Merging digital and Industrial is seen as India’s best path to share prosperity. India is at the forefront of the global economic stage. A new wave of economic reforms has propelled India’s performance. The IT services sector has provided good jobs and good incomes for part of India’s young population it acts as a magnet attracting more and more young heads. Deepening digital industry and advanced manufacturing capabilities can transform it into a global economic force. India is unique no other country has the same combination of size, talents, strengths and challenges.
Creating the necessary skills pipeline won’t be easy — but with the right partners and the right tools India can chart a unique path to prosperity.
Now the question is how India can turn its latest growth upswing into a sustained rise in living standards and better jobs. Also can a better growth path in developing economies help in educational upbringing?
Special education zones – need of the hour
The failure of Indian higher education system is stark when seen in light of the fact that thousands of students every year go abroad for college education. It is noticed in recent times European universities and even the European government have more greater plans for Indian students than India. A graduate degree is a farce in most of the colleges. There is hardly any education imparted and it is mostly seen as a stepping stone as a master’s degree is necessary for decent jobs.
There is no dearth of institutions willing to give a degree for money and providing quality education or skills is not the concern anymore. Higher education is in rot at all levels, the irony is that these numbers are touted as an indication of the prowess of our education system. Not a sign that this rapid mushrooming has created an edifice that is destroying an aspirational class.
The internationalization of Indian higher education is a top priority for Indian policy makers and education providers. Ample initiatives have been taken by policy makers and education agencies to promote the internationalization with the aim of putting Indian higher education on the global map, but unfortunately, only a handful of institutes represent the country in the global arena.
It is time the universities and private institutes start focusing on the ‘Study in India Programmes’. The need to attract students and make Indian education system one of international level was never felt so strongly.
Trends that will disrupt higher education
• Online learning is slowly becoming mainstream
• Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data changing pedagogy
• Research-based teaching informing how students are experiencing learning
• Personalisation, customisation and contextualisation implemented in all parts of the learning experience
• Degrees gradually losing their dominant position
In fact, universities and higher education institutions (HEIs), as we know them today, are all set for a radical overhaul, as technologies continue to impact the way we learn, the way we teach and the way we use the curriculum. Clearly, HEIs which foresee these changes and adapt are all set to lead in the academic race. The rest will face elimination.
As per last year’s statistics shared by Coursera (world’s largest open online education i.e. MOOC provider), there were 13 lakh online learners from India as compared to the total 180 lakh online learners on Coursers. There had been a 70% jump over the last one year in the registrations of Indian users on the platform. These figures are indicative of the expected growth in the number of online learners in India. By year 2030, the Indian government aims to increase the enrollment (GER) in universities to 30% from 23% in 2014-15. And this is practically not possible by just setting up more traditional classrooms & universities.
In this context it will be interesting to watch how Indian higher education wakes up to a possible scenario where a degree is not the motivator, but lifelong learning is.
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