority in favour of the weak.”

Mahatma Gandhi favoured the survival of the weakest: “Whenever you are in doubt, recall the face of the poorest and weakest man, and ask yourself if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him” 9

EQUITY

WITH

FITNESS

To become Fit, requires: - New Technologies - Modern Facilities - Specialized Human Resource Requirement: Large amount of Financial Resources To establish Equity, requires: - Monetary, infrastructural, and Legal help by the State - Knowledge and Skill help by the Academia Requirement: Joint effort by the State and Academia Solution? - Support by the State - Innovative financial management - Integrated approach to Education & Training

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EQUITY AND LITERACY GINI COEFFICIENT: This is a yardstick used by Economists to measure Educational inequality. Gini Coefficient : 0 means total equality 1 means total inequality EDUCATIONAL GINI COEFFICIENT COUNTRY

1970

1990

India

0.76

0.69

Korea

0.51

0.22

Indications: This is the reason why Korea has fared better than India. AVERAGE YEARS OF SCHOOLING IN INDIA Richest 40% of population: About 10 years Poorest 40% of population: Almost 0% - Filmer & Pritchett (Based on 1999 Research)

REQUIREMENT: The State and the Academia should put in joint efforts to bring down the 11 Educational Gini Coefficient.

Technology & VALUE ADDITON I. An Item in Ripley’s “ Believe it or not” 1. A plain bar of Iron

=

$5

2. Made as a pair of horse shoes

=

$50

3. Made into sewing needles

=

$5,000

4. Made into springs of Swiss watches =

$500,000

II. Example of water: 1. City Corporation sells water to Coca-cola

= Rs.2.50 / litre

2. Coca-cola sells to Kinley which purifies & sells = Rs.12 / litre 3. Coca-cola Co. makes Coca-cola and sells

= Rs.40 / litre

III. Example of Cotton:

♥

Meaning:

Selling raw cotton? Selling reels of cotton threads? Selling cotton clothes? Selling cotton ready-made garments?

Unwise (No Value added) Slightly better Definitely better Best ( Highest Value added)

♥

The raw material is not what is important

♥

What is important is how the raw material is made a Product using Knowledge, thereby adding Value

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CO-EXISTENCE AND HARMONY Along with “Survival of the Fittest” and “Support to the Weakest”, equally important is: “Preservation of the Uniquest”; Requirements are: “ Co-existence and Harmony”. “Preservation of the Uniquest” has the following implications: - Unique culture with others: has the freedom to co-exist - Different societies should have: Free breething space - Bio-diversity based on “Uniqueness”: To be celebrated - Uniqueness feature of nature: To be appreciated - Many to One: by harmonious integration.

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DIVERSITY OF INDIAN SOCIETY Geographical diversity - Snowy mountains - green hills - Evergreen forests - rivers, streams, lakes, tanks - beaches - deserts Diversity of seasons - Spring, winter, summer, monsoon Social diversity - Historical, geographical, cultural, linguistic, religious, social, political, economic Religious diversity - Hindu, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism, Christianity, Sikhism Linguistic diversity -18 officially recognized languages

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ONE IT TO MANY IT’s India has been sending crusaders fully armed with the knowledge of IT to conquer foreign countries. In Silicon Valley: Every third person you meet is an Indian. More than 70% Software Companies are owned by Indian Engineers. “IT” has shown the way to India’s Tomorrow ; But the future of India is not in “IT” as in Information Technology. It is in “ IT” as in “Indian Talent” - R.A. Mashelkar

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SWOT OF MANY IT’s STRENGTH

WEAKNESS

ITM : Indian Talented Mindpower IT-SC : IT - Super Computer ITPR : Indian Trees and Plant Resources ITK : Indigenous Technical Knowledge ITYM : Indian Techniques of Yoga & Meditation ITS : Indian Technology of Space ITHR : Indian Treasure - Human Resource

ITM : Indian Tainted Mindset

ITMI : Indian Technological & Management Institutes

ITS : Indian Trust of Self

ITE

ITCM: IT For Common Man

: Indians Trained in English

OPPORTUNITY ITI

: Indian Tourism Industry

ITES : IT enabled Services ITBT : IT for Biotechnology ITAB : Indian Talent in Arts for Business ITC

: Indian Trials-Clinical

ITH : Indian Toiling (work) Habit ITQ : Indian Thrust towards quality ITE : Indian Team Effort ITI : Indian Third-rate Infrastructure

THREAT ITEA : Indian Trailing Ethical Awareness ITW

: Indian Thirst for water

ITSA : Indian Toilet & Sanitation Awareness ITL

: Internal Tensions & Losses

ITC

: Indian Tree Cover

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SELF-EMPOWERMENT Human beings possess 4 dimensions of power, and for Holistic development all the 4 must be empowered: Physical, Mental, Intellectual, & spiritual Quality Higher Education must empower a person in all the 4 dimensions. With this Backdrop, Swami Vivekananda said: “We want that education by which character is formed, strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded, and by which one can stand on one’s own feet.” Swami Vivekananda also said: “Every soul is potentially divine. The aim is to manifest this divinity within by controlling nature, internal and external. The Universities, whenever and wherever possible should vividly present before the society various dimensions of self-empowerment: - Attitudes of Mind - Creativity - Pillars of Learning - Learners in the 21st Century 17 - Technology and Learning

Attitudes of Mind A survey was conducted in Harvard University about getting of jobs and reasons for the same. It has been shown that when a person gets a job, and becomes successful in it, 80% of the time it is because of his attitude, and only 20% of the time because of how smart he is and how many facts and figures he remembers. According to Dr. William James of Harvard University, the greatest discovery of his generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind. Surprisingly, almost 100% of money in education goes to teach facts and figures which accounts for only 20% of success in work. Most of our attitude is established during our formative years. 18

CREATIVITY INDIAN AND OTHER CHILDREN: A Survey of Children of 113 Countries has revealed: At the age of 6

: Indian children are most talented.

