📘 Chapter 1: Bharatiya Shiksha Ka Itihaas – Gurukul Se British Raj Tak

Part 1: Prachin Bharat Ki Shiksha Vyavastha (Ancient Indian Education System)

🔹 Introduction

Bharat, ek aisa desh jiska shiksha se sambandh hazaron saalon purana hai. Yahan ki sabhyata aur paramparaon mein gyaan aur vidya ko sabse ucha sthaan diya gaya hai. Jab duniya ke kayi desh likhna padhna bhi nahi jaante the, tab Bharat mein Takshashila aur Nalanda jaise vishwa-vikhyaat vishwavidyalay sthapit ho chuke the.

Aaj hum jis shiksha vyavastha ko “modern education” kehte hain, uski jadien prachin Bharat mein chhupi hui hain. Is part mein hum samjhenge ki prachin Bharat mein shiksha ka kya roop tha, kya uske mool siddhant the, aur kis prakar usne samaj ko gyaan aur charitra se paripurn banaya.

🔹 Gurukul Vyavastha: Shiksha aur Sanskaar Ka Sangam

Prachin Bharat ki shiksha ka kendr tha – Gurukul. Ye vyavastha kisi formal classroom jaise nahi thi. Yahan vidyarthi apne guru ke ashram mein rehte the aur wahin par unka jeevan-sanskaar aur gyaan ki prapti hoti thi.

🌿 Mukhy Visheshataein:

Residential System (Aavaasiy Vidya)
- Vidyarthi guru ke saath rahte the aur unki seva bhi karte the.
- Guru-shishya ka sambandh ek pavitra bandhan hota tha.
Holistic Education
- Sirf pustakon tak simit nahi.
- Dharm, arth, kaam, moksha – chaaron purusharthon ki shiksha hoti thi.
- Vaidik gyaan, darshan, ganit, chikitsa, dhanurvidya, arthshastra, aur kalaayein bhi sikhayi jaati thi.
Discipline aur Simple Living
- Ashram mein anushasan, tapasya, aur swavalamban ka mahatva hota tha.
- Vidyarthi khud ka bhojan banate, saaf-safai karte aur samay ka palan karte the.

🔹 Takshashila aur Nalanda Vishwavidyalay

Jab Europe andhera mein tha, Bharat ke paas Takshashila (6th century BCE) aur Nalanda (5th century CE) jaise vishwavidyalay the, jahan duniya bhar se students aakar padhte the.

🏛️ Takshashila:

Modern-day Pakistan mein sthit tha.
Chanakya (Kautilya), Charaka jaise mahaan vidwan yahaan se sambandhit the.
64+ subjects ka padhaya jaata tha – jyotish, ayurveda, arthshastra, shastra-vidya, etc.

🏛️ Nalanda:

Bihar mein sthit, 10,000+ students aur 2,000+ teachers.
Chini traveller Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang) ne iska detailed varnan kiya.
Sanskrit aur Bauddha darshan ka pramukh kendra.

🔹 Shiksha Ka Uddeshya: Jeevan Nirmaan, Naukri Nahi

Sabse vishesh baat thi ki prachin Bharat mein shiksha ka uddeshya sirf naukri pana nahi tha, balki ek samskrit, charitravan, aur jignyasu vyakti ka nirmaan karna tha.

Character building > Career building
Vidya ko “moksha ka marg” maana jaata tha.
Gyaan = mukti ka upaay

🔹 Shiksha Par Aakraman: Jab Talwaron Ke Saath Badli Gayi Soch

Prachin Bharat ki gurukul vyavastha ek strong cultural and spiritual backbone thi. Lekin 11th century ke baad Bharat par kai baar Islamic invasions hue—Mahmud Ghazni se le kar Muhammad Ghori, aur fir Delhi Sultanate aur Mughal Samrajya ka sthaapan hua. In sabka shiksha vyavastha par gehra prabhav pada.

