Homo Sapiens to Homo Spiritualis

Recently, we were tasked with putting together Dayalbagh Educational Institute's (DEI) vision and next 15 years plan in a book form. Over the next many posts, we plan to post extracts from this book, with this one from the ‘Vision and Mission’ Chapter. Let us all join our minds and hands together in this journey of finding and elevating our soul, a journey from Homo sapiens to Homo spiritualis.

Happy reading.

Anurag

“You see things; and you say, ‘Why?’

But I dream things that never were;

and I say, ‘Why not?’”

–George Bernard Shaw

Central Administrative Office Dayalbagh Educational Institute

The Dayalbagh Educational Institute’s Vision is ambitious, clearly defined and backed by over a hundred years of experience of imparting quality education. The Vision reflects DEI’s commitment to impart pragmatism together with self-realization. The DEI Education Policy, articulated in 1975, laid down the following foundational concepts:

• physical, intellectual, emotional and ethical integration of an individual to help evolve the complete man with values of humanism, secularism and democracy, to better equip him to solve social, economic and environmental challenges.
• truthfulness, temperance and courage
• ideals of humility, simple living, selfless service and sacrifice
• habit of learning by developing the faculties of thinking, analysis and reason
• general awareness and knowledge
• best in class-relevant education
• scientific temper
• respect for ‘soiled hands’, dignity of labour, and, self-reliance
• study of the classics, and pride in national culture and heritage
• shaping each student for a calling suited to his aptitude, skills and the needs of society
• understanding of various beliefs and faiths, which fosters an attitude of tolerance and national unity
• engendering the spirit of ‘Brotherhood of Man’, and promoting the establishment of a classless and caste-less society
• fuller understanding of rural life, to appreciate the polity, economy and the social forces at work in our country
• democratic values and freedoms which an Indian citizen should be prepared to defend
• respect for the rights of others and an awareness of duties and obligations to society
• strong character and high ethical standards.

Starting the day with a prayer

This policy was submitted to the University Grants Commission in 1977 for grant of deemed-to-be University status. The UGC team visited the colleges and facilities in the colony of Dayalbagh to assess the potential for achieving excellence with relevance. The Committee’s observations and recommendations endorsed and supported the Policy and its implementation.

Observations and Recommendations of UGC Visiting Team on DEI in 1977

• At DEI, teaching institutions, industrial-technical workshops, agricultural farms are together engaged in teaching, training, production and extension.
• Including school children, a community of students, teachers and workers belonging to all castes, creeds, communities and various parts of the country are involved in a variety of programmes for integrated community development.
• The complex provides a healthy environment for educational innovation and national integration.
• The DEI is engaged in providing a good academic programme in agricultural-rural-industrial complex, oriented to specific conditions and needs and providing suitable social service, work experience, national integration and vocational training programmes aligning with academic curricula.
• The DEI is tethered to the principle of excellence but not at the cost of relevance; which inculcates the dignity of manual labour, encourages initiative and creative work; has an interdisciplinary approach to build an integrated personality of a well-adjusted man.
• The DEI is a departure from the existing pattern of University education.
• The then Agra University expressed its inability to accord autonomy to DEI as the DEI experiment envisaged the fullest integration, collaboration and cooperation of all the faculties.
• To enable DEI to develop independently as per its own genius, the DEI should acquire a separate identity with the status of a deemed-to-be-university by which the university system in the country will be enriched.
• DEI, with its courses, is able to give a greater emphasis on preparing students for self-reliance and self-employment and thus fulfill its objective more effectively.
• DEI educational programmes address the contemporary needs by applying the most relevant principles of educational process like work-experience, learn by themselves, continuous assessment system, objective methods of assessment, integrated-interdisciplinary and inter-faculty teaching, accent on experimental teaching, production of effective teaching and learning materials and appropriate orientation of teachers.

Vision Statement

To provide linkages to all stakeholders’ potential ‘Values and Quality’ to the kinetic permanent state in a dynamically-oriented and refreshed equilibrium through integrated hierarchical system of education enabled by economic and flexible (jugaad) innovation technology founded firmly on DEI’s Education Policy.

