Indian Education system
Author: Bhavesh D Jain
The Influence of Indian Ancient Educational Systems on India’s Educational Strategy
Naskar et al (2022) presented the integration of Indian spirituality and meditation into the education system is seen as a valuable tool for enhancing personal growth and development. These practices, which are unique to India, should be introduced in schools from a young age, starting at kindergarten, to help students develop both their personality and fundamental skills. The current education system focuses on personality formation, knowledge development, and overall well-being, aligning with the goals outlined in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The curriculum should be adapted to balance materialism and spirituality, fostering harmony and helping individuals achieve greater perfection.
Accreditation in India: Path of achieving educational excellence
Sinha and subramanian (2013) says This article discusses the differences between “accreditation” and “recognition” in the context of India’s higher education system. While recognition was historically the primary method for validating institutions, accreditation involves a periodic review process to assess whether an institution meets specific quality standards set by an external agency. Accreditation evaluates various aspects of an institution, such as curriculum, teaching, faculty, research, infrastructure, and governance. It provides valuable insights into an institution’s strengths and weaknesses, encourages innovative teaching methods, and helps funding agencies assess performance. Accreditation is important for providing reliable information to students, employers, and society about the quality of education offered. The paper also reviews recent studies on accreditation in India, explores trends and developments in the accreditation process, and discusses the future of accreditation in the country.
Entrepreneurial Potential and Higher Education System in India
H.V. Mukesh et al (2018) presented, The article discusses the misalignment between entrepreneurial potential and entrepreneurship education in the Indian higher education system. It highlights that while Indian students exhibit high entrepreneurial potential, the entrepreneurship education offered in the higher education system is inadequate. The study found that students with higher entrepreneurial potential receive little entrepreneurship education, suggesting a gap that needs to be addressed. This finding contradicts previous studies, such as those by Guerrero, Rialp, and Urbano (2008) and Linan (2008), which suggested that entrepreneurial potential and education are generally aligned.
The research shows that management students, who are exposed to entrepreneurship education, tend to have slightly higher entrepreneurial potential compared to engineering students, supporting the importance of entrepreneurship education. The study further emphasizes the significant misalignment between the current higher education system and entrepreneurial potential, with a low degree of correlation observed between education and entrepreneurial skills.
The article calls for policymakers and educational institutions to focus on bridging this gap by integrating more entrepreneurship education into higher education. The authors argue that India’s high entrepreneurial potential should not be wasted, and that a stronger entrepreneurial orientation in the education system can help cultivate more entrepreneurs. The study concludes with an urgent call for improving entrepreneurship education in India’s higher education system.
A Study of Policies Related to Science Education for Diversity in India
Chunawala and Natarajan (2014) presented, India’s population has been growing steadily, creating a complex social diversity marked by caste, class, religion, language, region, and gender. This diversity is accompanied by rising economic and social inequalities, which hinder educational development. The education system often overlooks diversity, treating students as a homogeneous group and focusing on a uniform curriculum, especially with science being compulsory. Factors like lack of resources, poor curriculum development, language barriers, gender issues, and the rural-urban divide further limit the inclusion of diversity in education.
Since independence, various policies, such as the NPE 1968, NPE 1986, and NCF 2005, have aimed to address educational deprivation, particularly for girls and children from minority groups. Efforts have also been made to acknowledge diversity in science education through curriculum changes and teacher improvement programs, though their implementation has been inconsistent across states. The government has introduced schemes to promote science education, including fellowships, ICT integration, and science events, while institutions like the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education focus on science education issues.
On the global stage, there is a declining interest in science careers. The SED project, funded by the European Union, involves countries like India and aims to design science education approaches that are sensitive to cultural and socio-economic diversity. In India, research projects have explored the relationship between science education and diversity, providing insights into students’ and teachers’ perceptions. The goal is to create flexible and inclusive science education strategies that address India’s diverse population. However, these efforts need to be systematically studied and evaluated to develop long-term, effective solutions.
Skill Education and training in india
Chouksey and Dubey (2016) presented, In India, the quality of Vocational Education and Training (VET) has suffered due to resource constraints and lack of policy support. Traditionally, VET was passed down through families, with artisans playing a key role in village economies. However, with globalization, there is a growing need for a skilled workforce to drive economic growth. A strong Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system is required to meet international standards and equip workers with the skills needed for a global labor market. The National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) aims to address these issues by providing an outcome-based, competency-driven approach that aligns with international standards and facilitates career progression. It includes mechanisms for recognizing prior learning, a credit system for quality assurance, and pathways for both horizontal and vertical mobility. This system will help bridge the skills gap, provide better job prospects, and support effective planning for the future.
