WHILE the relevance of mathematics is growing in diverse fields across the globe and the line separating pure and applied mathematics is blurring in the face of emerging technologies, ironically we in India are not keeping pace. Market forces influence the minds and decisions of the parents and students.
A professional graduate would fetch a hefty salary packet than a mathematics graduate and this had resulted in bright students turning away from mathematics, least to speak of undertaking research. Only three decades ago, a student who got a good rank in IIT would still opt for studying pure mathematics as the job openings offered by both the courses used to be same. But now "professional" courses offer more money than an average mathematics graduate can imagine and this run for big money is killing the subject.
As mathematicians from across the globe converged at Hyderabad for the nine-day International Congress of Mathematicians, hosted by India for the first time in ICM’s 113-year history, it became evident that India has lost its historical place. It was indeed shocking to find that in India which produced wizards like Aryabhatta, who gave world the concept of zero, his disciple Bhaskara followed by Ramanujan, mathematics has lost its charm and relevance. The country is heading towards a ‘zero production’ state in the field of math by the end of the next decade. With the existing faculty members in top research institutes in the country retiring from their jobs almost around this time the country would face a big zero situation.
For the decline of mathematics as a subject the government should be solely blamed. During the phase of reforms and globalisation while much significance has been attached to the professional courses, no serious attempt was made to promote math at the school level. Little doubt the main problem lies with school education; the mathematics teachers at the college and schools do not have enough study material and resources to make the subject interesting for students and motivate them to take the subject with more enthusiasm. No serious effort was ever made to simplify mathematics for students, and ensure continuity for those who are interested in pursuing mathematics at higher levels. What is most unfortunate is that the students are not taught the basics of mathematics and most of the books prescribed lack proper reasoning and dimension.
When students are averse to study mathematics it would be futile to imagine the future of the research. The fact is there is utter lack of interest in the younger generation to take up research in basic mathematics. With an entire generation of mathematicians losing to information technology it is for the maestro mathematicians to find out how to motivate the students to study and also enthuse them to take up basic research in mathematics. The fact cannot be ignored that unless some amount of good research is carried out, the discipline of mathematics in its basic form would vanish. It is virtually an alarm signal for the government. It is really sad that while the government has been only preoccupied with changing the examination scheduled and formats, it is least bothered to make mathematics relevant and attractive. It must change its attitude towards school education and involve mathematicians to find a solution.
