Bangalore: Human Resource Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi on April 24 cautioned against Indian higher education becoming a "leftover" of what is happening in the West and said indigenous knowledge must remain part of it.

Inaugurating a national seminar in Bangalore, he also said "internationalisation" of education in the context of globalisation should not become a "one-way traffic", with the country being just a "recipient".

Indian educational system could also "supply" and tell the countries to be satisfied, peaceful and "not to attack other countries", he said, in an apparent dig at the US for its war on Iraq.

"Is Indian education quality education, or is it leftover of what is happening in the West?" he asked and said it would be a "distorted view" to think that the happenings in US or the West should be copied.

Quoting an expert against "Mac Donaldisation" of education, he said, "I don't think everybody in India eats pizza every day. Can it become a daily diet for us?"

He said it would be a dangerous thing to talk loosely about the quality of education without understanding the culture, history and geography of the country. The quality of education should be focussed more on the problems of Indian nation and "we can also solve problems of developing countries".

Joshi also stressed that the "higher objectives" of higher education should be understood in Indian context and not from Western perspective.

PTI