The courtiers of Akbar II had attached some individuals for the improvement of education. Often, anyone who had connections with the courtiers would find themselves attached to some “mansab” (position) in the capital, “Ichhapur Sikri.” Akbar II himself was not highly educated, but he appeared deeply concerned about the education system. He did not pay much attention to other departments, but his focus on the education department was exceptional.
Those who were attached to the court were called “Saathi” (companions). He had entrusted the responsibility of the education department to “Nyuratna,” who also held the title of “Daroga-e-Shiksha” (Education Superintendent). One day, he told Nyuratna, “I want to meet the companions tomorrow. We shall also discuss some matters regarding the education system.”
The next day, Nyuratna, along with all the companions, arrived at the court ahead of time. Soon after, Emperor Akbar also entered the court. After taking his seat on the throne, he said, “You are all gurus; I respect you. I want to make the empire’s education system the finest. Please suggest some measures.”
One companion stood up and said, “Your Majesty, the teachers do not attend school, which is why the education system has deteriorated.”
“Yes, Your Majesty, what he says is true,” the other companions supported the statement.
Thankfully, no one in the court asked them why they were present there instead of being in school themselves. Who had attached them there?
“Alright, what could be the solution?” Akbar asked.
“Your Majesty! After a year of deliberation, we have found a solution to improve the quality of education. We have included technology in it,” Nyuratna replied.
“Wow! How will that help?” Akbar inquired further.
“Your Majesty, this will allow us to track the attendance of teachers and students daily. We will know how many teachers and students are present and how many are absent,” Nyuratna explained.
“Wow! But how will this work?” Akbar asked with curiosity.
“Your Majesty, for this purpose, we have developed an app. Using it, we will present the daily attendance in the court before you. You will be able to see it,” Nyuratna clarified.
“This is an excellent idea. But I would like to hear from Birbal as well about what he thinks of it,” Akbar said.
Birbal had been silently listening to the discussion from a corner.
“Your Majesty, forgive my audacity. I fail to understand how online attendance tracking will improve the quality of education,” Birbal said.
…….
(To be continued…)