Transformation Of Education For Prosperous Future Ahead

Today India is focusing on its 2nd Education revolution and trying to bring out real changes across educational disciplines. As the first revolution saw a flood of engineering and management schools in the 1990s and early 2000s, the focus was more on increasing the number of institutions rather than quality and practical knowledge.  

At the BW Businessworld's 2nd Engineering Excellence Conclave, K. K. Aggarwal, Chairman, National Board of Accreditation, Governemnt Of India, addressed the audience on the topic ‘Engineering Education in India. What does the future look like?’ at Shangri-La, New Delhi. In his speech, he brought the focus on the need for transformation in the education sector, the importance of practical knowledge, and the relationship of the industries and educational institutions.  

On the need of transformation of the country, Aggarwal said, “If India wants to bring the transformation, it is the education which needs to be transformed for reshaping the future of the country”.  

While talking on the acknowledgement of education revolutions, Aggarwal urged that rather than focusing on whether the current education revolution is Education 2.0 or Education 4.0, we need to focus on bringing out the real change. “The world outside is changing at a faster pace than education is revolutionising and hence a real change in the pattern, quality and infrastructure is the need of the hour”, he further said.  

Recognizing the importance of dominance of education over industries Aggarwal informed, “50-60 years ago, education used to guide the way for the industries but now there has been a paradigm shift and industries are guiding the educational institutions on what needs to be taught. The education has been shifted from knowledge to placements”.  

Further, on the importance of honing skills, K.K. believes that the only skill that students need to learn today is to value and learn skills and impart it in their lives irrespective of the domains that they are studying. He further said, “The need is to get students involved in practical rather than teaching them only the theoretical part”.