🏹 Kya Badla Invasions ke Baad?

Gurukul aur Vishwa-Vidyalayon Ka Vinash
- Nalanda, Vikramshila jaise vishwavidyalay jala diye gaye.
- Anya ashram aur gurukul ya to tut gaye ya band ho gaye.
- Vaidik aur Sanskritik shiksha ki sthitiyan kamzor ho gayi.
Madarsa Vyavastha Ka Aarambh
- Islamic rulers ne madarsa system sthapit kiya.
- Yahaan Arabic, Persian, Quran aur Islamic philosophy padhayi jaati thi.
- Science, mathematics bhi kuchh madarson mein shamil the, par scope seemit tha.
Sanskrit aur Hindu Vidya Ka Ghatna
- Sanskrit schools aur pathshalayein gradually kam hone lagi.
- Sirf kuchh rajvansh aur santon ne inhe zinda banaye rakha.

🔹 Shiksha ka Kendriyakaran aur Rajneetik Haaviapan

Mughal kaal mein kuch prashansa-worthy efforts bhi hue:

Akbar ne Fatehpur Sikri mein ek learning center banwaya.
Dara Shikoh jaise prince ne Sanskrit aur Sufi thought ko jodne ki koshish ki.

Lekin yeh efforts widespread nahi the. Overall shiksha vyavastha:

Zamindari aur upper-class tak simit thi.
Samanya janta ke paas structured education ka access nahi tha.
Mahila shiksha almost vanished ho gayi thi.

🔹 Samajik Prabhav: Jaati aur Dharma Ka Asar

Jaati-pratha aur dharmik bhedbhaav ne bhi shiksha ko bahut prabhavit kiya:

Shudron ko vidya se vanchit rakha gaya.
Mahilaon ki shiksha lagbhag khatam ho chuki thi.
Sirf Brahmin aur upper-caste ko gurukul ya madarsas mein entry milti thi.

Yeh inequality ne Bharat ke samaj ko vibhajit kar diya — aur aaj bhi uska asar dikhayi deta hai.

🔹 Aadhunikta Ki Ore Kadam – Mughal Se British Tak

Mughalon ke baad jab East India Company ne 18th century mein apna raj sthapit kiya, tab tak Bharatiya shiksha vyavastha apni jadon se kaafi alag ho chuki thi.

Desh mein ek standardized, inclusive education model nahi tha.
Shiksha ka focus spirituality se hat kar rajneetik aur dharmik control ban gaya tha.
Gurukuls aur madarsas dono decentralised aur restricted ban chuke the.

Ab shiksha mein ek naya aur sabse bada intervention aane wala tha — British Rule.

🔹 Bharat Mein British Aagman: Shiksha Ka Naya Mod

Jab British East India Company ne 18th century ke ant tak Bharat par poora raaj sthapit kar liya, tab unka lakshya sirf loot aur governance nahi tha. Unhone Bharatiya samaj ki soch, dharanayein, aur gyaan ke srot ko badalne ka kaam bhi kiya — shiksha ke madhyam se.

🎯 Colonial Education Ka Maksad

British log Bharat mein aesa shikshit varg tayar karna chahte the jo:

Angrezi mein soch sake, likh sake, aur bol sake
Angrezi sanskriti ko superior maane
British raj ka supportive, loyal middle-class ban sake
Clerical aur administrative kaam sambhal sake

Ye clearly likha gaya tha ek historical document mein jise hum aaj bhi yaad rakhte hain…

🔹 Thomas Babington Macaulay: Bharatiya Shiksha Ka Virodhi Ya Sudharak?

1835 mein Lord Macaulay ne apni pramukh report pesh ki — jise hum “Macaulay’s Minute on Indian Education” kehte hain.

✍️ Macaulay Ka Vichaar:

“We must create a class of persons, Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste, in opinions, in morals, and in intellect.”