DEI, a leading Entrepreneurship and Consciousness, Teaching-cum-Research Institute, is a model University, measured by its ‘excellence, but not at the cost of social relevance’ reaching up to the last, the least, the lowest and the lost; pursuing research and discovery with frugal innovations contributing with principle of achieving more with less for nation and community-building and beneficial to public at large with cultural reforms enriching and empowering weaker sections, women and children.

In the year 2004, DEI defined its VISION 2011. This policy heralded many features that have later been incorporated in the Nation’s education policy and programs. DEI has been a visionary and forerunner in adopting innovative schemes in the field of education.

The DEI Education Policy – 1975, foresaw many elements of the National Policy on Education – 1986. Similarly, the vocational education programmes of DEI started in 2004, foresaw many elements of the AICTE NVEQF and MHRD Community Colleges schemes launched almost a decade later and is an effort to effectively implement the following national missions for the Socio-Economic Development of the Country:

• The National Mission of Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan – Universal Elementary Education under the Right to Education Act
• Make in India
• Skilling India
• Digital India
• Clean India (Swachh Bharat Abhiyan)
• Unnat Bharat Abhiyan
• Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Abhiyan
• Green India

developing respect for ‘soiled hands’, dignity of labour, and, self-reliance

Vision 2031

The Dayalbagh Educational Institute has embarked upon a bold initiative, VISION 2031, and formulated a comprehensive and progressive Strategic Plan for 2012-2031, with the goal to become a top teaching-cum-research Institute through an exemplary system of education. To establish Total Quality Management across all activities of the University, the Plan encompasses undergraduate and postgraduate education, research, infrastructure, information and communication technology and campus development.

The Institute has accepted this challenge and is confident of achieving success with the cooperation of faculty, staff, students, alumni and other interested partners.

Mission Objective

Development of super-intelligent (super-conscious) humans who are self-governed and render selfless service in a rapidly-changing global scenario.

Education in Dayalbagh provides the linkages for this kinetic state in dynamic equilibrium. The linkages have to be  provided at all levels of hierarchy, right from pre-nursery to higher education, through an integrated education system. With technology intervention, this can be extended to the global level. The DEI Education Policy also offers a minimal-input to maximum-output approach through an economic, frugal (jugaad) and flexible model.

The DEI Education model is based on an experiential system rooted in Eastern spirituality and wisdom on the one hand, and modern scientific concepts and Western materialism on the other. While modern science provides solutions to mysteries of the physical world, Saints of the East had knowledge of the highest spiritual regions and consciousness, evolving to better worldliness.

At DEI, teaching institutions, industries and agricultural farms provide the three-dimensional activities for teaching-learning, production, and extension. The social service, work experience, educational innovation, cultural moorings, national integration and vocational training programmes are aligned with academic curricula. A teaching-learning community, including student and staff from pre-nursery to higher education from all castes, creeds, communities, and regions, works toward integrated community development.

Students at DEI

Major goals

DEI has identified the following major goals:

• Strengthen Entrepreneurial Education giving access to all applicants, even those without means
• Integrate agricultural farming and dairy education with Entrepreneurial and Consciousness Studies
• Emerge as an Entrepreneurial and Consciousness University.

A Unique Entrepreneurial University

The emergent model of education allows our students to self-support their education, making them job-creators, rather than job-seekers. Student entrepreneurship provides a platform for students to develop and market a variety of products and services, and capable of starting micro-enterprises, an earn-while-you-learn opportunity with vocational training at low cost.

The entrepreneurship model advocated is unique: the DEI model advocates a frugal, flexible (jugaad) approach to problem-solving rather than seeking funds from venture capitalists, and tries to do ‘more, with less’. We encourage jugaad and frugal innovation: the concept of jugaad does not imply sub-optimal but rather, the creation of a product that is flexible in its usage and has been economically innovated using locally-available materials, manpower and resources. Such products are affordable and cater to local market needs. DEI’s model of entrepreneurship tethers the student-entrepreneur to the rural economy, and also with national and international markets.

