In Indian culture, the ‘Guru’ (teacher) is held in the highest regard. It is said, “There is no knowledge without a Guru.” In modern society, it is an irony that we dream of a powerful nation while neglecting our primary education system. Today, our primary education system is overlooked in many ways. If we wish to build India as a corruption-free and strong nation, a revolutionary change in teacher recruitment and their socio-economic standards is indispensable.
The highly meritorious “Creamy Layer” of the country—those who score the highest marks in exams—prioritize IIT, IIM, or UPSC as their first choice. Hardly any of these students choose primary or secondary teaching as their first preference. Even after completing prestigious education from institutions like IIT and IIM, they long for the IAS. Nowadays, a large number of them are lured by IAS and IPS jobs. Although teaching is a noble profession, the country’s “Top Brains” hesitate to enter this field due to a lack of financial incentives, power and social prestige. Consequently, instead of building the foundation of the nation, the country’s best minds remain occupied in running the administrative machinery.
On the other hand, a Bureaucrat is an integral part of the government’s administrative machinery. Even when governments change, these officers remain in their positions to run the country’s governance. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel called the Indian Administrative Service the “Steel Frame of India.” Bureaucrats pave the way to ensure that the policies and schemes formulated by political leaders or ministers reach their destination. It is the responsibility of bureaucrats to deliver these schemes to the people at the grassroots level. They are the permanent pillars of democracy. For example, after funds are sanctioned for road work in various regions, it is the job of the BDO or the Collector to implement it correctly. Furthermore, along with other duties, it is also the responsibility of these officers to ensure that taxes or government funds are spent correctly and that no corruption occurs. Today, corruption has become the main obstacle to a ‘Developed India’ (Viksit Bharat). In India today, corruption has spread its wings within every constitutional system. The responsibility to eradicate corruption lies with these officers, who possess the country’s best brains.
But the question arises: even after 75 years of independence, have these highly meritorious officers succeeded in stopping corruption? Corruption has already expanded its presence within every constitutional system. Its eradication is possible not just through strict laws, but through moral values instilled since childhood. Therefore, the time has come to envision a new system. Without teachers, the country will become void of ethics and inefficient. To become an “excellent civil servant,” one first needs the guidance of an “excellent teacher.” Thus, excellent teachers should be given priority because they are the roots of the nation. If the roots remain strong, the administrative system, acting as the branches, will certainly be strengthened. It is said that if a teacher loses, a generation loses; but if an administrator loses, a policy loses. The teacher is ‘The Creator’—they create a new psychology and a future. If a teacher is excellent, no citizen of the country will engage in corruption or break the law.
In this context, we can look at two different global examples—one is Japan, which has given the highest priority to teachers, and the other is India, where the Civil Services have been functioning as the backbone of the country. As a result, India is known as a corrupt country today, while Japan is recognized as a disciplined and corruption-free nation. There is a proverb in Japan: “A teacher has the respect of an Emperor but is as responsible as an ordinary citizen.” In Japan, a teacher is given the highest respect in society. There, teachers do not have to stand in lines at government offices, and special facilities are provided for them. After World War II, Japan was completely destroyed. But they first invested in their education system and their teachers. As a result, today every citizen of Japan is disciplined, hardworking, and enriched with technical knowledge. Japan has proven that if the teacher is excellent, the citizens become so conscious themselves that there is no need for a massive “police force” or “strict administration.”
Primary education is the real time for building a child’s character. If the country’s toughest exam (UPSC) is conducted to select an IAS officer, then there should be similar or even tougher criteria for the teachers who shape those officers. When the recruitment process is extremely rigorous, only truly qualified and meritorious individuals will compete to enter the teaching field. Not just textbook knowledge, but high-level interviews should be conducted to test the teacher’s ethics, mental state, and perspective towards society.
Making a teacher’s salary higher than that of an IAS officer will bring two major changes to society: Currently, many meritorious youth go to administrative services or the corporate world only for money and power. If more facilities and respect are provided in the teaching field, the best minds of the country will certainly prefer to become teachers. When a teacher is financially stable and respected, they will provide moral education with complete dedication. If one generation learns ethics from an ideal teacher, they will not become corrupt officers or leaders in the future, and this will eradicate corruption from India. Corruption cannot be stopped by law alone; it is only possible through reform. If a primary teacher becomes a “high-profile” Guru, their influence will fall deeply on the child’s psychology. If the position of the teacher remains at the top of society, political interference in the education system will decrease, and a healthy educational environment will be created. Therefore, if the salary and respect of teachers reach the level of the IAS, perhaps the top meritorious students of the country will also choose teaching as their first career.
Recently, the Governor of Odisha, Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati, said, “Educational reform is not achieved through policy documents alone. Real change is possible only by providing teachers with the necessary skills, standards, and professional support.” Real change is possible only when teachers are empowered. Teachers build the future of the nation by shaping the attitude, curiosity, and sense of responsibility of the students. In India’s ancient Guru-Shishya tradition, the role of the teacher in forming knowledge, values, and character is unparalleled. The time has come, while the world is changing rapidly, for a complete overhaul of India’s education system.
Since countries like Japan and Finland provide the highest respect and excellent facilities to teachers, their educational and social systems are highly advanced. In India too, only by giving primary teachers a status higher than administrative officers can we realize the vision of a “Vishwaguru” India and transform India into a corruption-free Nation.
Pramod Dhal
He is a social commentator, author, and wildlife photographer from Kendrapara, Odisha. His work focuses on judicial integrity, administrative reform, and citizens’ rights. He is the author of “The Birds of Orissa: A Pictorial Encyclopedia,” for which he received the Sambad Parivesh Samman Award. Contact: +91 7008810112.