Iska matlab tha ki ek aesa middle-class tayar kiya jaye jo angrezi vicharon se prabhavit ho aur British rule ka blindly palan kare.

🔹 Key Badlav British Shiksha Mein

Angrezi ko mukhya medium bana diya gaya
- Sanskrit aur Persian jaise languages ko secondary bana diya gaya
- English schools ko funding milne lagi
- Missionary schools tezi se badhne lage
Clerk-Banne Waali Shiksha
- Practical knowledge aur skills ka abhav
- Rote-learning (yaad karne wali) system develop hui
- Creativity aur problem-solving ka ghatak vinaash hua
Desi Vyavasthaon ka Patan
- Pathshala, Gurukul, Madarsa system almost extinct ho gaye
- Traditional teachers (gurus, maulvis) berozgaar ho gaye
- Vidya ke saath sanskaar ka nash hua
Degree > Gyaan
- Certificate-based system shuru hua
- Pass hone ka matlab tha naukri milna – bas
- “Likhit pariksha” ko shiksha ka pehchaan banaya gaya

🔹 British System Ki Samasyaayein (Jo Aaj Tak Hai)

Samasya	Aaj Bhi Hai?
Rote learning (ratta)	✅ Haan
Exam-centric approach	✅ Haan
Practical skills ka abhav	✅ Haan
Sirf degree-based jobs	✅ Haan
English ko superior maanna	✅ Haan

🔹 Kuchh Achi Baaten Bhi Hui?

Haan, sab kuch bura nahi tha:

Universities ka sthapna hua (Calcutta, Madras, Bombay – 1857)
Printing press ke madhyam se knowledge ka vistar hua
Social reform movements (Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar) ne education ka upyog kiya
Female education ka aarambh hua (slow but impactful)

Lekin, ye sab reforms bhi mainly English-educated elite tak seemit the. Gaon, dalit, mahilayein, aur lower castes ke liye access phir bhi nahi tha.

🔹 1947: Ek Nai Subah, Par Wahi Purani Shiksha?

Bharat ko 15 August 1947 ko azadi mil gayi, lekin angrezi shiksha ki diwarien utni asani se nahi tooti. Halaanki naye Bharat ke nirmataon ne ek pragatisheel, samajik-roop se samaveshak aur gyaan-pradhan shiksha vyavastha ka sapna dekha, lekin ground reality kuch aur hi thi.

🧭 Naye Lakshya, Purani Neetiyan

Constitution ke Article 45 ke tahat kaha gaya tha ki:

"The state shall endeavor to provide free and compulsory education for all children until they complete the age of 14 years."

Par implementation bahut slow raha. 1950s–1970s mein bhi kai bacche school se bahar the.

🔹 Naye Institutions Ka Janm

Kuch revolutionary institutions ka nirmaan hua:

IITs (Indian Institutes of Technology)
- Scientific manpower ke liye world-class engineering colleges
- IIT Kharagpur (1951) pehla tha
IIMs (Indian Institutes of Management)
- Management education ke liye globally acclaimed institutes
AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences)
- Medical field mein research aur education ka shikhar

Lekin ye sab elite-level institutions the. Aam students in tak pahuch nahi paaye.

🔹 Shiksha Neetiyan: Kaagzi Badlav Ya Zameeni Sudhaar?

Independent Bharat mein teen mukhya National Education Policies bani:

📜 NEP 1968:

Sabhi bacchon ke liye 14 saal ki umar tak muft aur anivaarya shiksha
Hindi ko rashtrabhasha banane ka prayas
Science aur Math par zor

Asar: Implementation poor, language policy controversial rahi.

📜 NEP 1986 (aur 1992 mein revised):

Focus on Education for All
Mahilaon aur backward communities ke liye special schemes
Vocational education ka introduction

Asar: Infrastructure badha, lekin quality aur access mein gap bana raha.

🔹 Sarkari School System: Sapna Ya Samasya?

