Management Education and Rabindranath

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Education, in essence, is a matter of askance and enquiry— challenging, thrilling and is endless. It is a crystallized process of inward vision that always looks forward to making a worthwhile unison between theory and practice, where dynamism and relevance, farsighted apprehension and in-depth evaluation are the enviable benchmarks of advancement in learning and living. Therein the genesis of management education finds its faithful connotation and efflorescence.

A rare genius of all arts par excellence, Rabindranath Tagore, has made an altogether living approach to education for fullness where management is never casual but confirmatory, enforced but spontaneous. It is also never mechanical or reutilized— a somehow or other undesirable and inane attribute more often than not complemented with—but spontaneous, instinctive, joyous and rooted to the harmony of humane sensibilities— all endlessly contributing to the making of man alert, sincere, disciplined, critical, creative and vibrant as an ‘angel of surplus’.

With exemplary penetrating and probing endeavour, Mohit Chakrabarti has for the first time in the history of Tagoreana introduced in detail Gurudev’s invaluable contribution to management education which is yet to be addressed nationally and internationally. Apart from the fact that Visva-Bharati has of late broadened a wider canvas in this direction in particular both as a discipline and in practice from diverse dimensions, the present study by Chakrabarti unfolds some newer avenues of management education as Gurudev has envisaged for fullness of man.

I do hope and trust that this work, Rabindranath Tagore: Management Education, would serve as a guideline to understand and appreciate Gurudev’s philosophy of management education in the right perspective.

Education is a way of making an endless quest. Management education is a definite quest for fullness of education from a realistic, meaningful and living dimension of human growth and development. Apart from the fact that Rabindranath Tagore is a man of work of all arts, his unparalleled contributions to education from the standpoint of management multi-dimensions has yet remained far beyond our earnest attention, unflinching devotion and apposite appreciation.

Born and brought up in an extraordinary erudite and enriched family environment, the creative genius of Tagore has also been able to enjoy and experience multifarious avenues of human efflorescence. As a result, he has been able to probe successfully into the pros and cons of the then camouflaging organization and management of education wherefrom he has made a significant departure in making an altogether transparent, challenging, radical, revolutionary collaborative and entrepreneurial avenue of excellence in education. “Rabindranath Tagore and Management Education: Historical Background” is a detailed and probing study on the thrilling backdrop and arresting perspectives of management education.

“Aims and Objectives of Management Education : Tagorean Spell-outs” is an elaborate and intensive analysis of the different ends-in-view of management education as Tagore has formulated and experimented from time to time with marvelous success.

Education alienated from society and social needs and priorities is all stuff and nonsense that has nothing to do besides entrusting educational institutions with the drab and dull, mechanical and lifeless “parrots’ training” as Tagore sternly and clearly identifies. “Management Education and Socio-Economic Awareness:

Tagorean Guidelines” is an interesting and stimulating education of how Tagore has thought and experimented upon management education in order to bring about a distinctive change in socio-aesthetic consciousness.

That Tagore is a pioneer in enviable organisation and management of Nature and environment education along with aesthetics is discussed at length in “Management Education vis-à-vis Nature and Environment : Tagorean Dimensions” and “Management Education and Aesthetics Tagorean Perspectives”. “Management Education and Cultural Consciousness Tagorean Tryouts” and “Management Education and Internationalism : Tagorean Forethoughts” may invite judicious response from revered readers.

Education for cultivation of values has of late been given adequate attention and emphasis. Interestingly, Tagore is far ahead of our time and thinking on how to manage values in and through education. “Management Education and Values : Tagorean Vibrancies” may be considered to be a characteristic contribution to further study and research on values.

I recall with serene gratitude the inspiring words of Professor Sujit Kumar Basu, former Vice-Chancellor, VisvaBharati, Santiniketan in undertaking the arduous but thrilling task of writing this book. I would also like to convey my sincere gratitude to Professor Rajat Kanta Ray, the esteemed Vice-Chancellor, Visva-Bharati.

I would like to record the service of Sobdo Chakrabarti, my son, who has taken all pains in computer work. I am also grateful to Pranati Chakrabarti, my wife, who has encouraged me in completing the work.

If the book draws the attention of everyone interested in studies on Tagore, I would fillip myself within: “That’s fine. Go on”.