Question

Why in India the theoretical knowledge is given more preferences?

Answer 1

Because India received modern education in the incorrect order (theory first) and hardly got any time for practical knowledge.

Going back to mid-nineteenth century when the British masters decided to bring modern/European education to India. What had evolved naturally in Europe over the last 500 years (practical first) through observation, trial, debate, practice, sharing, stealing, competition, social upheaval, challenging authority, was offloaded to minority Indians who were to become cogs in the giant wheel of British Raj.

The first batch of minority Indians were predominantly descendants of elites who had for centuries thrived on theoretical knowledge and considered working with hands a lower order task suited to inferior groups. So theoretical knowledge thrived further.

Quadrupling of population since Independence didn’t help either as it further stressed the resources per capita. It would be bad career strategy for a young Indian to think, wonder, imagine, contemplate, tinker, apply, when the entry barriers can be broken only with theoretical knowledge.

Hence the situation.

I hope this works!