In one of the more profound moments of Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln suggests Confederate Vice President Alexander H. Stephens:
“If we submit ourselves to law, Alex — even submit to losing freedoms, the freedom to oppress, for instance — we may discover other freedoms previously unknown to us.”
Lincoln was appealing to the South’s fear of losing power — especially the “freedom” of enslaving. But his answer was not only political, it was philosophical. He was promoting a vision of moral metamorphosis — that when we release old systems, even ones we once relied upon, we might discover new and greater freedoms on the other side.
That same principle reverberates today in a very different context — India’s education crisis and the country’s moment of reckoning with A.I.
India’s Education Emergency: A Silent Crisis
On the floor of the house, senior leader and former law minister Kapil Sibal, issued a sombre warning:
“A child in Grade 5 in India is unable to read or do mathematics meant for Grade 2. We are in an educational state of emergency.”
His words are in sync with the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2022, which reported that:
- Just 42.8% of rural Indian Class 5 students could read a Class 2-level text.
- Only 20.5% of students in Class 3 could do a simple subtraction.
- Post-COVID, learning outcomes have fallen steeply, further exacerbating the significant learning gap that was already quite vast.
This is more than an academic issue — this is a national development crisis. India cannot build a skilled workforce for the AI age without a firm foundation of basic education.
The Chicken-and-Egg Challenge: AI and Education India
A frequently asked question — one also deployed to make the case against action — is whether India should first set its broken education system in order before embracing AI, or, better still, use AI to fix that system?
A good part of the national conversation seems mired in fear: fear of job loss, fear of disruption and fear of A.I. being captured by elites or foreign interests. These fears are real — just as Southern leaders of America once feared losing their social and economic hegemony in the Lincoln era.
What India needs today is its Lincoln moment — a voice courageous enough to declare:
“We are going to disrupt the current education system — one based on rote learning, antiquated approaches, and limited access? But we still don’t know what new freedoms, new opportunities and new dignity AI might bring to a billion people.”
Perhaps it’s time we ask:
Are we hanging on to an illusory notion of freedom — via tattered textbooks, poorly trained teachers and out-of-date exam system— that is, in fact, restricting our advancement?
And what if – by letting go – we realize we possess all the tools required to move forward?
AI as the Great Equalizer
AI is not a luxury. It may turn out to be the greatest leveller in history of India.
Imagine:
- A child from a tribal area being taught by an AI-enabled tutor in their mother tongue.
- A voice-based AI tools being used for foundational literacy by a government school in a remote village.
- A Class 8 dropout doing gamified, personalized learning on an app — making up in months what they lost in years.
- A young adult learning graphic design, coding or spoken English through AI-driven platforms — and securing jobs online.
A NASSCOM report suggests that AI can contribute $450–500 billion of growth to India’s GDP by 2025. But this will only occur if the population has the means to apply it.
Letting Go to Rise Higher
Lincoln’s insight wasn’t simply about law — it was about leadership.
India now has a similar moment on its hands. It must decide whether to:
- Hold onto things that no longer work for our children.
- Or a leap of faith — into the unknown — leaving behind the comforts of the old world, and embracing technology that can free minds, upskill youth and unleash new liberties.
We may not yet know what AI can do for India.
But if used wisely, it may:
- End learning poverty.
- Fix the rural-urban split.
- Generate jobs where jobs don’t exist.
- And liberate the children of the future from the unseen chains of inadequate schooling.
This is India’s moment of liberation — not from colonialism, but from a failing system that no longer serves its people.
Let’s not wait for ideal conditions. Let us act and learn, as Lincoln said, new freedoms previously unknown to us.
Note: If you enjoyed reading this article, please share it or bring it up with educators, policymakers and parents. The future will belong to those who can dream it — and construct it.
The END
Sources & References
- ASER Report 2022 – Pratham Education Foundation
https://www.asercentre.org - Kapil Sibal’s Remarks in Parliament – Coverage via Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha sessions and verified news reports.
Example summary: The Hindu, Times of India, Indian Express Parliamentary coverage. - Quote from Lincoln – Lincoln (2012), directed by Steven Spielberg. Scripted by Tony Kushner, inspired by Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin.
- NASSCOM Report on AI and India’s GDP –
NASSCOM-McKinsey Report: “Unlocking Value from Artificial Intelligence: A $500 Billion Opportunity”
https://nasscom.in - Government of India Education Data – Ministry of Education (UDISE+, NEP-related stats)
https://www.education.gov.in