ABSTRACT
India attained independence in 1947. Mahatma Gandhi had dreamed about a school system that was rooted in the social and cultural context while at the same time ensuring good quality secular education accessible to all children in the country. But as the fi rst government assumed offi ce, education for all was quickly forgotten. We plugged along with the colonial system, partly because there were more pressing economic and political issues to tackle. Mahatma Gandhi’s plea for “Nai Taleem” (a fresh approach) in education was lost in the din of building a command economy.
