Articles

Indian Higher Education Pulse – Part -I

by  B.H.S. Thimmappa

Learning Ecosystem: The Inside Story

The attributes of an ideal higher education system (HES) include learning and scholarship up to current frontiers of knowledge, research that pushes the frontiers of knowledge, technology at the cutting edge, innovations to address the problems and opportunities in the industry/society, entrepreneurship that generates wealth in the society, and sensitivity towards society and environment, on a scale commensurate with the needs of the Indian youth population (> 50 %). In principle, higher education increases career flexibility, work independence, problem-solving skills, and entrepreneurial spirit. The internationalization of higher education by learners, faculty, institutions, and programs through greater social mobility is inevitable in the context of the present scenario. There is enormous scope for Indian learners because of rapid urbanization, industrialization, and globalization. The diversification by types of institutions and funding resources as well as marketization involving privatization and corporatization is required by the diverse interests of learners and various policy matters by different institutions or funding agencies. However, massification involving a quantitative expansion and bureaucratization involving the restructuring of governance and management due to global resource constraints lead to the overall lowering of academic standards. Sometimes, a difficult but necessary decision has to be taken in the larger interest of the higher education system in the Indian context. Emerging India demands young, energetic, disruptive, aspirational teacher-researchers to offer focused, and constructive alternative solutions in the national interest. A set of domain-expert solutions from across the HES and workable higher education policies to develop competitive problem-solving will result in public benefits.  Indian educational system has to adopt idealism and courage to face the challenges to make that good science, set an example for others to follow, and become a peaceful developed nation by 2047. Ability to appreciate ecological issues concerning climate change realities and create new ecological consciousness among policymakers, businesses, and the public at large. Modern higher education can go a long way in awakening new ecological sensibilities in Indians. In practice, it is necessary to create a wonderful image of science for people and make them passionate about science education and research. Science-based logic has a substantial impact and needs more research to induce ordinary learners into extraordinary aspirants. We have to transcend the tall walls of extreme cultural, linguistic, social, and economic diversity among India’s states to establish India’s scientific landscape as we march toward scientific maturity and establish Indian identity.

Reality Check: Walk the Talk

An issue in HES is the decline in academic rigor, sometimes diluting the syllabus beyond recognition resulting in superficial subject learning. So it is essential to develop academic rigor through the proper design of the syllabus and its implementation in the teaching-learning process. The recent trend among students to enroll only in computer science-related subjects explain a herd mentality in a flash. Instead of people following what is wrong they should follow what is right to become less dumb. This type of parental or peer pressure in the choice of subjects would lead to an imbalance of professionals in many other areas of scientific study. We have to increase the number of students inclined towards the study of basic and applied science and inspire a new brand of science lovers with great practical interest. The criterion for the selection of subjects from a vast body of scientific knowledge is a challenge for learners. The lack of modern teaching and research facilities in some HEIs is a hindrance to learning and research. In such cases, it is essential to establish educational and research infrastructure through smart classrooms with proper audio-visual equipment and a sophisticated instrumentation center. Slow implementation of the projects due to various procedural delays results in a loss of interest in researchers while fast-track project implementation fosters better research outcomes.

It is necessary to check the form of mass production in an assembly line by degree mills as it can create a dent in the system and check input quality to transform them into better citizens via short-term, medium-term, and long-term educational benchmarks. We must ensure to maintain high motivation levels of learners to change our trajectory towards a better tomorrow and to enrich the overall learning process. We need to extend enough support to students to further evolve in an intellectual discipline and realize their full learning potential and thrive. The one-size-fits-all approach must be replaced by personalized learning journeys to allow students to learn at their pace and style. The shortage of faculty in universities (35-40 %) must be filled by recruiting experienced and expert faculty. Inbreeding in the recruitment of faculty must be replaced by hiring people across the nation from different educational backgrounds. In a research group, it is better to have persons from different backgrounds to have various perspectives and create curiosity in the physical world waiting to be explored. Our life is too short to play with all the permutations and combinations of elements in the modern periodic table to synthesize new molecules, create novel materials, discover new properties, and apply functional features to different applications.

Wake-up Call: Sign of Progress

The compartmental attitude is detrimental to research whereas the liberal attitude promotes it. The powerful and thought-provoking broad approach to research across multiple disciplines and going beyond disciplinary considerations is extremely challenging and propel the path-breaking research work leading to results of particular interest to specialized researchers. Educational institutions should instill a scientific temper, a spirit of inquiry, and humanism among people by making it a part of the system.  This mindset will promote the learning ecosystem framework to foster trans-disciplinary/multidisciplinary/interdisciplinary approaches and connect with the outside real-world experience. Given the demographic dividend of India, HES clearly needs more physical resources to create science in society and develop and deliver high-technology products and services. At present, we tend to encourage mediocrity in education and research which should be replaced by strong support for excellence at all levels. Otherwise, who will strive for excellence when the system expects mediocrity? People should change their old formula mentality to break out of the mediocrity trap! Extension work and substandard performance must be discouraged as inferior research experience while innovative work and impactful performance must be encouraged as superior research experience. We have to overcome poor science-technology-product linkage by creating more value along the connected system.