Integration of the Green and White Revolutions

Experiential knowledge gained in Dayalbagh’s practice of agriculture and dairy farming has been mainstreamed into education at DEI with the aim of creating the willingness and capacity to work with one’s own hands, promoting a respect for ‘soiled hands’, dignity of labour and a spirit of self-reliance.

Practical knowledge is gained by students where they are involved in the manufacture, distribution and sale of dairy and agricultural produce. The results have been highly encouraging and need to be replicated across the country and around the globe. Participation creates platform for research and labs on land, enabling creation of Intellectual Property by entrepreneurs and researchers.

A major by-product will be a library of successful ideas about agriculture, dairy and entrepreneurship in nano-enterprises in remote and distant villages. This combination of the second white and green revolution in over 400 villages will prove to be a game changer for women and children.

Through technology intervention the benefit of such unique education will be made available to one and all at any time, place and pace around the globe.

Students getting hands-on experience in Dayalbagh Dairy

Excellence in Consciousness Studies

DEI proposes a new science of consciousness scientifically and experimentally, substantiating the existence of higher orders of consciousness through the SQUID (Super-conducting Quantum Interference Device) facility in its own Centre for Consciousness Studies. Our approach as an institute of excellence in consciousness studies is to integrate science and religion by applying the principles and rigour of science and scientific method to religion.

The Institute desires to see its students contribute to one or both of these areas, since a better understanding of either implies an improved ability to contribute to the development of society. Therefore, the education system, with its emphasis on values, is complemented by the inter-, trans- and multi-disciplinary academic curriculum. The Education Policy is based on the systems approach, through a study of science, mathematics, engineering, social sciences, fine arts, etc.

“He will not come into existence in a day; he will

evolve gradually as the human body evolved

gradually according to the Darwinian principle.

As is the case of the body, the mind and spirit will

also evolve gradually, and when the spirit and mind

achieve high purity, a Superman will come into

existence. Such a Superman, through the principle

of administration of inner self, will enjoy inner peace

and harmony and strive continuously to spread

the message of, Fatherhood of God and

Brotherhood of Man”.
–Revered Prof. Prem Saran Satsangi

The DEI mission objective is to transform Homo sapiens into Homo spiritualis: a complete man with balanced development of body, mind and spirit.

Participants of the Sant-Su(perman) scheme with their parents 

Imbibing Satyuga (Age of Truth) values in Kaliyuga (Age of Sin)

Every-day we hear of rampaging mobs gruesomely killing in the name of politics, religion, caste, region, language, food choices, skin color or differing attire in this diverse world.

How can so many humans come together and become so evil, with not even one person standing up against the mob? Is it a lack of moral values or a lack of moral courage?

Or is this real human nature? Reminds one of lines from Tennyson:

For nature is one with rapine, a harm no preacher can heal;
The Mayfly is torn by the swallow, the sparrow spear’d by the shrike,
And the whole little wood where I sit is a world of plunder and prey.

Shouldn't the basis of a civilized human society be “right is might” rather than “might is right”?

We cannot blame our falling values on Kaliyuga, the Age of Decadence and Decay. Just take one look at the faces of innocent wide-eyed children. They are ready sponges waiting to absorb what the world has on offer. Their values will be what we teach them at our homes and in our schools. More importantly their values will be what they learn through practice, through observed behaviors of elders and the values that they see society applauding and upholding.

Revered Dr. M B Lal Sahab in His gracious address at the Closing of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 1978 advised the gathered students, “It is not merely the study of books that is required of you, you have to assimilate what you read and more than that imbibe the values of humanism, secularism and democracy”.

Our post this week is on Students 

"Imbibing Satyuga (Age of Truth) values in Kaliyuga (Age of Sin)".

The post below is by Dr. Smita Sahgal, a top Academician who teaches History at Lady Shri Ram College in Delhi. She did her studies in History from St. Stephen’s, is an avid researcher and writer, has presented multiple papers and has been a recipient of prestigious honors including the Best Paper award from Indian History Congress.

