Melville X D'souza in the letter 'Change needed in way we look at education' (TGE, February 12) has rightly questioned the need of degrees and education which do not provide sustenance. Today, the education pattern the world over has changed with time. In India , our students are unfortunately put through a stressful career right from Class V onwards that leaves them hardly any time for extra curricular activities. Undoubtedly, competition for engineering and medical seats has increased, and that is why we read of students with 100 percentile marks nowadays, when it was so difficult to secure even 60 per cent in the Arts section , and 75 per cent was considered high for admission to the best engineering colleges in earlier days. Unfortunately, due to the shortage of jobs, a few engineering graduates are forced to take up clerical jobs , while medical graduates are leaving the country for better prospects. We need to do an assessment of the Centre's 'New Education Policy'(NEP) and in what way it is improving the lot of students, and turning out more proficient students than those of the past.
