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Tag: education

  • Why I support the “Agniveer” scheme?

    I staunchly believe that when a person joins the armed forces, it is not only him who lives in the army, it is the army that lives within him. It flows through the veins and the blood of the person for the rest of his life. In one of my recent articles, I championed the idea that Army service should be made mandatory in India. The ongoing India-Pakistan conflict has brought the contentious “Agniveer” scheme to the forefront again. Many, especially in the opposition parties, believe that this scheme should be abolished. While I do respect their point of view, I wholeheartedly champion the Agniveer scheme and clearly envisage its immense benefits to both individual growth and national progress.

    The foremost rational against the Agniveer is that it will create unemployment among the youth since the scheme is only valid for four years and does not provides long term job security. I would argue that on the contrary to the aforementioned point, the Agniveer scheme will open new doors of employment for the “Agniveers”. Having credentials of serving in the armed forces is one of the strongest credentials one can have on their resume. We have seen that many officers in the armed forces take a hiatus from their service and pursue higher education. For those completing their full service and retiring form the forces join as guides and mentors in various corporations and educational institutes. Likewise, the Agniveers can also capitalize on their tenure in the armed forces to find suitable employment elsewhere after graduating from the scheme.

    To build up on my argument, I would like to state that under the Agniveer Scheme, Government has made provisions to train these young minds in various vocational streams like electricians, barbers, washermen, etc. This training will undoubtedly assist the Agniveers to navigate their career paths post their service in the armed forces. The scheme provides a platform for the already unemployed youths to give four “fruitful” years to the military service and then build on that experience in their later lives. The scheme also provides a podium for the disoriented and dejected youth of the country to find a purpose in their lives. The training they get in the forces can add a definitive meaning to their professional lives and provide a direction to them. Many state governments like that of Haryana, and Assam have already stepped in and announced 10% reservations in their police force for the graduates of the scheme.

    Critics of the scheme also assert that it does not provides pension and long term monetary benefits. I ,on the contrary, argue that the priceless experience they gain from their service in the armed forces will eventually help them financially in the long term. The people joining the Agniveer program are between the age group of 17 – 23. How many young minds of the country get an opportunity to start their careers and earn at this early stage of their lives? The categorical answer is not many. The government has already committed a lump sum amount of around 12 Lakh Indian rupees to the people retiring from the Agniveer scheme. In my view, it is a decent amount of money one can earn especially in their nascent years.

    Efforts are already underway to ensure that “Quality” of the service provided by these Agniveers is maintained and is at par with the services provided by regular armed forces personal. This is being done by providing the same level and standards of training to the aspirants of the scheme as one receives if he joins the army through the regular mode of entry. While I do agree that fiscal astuteness does plays a role in formulating schemes and policies like the Agniveer, but I firmly believe in what Lieutenant General KJS Dhillon said that, unlike other professions, the balance sheet of an armed forces personal is measured in life and death. Serving in the Army is one of the most noble occupations in any country. More than any budgeting or financial planning, it is the unamputated spirit of a solider that matters. Agniveer creates that spirit in the aspiring youth of the country.

    Besides the aforesaid benefits at an individual level, I think that the scheme will have immense societal advantages too. It will nurture civic sense and a sense of belonginess among the Agniveers. They will become responsible citizens of the country and will boost their patriotism. The youth graduating from the program can act as a second line of defense in wake of any internal or external crises that country might face. Agniveer scheme is one of the most constructive schemes orchestrated by the central government towards nation building.

    I would have serious reservations about the Agniveer scheme had it compromised on the recruitment of Indian army officers through the National Defense Academy (NDA) or the Officers Training Academy (OTA). The primary focus of this scheme is bridging the shortfall of soldiers in the armed forces, giving unemployed youth an opportunity to build their careers while serving the nation and consequently pruning the national defense budge.

    Every governmental policy or a scheme undergoes iterations and evolves in time. Agniveer scheme is no exception. It will undergo evolutions with the passage of time. As the Chief of Army Staff, Upendra Dwivedi commented in one of his interviews that the scheme is still under observation and will be assessed once the first batch of “Agniveers” complete their tenure in 2026. I would align my thought with that and state that the Defense forces will reap the full advantages of this scheme over the time. I also strongly feel that it is an instrumental and a promising initiative to boost the capabilities of our Armed forces and should not be scrapped.

  • Musings on the Indian Educational system

    “Shiksha Parmo Dharma” is a saying ingrained in the Hindu and Buddhist religions. It literally means that Education is the foremost reality and duty. The growth and development of any nation depends on its youth. I would take a step further and say that it is the “educated youth” that takes its country forward on the path of progress. With diverse religions, customs, traditions, languages, and cultures, India is one of the most “complicated” countries in the world. On the on hand, we have a burgeoning “tech savvy” workforce which has earned respect throughout the world and made a global mark, on the other hand, we still have a significant population that struggles to interpret simple text to carry on their day to day life.

    I firmly believe that the root of our country’s problems lie in our current educational framework. We need a revamp of our educational system. Although we have increased our literacy levels to 75%, it is still disproportionate when it comes to the female literacy rates which stands at around 66%. The challenge does not resides only with our “literate populace”, it also unfolds itself in how our educated youth compare viz-a-viz to the rest of the world, especially the advanced countries. Here are my two cents on how we can re-invent our educational institutes to create a competitive workforce.