Best,
Anurag
-------------------------

Dr. Smita writes…

As a young girl in school I would wait for our ‘moral science’ class because that meant freedom from travail of formal tutorial or lesson imparting and more of reflection time. We could discuss a range of issues and arrive at some broad parameters of what may be called as Value education. For many of us it simply meant a free period. As I grew up and moved on to become a teacher myself I realized that this compulsory lesson in ‘moral science’ where some of my friends took it as time to relax, was certainly a needed rumination routine. Today ‘value education’ is not a fashionable term amongst many students as it is taken as a regulation exercise. That’s the impression I got in my numerous interactions with students in the metropolis. They think of value education as something that counters freedom of thought. Is that really so, I often wondered till I interacted with students of Dayalbagh Educational Institute (DEI).

The curricular at DEI has built Value education as an integral aspect of its philosophy on education. It appears to be more than just a philosophy; students figure out mechanisms to apply it in their dealings with society at large. I grew fascinated with the concept of evolution of a ‘complete person’ one who is not only physically, mentally, intellectually strong but also acquires consciousness of outer environment and inner self. Let me elucidate my understanding with an example.

As a student of social history, I took caste system as a very discriminatory and divisive social contrivance, one that should be done away with. But one of the students did not decry it but postulated as, ‘a man can gradually evolve into a superman’ if he were to integrate the positive qualities of all four castes, that is of Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra in his persona. On further prodding I was enlightened that each of these castes is associated with at least one good quality; Brahmans are associated with education and reflection, Kshatriyas with self-defense, Vaishyas with provision of food and other goods to others and Shudras with service to all. If an individual were to assimilate all these qualities not only would he learn to respect everyone but the social differences which the ancient caste system has constructed over centuries would also get mitigated with time. The process would be slow, but an extremely pragmatic one and would address a fundamental social issue of discrimination.

Students at DEI are taught not just the courses that they have enrolled in but also to spend time in community work. Working in fields give them first- hand experience of tilling the soil, in dairy of seeing and participating in the process of milking and pasteurization, in Community kitchen of cooking and serving, in village camps of teaching and serving the village community. The practical experiences are balanced with consideration on other serious social issues and I was impressed to find many DEI students forming opinions on issues such as extravagant marriages and problem of dowry and gender inequities. This is done along with their rigorous academic schedule where many are trained to become engineers, technicians, teachers, researchers and academicians.  Ultimately this kind of education equips them to recognize dignity of labor and impacts their interactions with society at large. This is education for life, they summed up.

I was also keen to know about their views on religion and whether there should be dominance of one religion or whether religious issues should be discussed at all in social life. I encountered a variety of responses. One student was candid enough to state that he was uncomfortable discussing his religious affiliations and was therefore surprised to see a compulsory paper on Comparative Study of Religion. ‘But my views changed with time’, he stated as the course did not turn out to be promotion of religious values of a particular religion. Another of his class-fellow put in, ‘ma’am I have understood secularism better though am still unsure of its genuine political application’. ‘So many of us in the institution hail from varied religious and community backgrounds but we never get a sense of alienation. Comparative religious study gives us an insight into different religions and one is surprised to find such commonality in their principles. What I have learnt through my years at DEI, is to respect all religions and even if I am a firm believer in my own I need to remember that it does not give me the right to disregard another sect or tradition’.  ‘Is this not a secular approach to life?’, he mused. ‘Yes’, said another, ‘we did study about our constitution being secular, but for that to remain so we as students, citizens, statesmen etc. have to learn the principle of respecting each other’s cultural and religious affiliations’. A girl who had been quiet throughout the discussion opened her mind and chipped in, ‘that’s also my democratic right’.  ‘I agree that initially I, too, thought that religious studies of any kind may end up in imposing certain kind of views and came prepared to counter them but here I saw that the ideas promoted were of fundamental humanism; tolerance, inclusivity and according dignity to every human being and if these are reiterated through value education or by studying religious traditions around the world, let’s not be critical’.

