Mainstream Weekly

What Does Lowest Growth of Chhattisgarh

Arup Maharatna — 2026-02-15T09:33:33Z

Abstract: The paper examines differentials in growth of population between scheduled tribes (ST) and scheduled castes (SC) in two adjacent states, namely Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh (MP) in central India by utilizing published official information/data. Rate of growth of population has been lowest in Chhattisgarh in this entire region. This is found to be proximately due to a higher rate at which the STs of Chhattisgarh are both dying, fleeing homeland to other places for survival, and (…)

- 2026

Is

Arup Maharatna — 2025-07-12T13:18:28Z

Even the most patriotic citizens would seriously hesitate to disagree that India is perennially

- 2025

On Reservations in Higher Education | Arup Maharatna

Arup Maharatna — 2025-03-29T12:29:14Z

Abstract
The commentary dissects rationale and ramifications of a policy of reservation especially when it is coupled with relaxation in the tests of intellectual abilities and academic volition at the time of admission to higher educational institutions.
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There was a time

- 2025

Political Economy of Mass Higher Education: A Warning Call | Arup Maharatna

Arup Maharatna — 2024-05-25T01:51:11Z

Unlike terms like ‘mass/universal primary education' or ‘higher education' which have been in global vogue for at least three preceding centuries, ‘mass higher education' is radically new and certainly a post-WWII notion. For example, global gross enrolment ratio in higher (or tertiary) education (HE) was only 10.1 per cent in 1972, but it jumped to well above 40 over next fifty years. Most people take this – so-called massification of HE - as a given (immutable) historical fact too welcome (…)

- 2024

An Anatomy of Research | Arup Maharatna

Arup Maharatna — 2023-08-25T17:50:52Z

The term, research, has of late come in tremendous vogue globally. Even a ninth standard school-goer nowadays refers pretty confidently to research as a distinct activity or pursuit. Indeed, it would hardly be possible to find a single literate person who has never used this term in day-to-day conversations and even casual gossips. A staunch admirer of the present times would surely view this as a clear testimony in support of the populist branding of the current age as ‘knowledge society'. (…)

- 2023

Affirmative Action in Higher Education: India and the West | Arup Maharatna

Arup Maharatna — 2022-07-01T22:00:10Z

Abstract: [gris]There are distinct indications that a persistent pressure for rapid expansion of enrolment or market or revenues particularly in the case of growing private HE institutions has fuelled and contributed to a rising spread, popularity, and reach of affirmative action in HE generally in developed countries. A considerable uncertainty prevails over the extent of realization or realizability of the purported effects of affirmative action in HE and of increased diversity in the (…)

- 2022

Has Traditional Higher Education Been Unduly Elitist? | Arup Maharatna

Arup Maharatna — 2021-04-23T14:40:48Z

by Arup Maharatna*
It is far from the case that those, who are in the habit of calling our present times in various teleologically smart names such as ‘age of mass media', ‘knowledge society', ‘virtual age', ‘post-truth society' or ‘age of fake news', are all very sure, or know well enough, of what exactly they are talking about. I am deeply sceptical as to how many of those, who frequently call our present age as one of ‘mass media', are genuinely aware of the havoc being caused by its (…)

- 2021

Is Standard of Higher Education Falling Under Neoliberalism? | Arup Maharatna

Arup Maharatna — 2021-01-22T17:17:32Z

Introduction and Background
That the Second World War (WWII) in its wake marked a watershed in the thinking and policy on higher education (HE) is perhaps not a commonplace especially among the younger generations. HE historically (roughly until WWII) used to mean specialized in-depth teaching/learning as well as academic research, driven by curiosity/interest/passion/thirst for new knowledge, conducted in colleges, universities and such other dedicated academic institutions. It is only (…)

- 2021

Corruption and Immorality: An Illustration

Arup Maharatna — 2015-08-15T06:52:03Z

Over the recent past a great deal of hustle-bustle has been generated in our country in regard to one single phenomenon, namely, corruption. New news-channels have cropped up now and then on the TV screen, with routinised displays of what very often turn out to be nearly melodramatic performances by some of the possibly best orators—albeit skilfully moderated by professional anchors. Some sitting Ministers have been sent to jails of late in course of trials pertaining to corruption charges. (…)

- 2015

Invasion of Educational Universe by ‘Economics': A Civilisational Casualty?

Arup Maharatna — 2014-09-06T08:12:31Z

Abstract
In the late 1950s there emerged (somewhat abruptly) a constricted one-dimensional economic interpretation of the role and purpose (hence the philosophy) of education largely from the standpoint of the concepts, categories and methodology of mainstream (neo-classical) economics. This soon culminated into the foundation of a new branch of economic discourse/inquiry, namely, economics of education, which eventually weakened the pre-existing humanistic vision and liberal view of (…)

- 2014