Strategic Challenges: India 2030

The way to achieve higher standards of living for all is through science and technology, taking advantage of better tools, methods, and organization. A future that works involves automation, employment, and productivity. Transdisciplinary technological approaches, functional training, and change in attitude toward work rooted in Indian/universal values go a long way in redefining our living experience. Citizen governance, traffic decongestion, waste management, e-challans, public transport, utilities, energy-efficient buildings, and sensor-driven public security systems play a pivotal role to meet the needs of smart cities. Political intrusion in universities gathered momentum in the last 25 years and the degradation of universities through politics or internally promoting some faculty to prominent positions is against the most profound life principles. Therefore, technical exercise should replace political exercise in HEIs. We have to consider well-defined and long-term perspectives as focus on short-term issues erodes institutional strength.  In the technological context, cutting-edge innovations, research, and development in industrial organizations or government research institutions are expected. There is an urgent need for new regulations in higher education considering the long-term perspectives in the political and legal context. We have to recognize global mobility for faculty and students, awareness of global change, and exposure to internationalization in the international context. Interaction with community stakeholders/competitors and facing key social challenges are required in the socio-cultural context. Provision for more resources and higher government funding to universities on par with the budget allocation in the developed countries of the world is a must in the economic context. The long-term higher education reforms rest on four pillars, including smart education, smart pedagogies, smart learners, and smart environments. It is essential to create enabling environment instead of a toxic environment in HES. We need to fight against internal forces that divide us in the name of caste, region, religion, and sex. The toxic environment is created by casteism, nepotism, favoritism, sexism, racism, colorism, regionalism, ad-hoc-ism, inbreeding, corruption, communalism, egocentrism, and politics. The enabling environment to raise educational standards in the country is created by adequate resources, encouragement of research, microteaching support, extracurricular activities, work culture, and rationalism. The transformation of an academic space into political turmoil, as indicated by the university incidents in the recent past, can be considered an attack on academic freedom and pollution of Indian higher education. The old schools of thought on higher education and research must be replaced by bridging the research gap, an out-of-the-box approach, and thinking ahead in the right direction. A gradual increase in exploration and exploitation helps with achieving long-term research goals and basic developmental needs contributing to long-term nation-building.

It’s a perform or perish world. Indian science culture needs a paradigm shift. Self-styled strategic analysts with vested interests and hidden agendas should be replaced by expert policymakers fighting an ideological struggle. Though Indian Jugaad technology is a good practice, building a manufacturing industry with advanced infrastructure and innovative practices is a great practice indeed. The executive privilege of the babus and human interference must be replaced by the proper practice of giving credit to the true inventor/innovator and establishing a work culture. Some high-profile people with golden political connection act as scientific godfathers indulge in immoral manipulative activities and meddle in academic matters. They manage to get a peaceful office or cushy positions for their students which would block the elevation of other potential candidates with merit. A caged parrot that speaks in its master’s voice can only survive in the system for the long term. The education system would be dancing to their tunes to shape special individuals, loyal, supportive people who serve the scientific masters. We should strengthen mechanisms to counter interference by godfathers in the internal affairs of the institutes or universities. The top-down nature of today’s universities and unilateralism must be replaced by a bottom-up approach and multilateralism to expect any requisite changes in the life of learners.

Today there is a paradigm shift from an instruction-based to a learning-based model. A global outlook indicates a shift in the learning model from pedagogy to andragogy to heutagogy. Realization of learner maturity and autonomy is essential while instructor control and course structuring is required for engagement and cultivation. A blended model involving both a formalistic lecturing style (profession of teaching) and self-directed learning (learner-centered approach) is the most suitable in the Indian context. Moreover, institutions should be integrated with society and socially useful productive work must happen collaboratively. An increase in interdisciplinary programs is taking place under the new education policy (NEP-2020). Empowering youth through excellence in higher education, reshaping doctoral education to offer world-class tertiary education, applied innovations in doctoral education, undertaking more socially relevant dissertation research, making the curriculum relevant to the learners (contextualization and enhancement), well-defined prerequisites and course topics, and transnational education are the emerging trends toward a global Ph.D.