At the age of 16 place

: Indian child goes down to 26th

Meaning

: Creativity is wiped out.

LOSS OF CREATIVITY: The result of another test: An Indian student’s Creativity in the 1st grade

: 100 Units

The same student’s Creativity in the 12th grade : 10 Units 19

LEARNING and UNESCO Definition of Learning: Acquiring necessary knowledge and skill for better performance. UNESCO: The Delor’s Commission, appointed by UNESCO, for determining an educational system for the 21st Century, suggests 4 pillars of Education: 1.

Learning to Know

2.

Learning to do

3.

Learning to live together

4. Learning to be Learning to know : Acquiring necessary Knowledge Learning to do

: Acquiring necessary skill

Learning to live together : Acquiring Wisdom for Co-existence & Harmony Learning to be

: Acquiring calmness inside &

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21st Century learners: Desirable Attributes 1. Learnability: Learning to learn, on one’s own 2. Zeal for life-long learning 3. Ability to get knowledge from other disciplines 4. Ability to work in a team 5. Exposure to commercial disciplines 6. Creative skills 7. Integrative skills 8. International Outlook 9. Ability to employ IT 10. Ability to work at interface between traditional disciplines 11. Commitment to sustainable development 21

TECHNOLOGY-ENHANCED

Same Time Same Place

Classroom Learning

Different Places

Distance Learning

LEARNING

Different Times Computer Based Learning Asynchronous Learning

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LEARNING:

Richard Feynman ( Nobel Laureate in Physics)

After a stay of 6 months in Brazil, Feynman said: “Youth in Brazil are learning to write Physics Examination . But they are not learning Physics.”

Is this true for India?

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UNIVERSITY’S PHYSICS AND SOCIETY’S EVERYDAY LIFE ✼

Quantum Physics suggests a holistic approach to outer and inner nature: - an escape from the Spirit/Matter dualism that has dominated Western thinking

✼

The insights of modern Physics can illuminate our understanding: - of everyday life - our relationship to self (ourselves) - our relationship to others - our relationship to the World at large

✼

It is the duty of the Academia in general, and Scientific Academia in particular, to enlighten the Society about: - Modern Science - Microworld, Societal world, and Macroworld - Application of modern Science for new ways of thinking - Usher in a Society with Holistic world-view

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MICROWORLD, SOCIETAL WORLD & MACROWORLD

✜

Physics tells us about the processes of creativity and transformation in the natural world.

✜

The physics of consciousness tells us about the process of creativity and transformation within ourselves and our society.

✜

The dynamics of both our bodies and our minds emerge from the same laws and forces that move the sun and the moon or that bind atoms together.

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SOCIAL APPLICATIONS OF CLASSICAL PHYSICS ✻ Classical Physics gave Mechanistic World View. Newton’s Three laws of Motion inspired thinkers in other fields also: - Freud : For founding Scientific Psychology - John Lock & Others: Modeling their Political thinking - Adam Smith: Modeling of Economics - Darwin: Modeling Evolution - Karl Marx: Modeling Marxist Theory

✻ Isaac Newton believed that the foundations of his work could be applied to problems in moral philosophy also. 26

SOCIAL APPLICATIONS OF QUANTUM PHYSICS

This should inspire thinkers in new directions: - provide different world -view ( Non-mechanistic) - provide a new model for Indian cultural integration

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NATIONAL INTEGRATION IN INDIA LIBERAL INDIVIDUALISM: CLASSICAL ATOMS - Atoms of Classical Physics are hard, impenetrable, like Billiard balls - When these atoms meet, they clash, and go in separate ways (They are like Bertrand Russel’s Billiard balls) - They can not get inside each other COLLECTIVE THEORIES OF ROUSSEAU OR MARX: WAVELIKE ATOMS - They oppose individualism - They recommend a wavelike model of society where waves can overlap, combine, & get inside each other - They lose separate identity - This raised cultural & political difficulties

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WHOLENESS WITH INDIVIDUALISM: WAVICLE ATOMS ✯ Quantum things (systems) are both particle- like and wave-like at the same time ✯ With their particle-like aspect they stay separate ✯ With their wave-like aspect they become interwoven. ✯ They get aspects of both ✯ We interact with each other individually and also live in a holistic world. ✯ It gives us a new vision of relationship within society and within India

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A PLURALISTIC INDIA CLASSICAL PHYSICS: Only one valid perspective in absolute space and time - Western tradition is like this: one Truth, one God, one way QUANTUM PHYSICS : Truth is many-faced, manyvalued, Both/And - when quantum systems evolve, they do so by throwing out many ‘ feelers towards the future’ , each contributing to the eventual outcome. - Quantum evolution gives a scientific model for Indian pluralism with many paths and many possibilities, all paths are valid and all are necessary.

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CONCLUSION

If we are to rediscover the moral and spiritual roots of our society, we must do so in a way which mirrors, which extends and develops rather than contradicts, the knowledge that science is giving us about the nature of the physical and living worlds of which we are a part. - Danah Zohar

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THANK YOU

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