Education is the key.

The main reason why India continues to remain poor and undeveloped is the poor quality of higher education. The Congress and assorted idiots equate merit with elitism. Because lower castes were deprived of education hundreds of years ago 50% of seats are reserved for them in colleges. Naturally, they are unable to cope so there is a constant effort to lower standards so that they have the same degrees as deserving students. This is why salaries in IT companies are increasing by 25% every year so as to retain what talent they can discover out of the dross that passes out of colleges every year. In the first term of Congress Mr Ramadoss tried to destroy AIIMS and it was decided that since IITs have a good reputation 7 more new colleges will be opened with the IIT brand. Now Mr Sibal wants to change the entrance exam so that ordinary students can compete with intelligent ones. Nowhere is the lack of education so obvious as in architecture. Builders erect buildings to make black money so there is no time for aesthetics, beauty, conservation of energy or the use of light and space so that walking around is an enjoyable experience. While the rest of the world, including the much maligned sub-Saharan Africa, uses hollow bricks so to create cavity wall insulation and save on air conditioning we still continue to use solid bricks which get so hot during the day in summer that indoor temperatures remain near 40'C through the night. While Australia, Germany and China are researching into solar energy all you can buy in India are solar rice cookers or solar water heaters. In western states like Gujarat and Maharashtra going down to the south winters are so mild that all you need is a small water heater in the bathroom for a couple of minutes everyday. The months of April, May and June are extremely hot with blistering sunshine. What we need is air conditioning run by solar power. Every house could have solar panels covering the entire roof which would keep the top floor cool. Electricity generated would run a compressor throughout the day and the cold air would be pumped throughout the house. Instead of a thermostat the compressor would have a timer to switch on and off so that it does not burn out by constant running. Every house should be colored white so as to reflect the sun. Even roads should be white instead of the traditional black. But for this to work houses have be redesigned so that walls are insulated. Seems that the price of solar panels have crashed by 80% and the government is thinking of producing 20,000 MW of electricity from the sun by 2020. TOI, 26 June. However if there is affordable air conditioning and better quality houses our energy savings would be colossal. But for that to happen we need high quality education for the meritorious and not legions of sheep each with a useless certificate but no knowledge.