My interaction with these young minds left me spell bound. I could not help revisiting my moral science classes as a young girl. Yes, those did help me to form opinions on many issues but what I saw at DEI was the application of ideas in a very practical way. I would not hesitate to advocate this model for other institutions as well. Students must move out of their self- growth/ individualistic modes and see themselves as a part of a larger community to which they need to give back as well. This sense of camaraderie comes when we frame a kind of value system for ourselves and institutions play a significant role in formulation of these.

Made-in-Heaven Marriages

Marriage is the legal or formal recognition of union of two people as partners in a personal relationship. In Asia, over time, the associated ceremony has overtaken the marriage and become a vulgar display of wealth and power, a display “worthy” of the so-called social standing of the two families, where typically the bride’s family gets harassed with demands of dowry and for putting up an ostentatious multi-day display worth the groom’s family social standing.

Further, in India, the institution of marriage perpetuates and feeds the caste system. As I edit this blog post, my thoughts go out to my own family coming from the hinterlands of India where the caste system is deeply rooted. From an Indian society perspective, my own marriage and that of my siblings and that of my parents (in 1961) are inter-caste marriages. You may ask how did that happen?

To answer this question, our post this week is on the 

“Made-in-Heaven” Marriages in Dayalbagh.

The word “marriage” brings to mind a coming together of two persons and their families mixed with festivities, rituals, lots of fun, meeting cousins! Sadly, marriages are more of a social “tamasha” (grand show), one-upmanship and a vulgar display of wealth highlighting class and social distinctions and differences thereby strengthening divisions of society based on economic status.

In Dayalbagh, the stress is on promoting social equality and brotherhood of man. Caste system is a strict “no”, rather it is expected that each person following the Dayalbagh Way of Life will develop the stated qualities and abilities of all the four varnas (castes) in themselves. So, depending on the need, I am a Sudra or a Kshatriya or a Vaisya or a Brahman or a combination thereof.

Marriages in Dayalbagh are simple and austere fostering social equality. They are conducted under the auspices of the Marriage Panchayat, Dayalbagh. The Marriage Panchayat arranges for three pre-marriage counselling sessions (over a six-month period) for the parents and the couple to enable a better understanding of each other’s expectations and backgrounds.

The rules are crystal clear. Total expenses permitted for the wedding are Rs. 18,000 (USD 280) each for the bride and for the groom. This amount is inclusive of the Rs. 1,200 (USD 19) for the post marriage lunch hosted by the Marriage Panchayat for 100 guests, 65 from the bride’s side and 35 from the groom’s. All expenses are auditable by the Marriage Panchayat and violations are unacceptable.

There is no dowry – no cash and nothing in kind. Even a whiff of this happening can lead to big trouble.

The girl, the boy and their parents are required to report in Dayalbagh seven days prior to the marriage date and immerse themselves in self-less service in the fields.

Typically, there are four to five marriages on a particular day (typically Sunday). All marriage groups get together for a joint prayer function with all guests two days prior to marriage.

The day of the marriage is simple and straight-forward. The ceremony starts with a Sagai-Samaroh (engagement ceremony) early in the morning during community service in the farms. This is solemnized by an exchange of garlands and prayers for well-being of the couple and all others. This is followed by the marriage rites performed in the presence of a designated marriage officer either by registration (preferred – but requires either the girl or the boy to have residency in Dayalbagh) or vedic rites. The bride and groom take a vow to uphold mutual respect and their duty towards their parents and for each other.

Everyone can bless and congratulate the couple, only blood relatives can give a token gift of Rs. 11 as Shagun (auspicious gift).

We have not touched on the fun and festivities in this post, because without the need to spend one’s full life’s savings, without the need for social one-upmanship, without the need for caste matches, without the need for angst on whether some other relative gave a bigger gift, without the need to arrange for marriage lunch or without the need to arrange for the marriage venue the fun and festivities increase dramatically.

And when two individuals come together there could be ups and downs. The marriage panchayat provides a counselling session six months after marriage to re-emphasize the importance of adjustment and empathy. Violence in marriage is totally unacceptable.

Is it “marriages made in heaven” or “marriages in heaven”? or maybe both…

The above post is by Ms. Juhi Singh and Anurag Singh.