Geneva: Observing that education can be an instrument for repairing many "fault lines" that exist in the world, India today (Sep 10, 2004) called for promoting autonomy in educational institutions and ensuring that they are not hijacked by people with "ulterior motives".

"We are up against such a challenge (promoting autonomy) in India and the next few years will be critical for us to come on top of this," Minister for Human Resource Development Arjun Singh said at the plenary of the 47th International Conference on Education.

Without naming the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) or the previous NDA (National Democratic Alliance) Government, Singh said, "It is a new kind of challenge that we must increasingly try to resolve to promote autonomy and freedom at all levels and yet keep a gentle but keen eye on these autonomies, so that they are not hijacked by people with ulterior motives or by the ideologies of hatred and divisiveness."

"Whether aware of this or not, I suspect many other societies are subjected to the same challenges. It will, therefore, be worthwhile to develop common understanding and strategies to meet this," the Minister said.

He said all our societies and the world as it is organised today have many fault lines and "education can be an instrument of repairing these fault lines or making them into wider chasms. It can promote divisiveness along these fault lines."

"The divisiveness comes because of the disparities in access, the myopic vision of those at the helm of educational policies and the perverse ideologies that from time to time run amuck among societies."

Arjun Singh noted that the increasing commercialisation of education posed another divisive force, in as much as people have access to the level and quality of education, according to their capacity to pay.

He said, "Everyone may have access to education but of a different order and quality. It cannot promote unity. Ignorance can be perhaps coped with but differentials in education can produce terrible ideas, as unfortunately, they are in several societies."