In the recent past, higher education in India has implemented numerous policies of reforms advocated by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Notable among these are the National Credit Framework (NCrF), online education, dual degrees, internationalisation of higher education, biannual admissions, off-campus centres, research enhancement, Professor of Practice, National Higher Education Qualifications Framework (NHEQF) and National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF). These aim to take education to the masses without compromising on quality.
Many universities and colleges have revised their undergraduate and postgraduate programmes by introducing Honours and Minors courses and additional electives and specialisations, internships or industrial training, exposure to creative and performing arts, outcome-based education and more. Further, to facilitate mobility of students across institutions and to retrieve their academic credentials whenever needed, an Academic Bank of Credit has also come into being. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has also released draft guidelines for introduction of Apprentice-Embedded Degrees. Many institutions have embarked on systematic training sessions with special focus on interview etiquette that will make students employment ready or pursue research.
Skill development
Yet, we find that many students are either unemployed, underemployed or working in areas that are not connected to what they have studied. What is required is a balanced approach that focuses not just on academics but also on inculcating moral values and ethics and developing skills such as team work, planning, time management, public speaking, negotiation tactics, conflict solving, empathy, friendliness, decision making, and so on. All this can be incorporated into the curriculum with credits for the benefit of students. With the advent of AI-mediated learning, appropriate usage of AI, Machine Learning and Data Science should be encouraged so that the time spent on acquisition of basic information can be avoided and students can focus spent on prognosis, analysis, interpretation, and recommendations.
Earlier, the Information Resource Centre or the library was considered an institution’s brain. Today, with the advent of the digital library and global lending of books and journals, this facility is often under-utlised. Gone are the days when a large proportion of a student’s time was spent in the library. Scholars, and young faculty in particular, need to cultivate this habit of spending quality time in the resource centre.
In earlier times, higher education institutions used to provide skill-based training during periods of vacation. Today, we have polytechnic institutions that offer diploma and certificate programmes that enable students to find a suitable job upon completion. However, there needs to be longer exposure to skill-based training for all disciplines at both UG and PG levels. This approach needs to be tailored so that it does not take the student away from academic exploration. The structure needs to be such that the student gets equal opportunity to focus on academics and develop skills relevant to the discipline through training programmes and industry exposure.
What is required is a recalibration of learning ecosystems and a reimagining of learning environs that is in keeping with the changing sociological and technological trends. This will entail exploration of new terrains and provide students with a transformational experience and shape their futures into just and sustainable ones
The writer is the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science Deemed-to-be University, Chennai. Email provc@hindustanuniv.ac.in
Published - November 09, 2024 06:00 pm IST
