Western influence over India is clearly visible and is accepted by its residents and had become accustomed to it. All the things which you are being exposed to today have been some or other way influenced or introduced by the Western countries. All the happenings have two sides of its like two sides of a coin and one is favourable while the other is not favourable to the individual, society or the nation. Western country influences have immersed its effect in India by the British when they ruled over India and made a lot of changes in India’s culture lifestyle and education.
Where it started: The influence of western education can be seen on all the colleges or any educational institution in India in all forms and kinds such as the convent schools/colleges follow the rules and regulations completely based on the English guidelines. The first time western education was brought by Lord Bentinck in 1835 in India who was also responsible for the abolition of social evils like Sati, child marriage. By that time through the attempt of few liberal Indians and foreigners private and non-governmental schools were found spreading across English education, among which most, memorable was Raja Rammohan Rai. There were many reasons for spreading English education by British as a part of their strategy to bring out work from Indians with low wages. Though the British followed a half-hearted education policy in India, English language and western ideas also had some positive impact on the society. Many reformers like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and Swami Vivekanand observed western ideas of liberalism and democracy and used it to reform some of the non-humanitarian social and religious practices of the time.
Western educations have more benefits than harms in India: As to post liberalization in 1991 India got open to the international market and are very much into growing relationship with western countries. Western education has a great importance over this growing economy of India. As foreign company came to India they also brought many of their technologies and teachings which needed to be understood by Indian public in order to work for the company. Western education has also helped India in abolishing some of the social evils which were destroying the human’s basic existence and lifestyle. Western education not only made its visibility over the social rituals of India but also on the development of Indian countrymen as many of the Indians went to foreign for gaining higher education and which increased their demand in the market for jobs. India has also been made aware of many of the different education profiles which were not there in Indian education system such as MBA course which was introduced in 1908 by Harvard School of Business. Today Top MBA Colleges in India are one who is following the western education guidelines for their functioning of colleges. The uses of western education have made many different reforms in India and are still making a great change in the Indian education.
Western education adverse effects on India: Nowadays in all the corporates or educational centre you will observe the only language to be used in English and which is the most easily noticeable effect. Speaking in Hindi has been a low-class thing or uneducated perception about a person. Many of the cultures which use to be an integral part of us Indians have been forgotten and is now not in practice as everyone now searches for an logic or reason behind every action. Western education has made us all more and more attracted towards the western lifestyle and their world cultures.
If we see the overall effect of the western education system in India then I will have to state that it has revolutionized India in many forms and has a great role in development in modern India. And talking about the adverse effect it is upon the human who is responsible for how they combine the two great culture and education and make it useful for the betterment of their lives and grow with it. All things have their own quality and it is up to the user to take out the best of that and make the use of it in order to serve itself and the country
- Author
Ashwini Anand