The application of smart technologies holds special significance. The high impact of 5G across sectors from agriculture to healthcare, education to enterprise growth, infrastructure utilities to rural development, and its recent launch hold special significance in the higher education value chain. Investment in technology could reduce human interface in some sectors and re-skilling is required when working with fast-evolving technologies. When driven by a collective spirit provide a pathway for a platform for a participator, consumer, and developer and together we can achieve incredible things. A research policy that creates an incentive for faculty is more effective when compared to the regulatory approach of enforcing researchers to publish quality papers. It is essential to develop a scientific temper and the ability to focus through a renewed sense of discipline. The bandwagon effect is commonly seen in science research in India where we do something because other people are doing it. The bandwagon jumping from superconductivity to smart materials to selected drug discovery is observed in the Indian science research scenario. We have to think beyond boundaries to create new possibilities and big ideas have a bigger impact. The metamorphosis of the learner from the raw material into a finished product is required to provide realistic solutions on how to build research bridges across India. Investing in money and manpower is required on a scientific journey and priority should be accorded to science and technology, innovation and industry, sustainable development, and security opening up a world of opportunity.

Employment promotion with the placement of youngsters in reasonably good companies with respectable compensation packages, encouragement of entrepreneurship with incubation facilities, innovations in materials and technology, and shared economic growth act as the driving engines of world growth. A strong foundation for the future development of the nation depends on a proper higher education system. The issue of educated unemployment and underemployment must be tackled by creating more job opportunities through entrepreneurship development and establishing a manufacturing base in the country. It is vital to put learners on an exciting career trajectory through the right education. The shortage of the skilled manufacturing workforce must be overcome by enhancing the number of skilled people and developing a different set of competencies to boost the economy. More emphasis should be given to practical knowledge than theoretical in engineering education to solve the problem of poor skill development or workmanship.  Further, more importance should be given to practicing school concepts, laboratory experiments, industrial projects, field works, and factory educational tours. It is also essential to develop Indian nationalism (national interest versus vested interest) and cultivate moral values/ethical codes in the wake of diminishing patriotism and values in society.

Insightful Perspectives: Insider Remarks

We have to note that bold ideas would have a big impact and breakthrough research output in science and technology is always valued more than incremental improvements or changes. Revolutionary changes or breakthrough improvements would outweigh routine output and extension work in this perform-or-perish world. Radical innovation instead of incremental innovation as the ultimate outcome would have a greater impact on the stakeholders. The teaching-learning process is an instrument of ideology, morality, power, and the noble emotion of radical change. Disruption in higher education is necessary to drive future-driven development (FDD) and value-added processes (VAP) business models. HES should emphasize quality at all steps and deliver tangible working results at all stages. Disruptive innovation in higher education that provides accurate and meaningful progress must deliver quality content to students, provide individual assistance in skill development, and carry out true knowledge testing and assessment to know the depth of understanding. Further, standardization and development of online/blended education as alternatives to campus education are essential in today’s global competition. The right approach and action plan for bridging the education gaps can do wonders for India. Technology-driven growth can put Indian science on the world map. Modern higher education without borders includes physical assets such as educational software, software license, curricula involving semester systems, laboratories, meeting industry needs, teachers and teaching including teacher development and career promotions, and finally governance of education involving quality assurance, industry liaison, and education administration. In medical education, a distributed practice involving a three-year medical program could meet the short supply of doctors to work in primary health centers across the country. We have to distinguish building universities from university buildings. A step-by-step process includes creating higher education awareness among the population, knowing the drawbacks of the present system, inspiring a developmental shift in attitude, adopting a healthy higher education system, developing a competitive edge to Indian higher education policies, intensifying integrated and multilevel efforts, and building strong countrywide movement. The design, development, and implementation of trend-setting programs, customized courses, online open courseware (MOOC), learner-centered curriculum, lecture capture, and practical pedagogy are the trends for 2022. Indian higher education pulse is reflected in maintaining high motivation levels, instilling confidence among Indians, dreaming big on a scientific journey, and establishing a distinctly different identity and voice at the international level.

Bibliography:

1.      O.P. Sharma, Indian Science Culture Needs a Paradigm Shift, Indian J. Microbiol. 2017, 57, 257-259.

2.      https://www.thehighereducationreview.com/news/indian-higher-education-system-needs-serious-reforms-nid-159.html

3.      https://www.livemint.com/education/news/centre-targets-five-areas-for-reforms-in-higher-education-11630434613345.html

4.      https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/the-real-higher-education-reforms-122100401215_1.html

5.      https://casi.sas.upenn.edu/sites/default/files/uploads/half%20baked.pdf

About the Author:

B.H.S. Thimmappa is a writer from Udupi, India

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