SHILLONG, March 25: NEHU Vice Chancellor, Prabha Shankar Shukla observed that India is progressing in the field of education albeit with many shortcomings.
“At this critical juncture, it is a crucial challenge to address the gaps between the skills that are imparted and the skills required at the workplace, so that the rate of employability can be increased,” Shukla said while speaking during the inaugural session of the two-day seminar on Quality and Relevance of Higher Education in Meghalaya organised by Women’s College here on Friday.
According to him, there is a need for higher educational institutions to develop a good research eco-system focusing on collaborative research projects to become more visible at the global level.
He said that it is high time that the Indian higher education system gears up with appropriate measures to put the system right on track.
Prof Shukla also observed that higher education plays an important role in the growth and development of students, adding that this will in turn help in the growth of the nation both socially and economically.
“In India, the demand for higher education is rapidly increasing, along with challenges to retain quality and sustenance, and to compete with higher education institutions in the global level.”
According to him, Indian higher education has passed through several stages of transformation, in order to address the issues related to access, equity, quality and employability.
Meanwhile, eminent journalist and Padmashree Awardee, Patricia Mukhim while delivering the chairperson’s address, emphasized on the need for a flexible curricula to meet with the rapidly changing eco-system so that students and faculty stay up to date with the latest developments in the fast changing world.
According to her, the new National Education Policy (NEP) is focusing on giving more space for vocational education and life skills.
“But the question is whether we are ready for this change in the approach. The faculty may not be too keen for this rapid transition to re-learn and unlearn things. I am sure that the students would be more ready to take up this new challenge,” Mukhim said.
She further observed that the other problem which has been witnessed is that government funded institutions are not able to make quick transition to adapt to the changing needs of the times. Moreover, there is constant faculty shortage of about 30-40 % thereby adding to the huge student -teacher ratio. She stated that higher education should empower students to think critically; ask questions and challenge the status quo.
Mukhim also pointed to the fact that there is no strong stake-holdership from the student community to engage with the education system and to express their anguish on matters that affect them. “It is observed that student bodies are keener to raise issues which are political in nature rather than on issues which are afflicting the education system or student communities.
She also stressed on the need to revamp the present examination system since they do not test a student’s over-all learning capacity.
The two day seminar will see papers presented by eminent educationists who will dwell on several topics like Impact of National Education Policy on Higher Education, Higher Education, State Government and Governance Crisis: The Case of Meghalaya during the two-day seminar.