Desh bhar mein lakhon government schools khule, lekin:

Teacher absenteeism high
Infrastructure poor (no toilets, no libraries)
Dropout rate high in rural & poor areas
Medium of instruction: confusion (English vs regional languages)

Aaj bhi log private schools ko zyada preference dete hain kyunki unhe lagta hai ki sarkari schools sirf naam ke liye hain.

🔹 Shiksha Mein Badh Rahi Asamanta

Urban vs rural divide
Male vs female literacy gap
SC/ST/OBC communities ka pichhda hua representation
English-medium vs vernacular-medium gap

Bharat mein shiksha vyavastha gradually 2-tier ban gayi:

Ameer ke bacchon ke liye English private schools
Gareebon ke liye government ya local pathshalayein

🔹 Kya Gurukul Ka Concept Khatam Ho Gaya?

Post-independence Bharat mein gurukul model bilkul almost extinct ho gaya. Halanki kuch spiritual gurus (Ramdev, Sri Sri, etc.) ne ise revive karne ki koshish ki, lekin ye mass-level par nahi ho saka.

Modern schools ne:

Morality aur sanskaar ko hata diya
Exams, syllabus, aur degrees ko importance di
Gyaan aur anubhav ki jagah ratta aur performance aa gaya

🔹 College Education: Degree Factory Ya Skill Hub?

Aaj Bharat mein har saal lakhs of students graduation karte hain, lekin unmein se sirf kuch hi jobs ke layak hote hain. Yeh ek employability crisis ka sanket hai.

⚠️ Ground Reality:

75% graduates private sector ke layak nahi hote – (NASSCOM & India Skills Report)
Bahut se students sirf rote learning aur theory par dependent hote hain
Internship, practical exposure, critical thinking – mostly missing

Aakhir result kya hota hai? Degrees ka dher, lekin career ka andhera.

🔹 Skill-Based Learning Ka Abhaav

India ke education system mein vocational ya skill-based learning ki kami hai:

Education	Skill
BA, BSc, BCom	Zero practical exposure
Engineering	Focus on theory, outdated labs
ITI/Diploma	Society mein low image, placement unsure

World Bank ke data ke according, sirf 5% Indian workforce ke paas formal skill training hoti hai, jabki China mein yeh 47% hai.

🔹 Berozgari aur Overqualified Youth

Youth degree le ke ghar baithe hain: MA pass security guard, BTech auto driver, etc.
Government jobs ke liye race itni zyada hai ki log 6-7 saal sirf taiyaari karte hain
1 job ke liye 20 lakh applications – jaise SSC, Railways, Banks

Yeh sab dikhata hai ki:

Shiksha vyavastha aur job market ke beech coordination nahi hai.

🔹 Private Colleges: Paisa Do, Degree Lo?

Kai private universities aur colleges sirf business ban chuke hain:

Admission without merit
Fake placements
No R&D or faculty quality
High fees, low output

Unka focus hota hai:

“Degree do aur chhutti karo” – par student ko job mile ya na mile, unki chinta nahi.

🔹 Students Kya Chahte Hain?

Aaj ke students rote learning aur theory se bore ho chuke hain. Wo chahte hain:

Skill-based education
Project-based learning
Career-oriented guidance
Mental health support
Modern tech tools (AI, coding, robotics)

Par shiksha vyavastha abhi bhi 1980s wale model par chal rahi hai.

🔚 Chapter 1 Ka Conclusion:

👉 Gurukul se le kar angrezi schools tak
👉 Madarsas se IITs tak
👉 British rule se NEP tak

Humne education ke har yug ka samna kiya hai. Lekin sabse bada sawal yeh hai:

"Kya humne sirf badlaav kiya hai ya sudhaar bhi?"

Aaj ka education system naye zamaane ke challenges ke liye ready nahi lagta. Agar isse reform nahi kiya gaya, toh degree-holders toh honge, lekin sochne wale, samajhne wale, banane wale log nahi honge.