Understanding Students’ Attitudes Towards Affirmative Action Policy in Higher Education in India
Sabharwal (2024) says, This article discusses the role of affirmative action (AA) policies in higher education (HE) in India, focusing on caste-based reservations aimed at improving access to education for socially excluded groups (SEGs), such as Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs). These groups have historically faced discrimination, and the reservation policy helps address these inequalities by providing them with preferential treatment in HE admissions. Despite the policy’s success in increasing access to HE for SEGs, inequalities persist, and the enrollment rates for SCs and STs remain lower than the national average. Resistance to caste-based reservations, including protests and demands for economic-based criteria instead of caste, reflects public disapproval of the policy. The article highlights the importance of understanding students’ attitudes toward AA, as these attitudes are influenced by their social identity, educational experiences, and caste-based beliefs. The study sheds light on the factors that shape student support or resistance to AA in HE.
Higher Education in India: New Educational Policy – 2020 and Educational Issues in the Post-COVID-19 Pandemic
Jangu et al (2022) presented, The Indian higher education system is one of the largest globally, with significant growth in both enrolment and the number of institutions, driven mainly by private sector participation. Higher education in India is seen as a right, and access depends on income and the economy’s occupational structure. While India contributes marginally to the global workforce, its educational system is recognized for its role in knowledge production and research. Rousseau and Wollstonecraft’s ideas on education emphasize social justice, with Rousseau advocating for education as a means to create a socially just society through “well-regulated freedom.” Education in India, historically viewed as equivalent to Western civilizations, highlights intellectual curiosity and the use of knowledge to drive social and technological progress.
Multidimensional Impact of COVID-19 on the Indian Education Sector
Bansal (2023) says That COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted global education, with many governments shutting down schools, colleges, and universities. This disruption threatens the future of students, teachers, and educational institutions. While online teaching is a viable alternative, emerging nations face significant challenges in implementing it. The study focuses on the impact of the pandemic on India’s education sector and offers strategies to address these challenges. It recommends the development of educational applications and the use of advanced technologies like AR, AI, VR, and MI to ensure continuous education online. These technologies are underdeveloped in emerging nations, and authorities are encouraged to invest in them to better prepare for future uncertainties. The article emphasizes the importance of creativity, communication, and collaboration among educators and students to adapt to digital learning and enhance the learning environment. Overall, it calls for a multi-pronged approach to effectively manage education through virtual platforms in emerging nations.
Examining the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Online Education: Reviewing the Indian Schooling System Based on the Perspective of Major Indian E-tutoring Platforms
Suneja and Bagai (2021) presented, The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted global education, with over 90% of the world’s students affected by April 2020, later reducing to 67% by June 2020. In India, around 14 crore primary and 13 crore secondary students were impacted. As educational institutions faced lockdowns, they had to rapidly enhance their technical infrastructure and shift to online platforms, despite challenges in preparedness. This transition led to a surge in Ed-tech funding, with e-tutoring platforms like BYJU experiencing a 60% increase in traffic in March 2020. BYJU added 25 million new students from March to September 2020. Other platforms, like Khan Academy and Toppr, also saw significant growth in user engagement and adoption. This reflects the growing acceptance of online education as a viable alternative during the pandemic.
Employability and transition to labour market in emerging economies: An Indian perspective on Higher education
Gopalakrishnan (2011) presented India, with a population of 1.21 billion and a growing economy, faces a significant challenge in aligning its education system with the needs of the labor market. While the focus of higher education has largely been on producing a workforce for information and communication industries, there remains a gap in employability across other sectors such as teaching, research, and policy-making. The education system, especially at the higher education level, is fragmented with numerous institutions offering courses without assessing market demand or employability. Quality control and monitoring of these institutions are often inadequate, and corruption exacerbates the issue. Additionally, there is a lack of effective policy, institutional, and financial support to promote higher education and employability. To facilitate sustainable economic growth, it is crucial to develop a robust higher education system, requiring consistent policy and political commitment from all stakeholders, which is currently lacking.
References
Dr. Sukanta Kumar Naskar & Sushovan Chatterjee & Lee Waller & Sharon Waller (2022): The Influence of Indian Ancient Educational Systems on India’s Educational Strategy
Gopalakrishnan, Ambili (2011): Employability and transition to labour market in emerging economies: An Indian perspective on Higher education
H.V. Mukesh & Abhishek S. Rao & Rajasekharan Pillai K. (2018): Entrepreneurial Potential and Higher Education System in India
Manish Bansal (2023): Multidimensional Impact of COVID-19 on the Indian Education Sector
Nidhi S. Sabharwal (2024): Understanding Students’ Attitudes Towards Affirmative Action Policy in Higher Education in India
R.G. CHOUKSEY & NISHITH DUBEY (2016): Skill Education And Training In India
Sugra Chunawala & Chitra Natarajan (2014): A Study of Policies Related to Science Education for Diversity in India
Suwa Lal Jangu & Lee Waller & Sharon Waller (2022): Higher Education in India: New Educational Policy – 2020 and Educational Issues in the Post-COVID-19 Pandemic
Vinita Sinha & K. S. Subramanian (2013): Accreditation In India: Path Of Achieving Educational Excellence
Vivek Suneja & Shabani Bagai (2021): Examining the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Online Education: Reviewing the Indian Schooling System Based on the Perspective of Major Indian E-tutoring Platforms