Find gurus who can complement Google

V-P Naidu is correct: Search engines can’t replace gurus. But where are the teachers?

Emphasising on the importance of teachers and education, vice-president M Venkaiah Naidu recently said Google can never replace a ‘guru’ because a “guru gives not mere” academic knowledge but “insights as well”. What the V-P said is worth thinking about, especially at a time when search engines and social media have a vice-like grip on our lives these days. However, blaming technology is unfair. It has its positives: Technology today allows access to information to more people than ever before in history. Sitting in India, one can now access courses taught by the top-class faculty at the best universities in the world. Or re-skill oneself by doing a short course offered by platforms such as Coursera.

But yes, as Mr Naidu said Google cannot replace a guru because a teacher brings something extra to a class. Like a parent, a good teacher is a guiding force for children, mentoring them to negotiate not just their careers but life. Unfortunately, this is where Indian children, especially those who go to Staterun schools, are losing out: Of the six million teaching positions in government schools nationwide, about 900,000 elementary school teaching positions and 100,000 in secondary school are vacant, according to an IndiaSpend study. It is not surprising then that the learning levels in primary classes are so poor. At the university level, there’s 30% faculty shortage.

The Centre and the states — education is on the concurrent list — must figure out ways to tackle this challenge; investing in infrastructure will not improve our educational levels, which can then seriously impact economic growth and highpriority programmes such as Skilling India. It is imperative we find gurus who can complement Google.