Rural Schools of Excellence.

The best way to empower the really backward and downtrodden is NOT by reservations in Colleges and Professional Courses like Medical Engineering, Legal and IIM's & IIT's, BUT BY giving compulsory basic education of high quality to all. The Govt. should start and maintain "Rural Schools of Excellence" districtwise all over the country. These should be Boarding Schools comparable to the best in the country. Quality education upto 10th or 12 th standard level will bring these children up to their highest potential. Those not inclined to study further will take up simple professions like carpenter, mason, farmer etc. But those inclined to study further can compete and enter portals of higher education standing on one's own feet. He can walk in into IIT or IIM by sheer merit. There is no need for any kind of reservation to get entrance into a Medical College or any other field of his choice. Only support he needs is financial. The Govt. should support the poor at this stage by scholarships for all studies for the ECONOMICALLY backward. The "Rural Schools of Excellence" needs lots of funds; the Govt. could itself do it. Or Corporate Giants would be willing to start and maintain high standards in these schools. They would be more than willing if the Govt. gives tax benefits to their contributions to these schools. And accustomed to professional excellence in their business , they surely would maintain high standards in these schools. If this is done now, there is no need to have any kind of reservations in education or jobs in Govt. or Private Institutions in another 25 years. All kinds of Reservations can be phased out and completely abolished. The Govt. can and should do this and establish these Rural Schools of Excellence if they really want to uplift the really downtrodden and poorest of poors! Dr. M.Mohan Rao, Mysore. mohanrao2005@gmail.com & mmr@mohanraohospital.com