    I vividly remember that when I was doing my masters degree from my alma mater back in 2003-2006, we had a subject called “Emerging trends in Information technology”. Ironical to its name, the subject was (at that time) updated in 1996 while it was being taught in 2003. In order to “march with the world shoulder to shoulder”, one of the first things we need to do is to make our syllabus relevant and contemporary. And it is not only one university that had an “outdated” course. This problem is pan India, especially in the rural parts of the country.

    Educators and teachers form the backbone of any educational system. They are mentors and act as architects of the future of the country’s youth. It is our educators who ignite the fire in the hearts of their students and lay the foundation of inquisitiveness. Considering the crucial role that they play in the development and nurturing of the “national talent” , it is pivotal for them to be on top of their specialized subjects. Unless educators are updated in their fields, they can never impart “quality” education to their students. Albeit there are many programs initiated by the government, both at the central level and the state level to upgrade the knowledge of these educationists, a lot more needs to be done, especially in the rural areas of the country.

    The purpose of any educational institute should be to foster original ideas among its disciples. There should be focus on imbibing creativity rather than promoting “rote learning”. The origination of creative ideas and hands on learning should be championed in the schools. Only when students develop a “creative mindset” can they solve real world problems. Another aspect is to incorporate entrepreneurship and a “start up mentality ” into the curriculum. Indian administration is already promoting innovation through national programs like “Make in India” initiatives. There is already a push towards “Atmanirbhar Bharat” or a self-reliant India. Innovation should be made an integral part of our universities. Our syllabi should embody and integrate the same principles and align itself with the national goals.

    There is a famous proverb that says that “if you teach a man, you teach a person, but if you teach a woman, you teach the whole family.” I do agree that India has made strides in eliminating illiteracy but we still face some serious challenges, especially at the rural level and when it comes to educating the Indian women. Same applies to our minorities, especially Muslims who still are largely living in destitution. In order to free the underprivileged sections of our society from the shackles of poverty and illiteracy, we need to bring education at their doorsteps. Inclusiveness is the key here. We need to reduce the “educational disparity” among our demographics. Unless we formulate an inclusive approach towards making India a highly “literate nation”, we can never achieve our goal of becoming a fully developed country.

    Having a literate population also has immense societal benefits. I strongly believe that a well aware and an educated person is less likely to be involved in anti national activities. Education makes a person sophisticated and career conscious. It “grooms” the mind of an individual and creates an appreciation towards other cultures, and religions. Our schools and educational institutes should stress more on national harmony.

    It is only literacy that can alleviate indigence and create a competent workforce and contribute towards nation building.

  • How entrepreneurial are the Indian educational institutes?

    Waterloo is a small University town located in the Canadian province of Ontario. With a population of less than a hundred thousand, it is an entrepreneurial powerhouse. With more than one thousand start ups credited to its innovative history, the region is one of the most progressive startup ecosystems in the world. Situated twelve thousand kilometers away is Mumbai, India’s financial center. Indian Institute of Technology, or IIT located in this financial hub is one of the primary educational institutes in the Asian region. Its E-cell has spawned more than two thousand companies, making it the largest in the Indian subcontinent.

    This is not just a comparison between two of the finest institutes, it is a comparison between a highly developed G8 country and a one of the fastest developing countries in the world. Although, India has made great strides in developing an entrepreneurial environment, it still is a land of extremes. On the one side, we have universities that rank among the best in the global rankings, but on the other hand, we still have a significant population who can hardly put a signature with a pen.

    Indian startup scene is becoming more and more inclusive over the time. With an active role played by the governmental sector, the outreach program is reaching and changing lives of millions of people across the country. A few days back, I came across an article on Gatesnotes that talked about DroneDidis, an innovative public sector scheme which empowers women in rural Bihar to use the technology of drones to increase their agricultural output by effective use of fertilizers. This exemplifies how Indian entrepreneurial landscape is getting transformed, even though at a gradual speed.

    To create an enriching and a supportive platform for the ideas to nurture and mature into successful enterprises, it is not only the government sector that has to chip in, it is also the private players and other organizational stakeholders that need to contribute in the creation of a dynamic start up society. In my view, the Indian economical and business sector has gone through four waves of evolution. The first wave was the opening up of call centers after the liberalization of the Indian economy. The second wave was the onset of Information technology industry. The third was the investment of United States into the research and development sector in India, primarily in the cities of Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Pune. The fourth ongoing wave is that of the boom in startups or technology oriented small scale businesses.

    I firmly believe that educational institutes can play an instrumental role in developing and nurturing the entrepreneurial energies of the Indian youth. They can act as a “beacon of inspiration” and provide the much needed mentorship, especially the in nascent years of the budding entrepreneurs. Although more and more universities and educational institutes are embracing innovation and entrepreneurship into their academic fabric, much still needs to be done. While I do agree that we have come a long way as an innovative and a productive society, there are challenges ahead of us.

    Recently, I was going through the specializations offered by the Master of Business Administration , or MBA program of my alma mater and I was surprised to certain extent that entrepreneurship was not one of those. It is not only my university business school that still hasn’t introduced entrepreneurship as a stream, the story is same for majority of the educational institutes across the country. The startup scene on the campus is still concentrated in the premier universities of the country like the IIT’s, IIM’s and private educational colleges.

    I think this is where we still have a gap and this is what needs a change. While I do agree that academic and vocational institutions do need to create a “white collar” workforce and prepare its pupils to excel in corporate jobs, but I strongly think that universities need to invest its resources in development of “Job creators” as well. Incubators should be set up on university campuses which not only nourishes students in its technology departments but also encourages young and aspiring minds from arts and commerce departments as well. Students should have an access to mentorship, to investment capital and access to the market where they can launch their idea. Cutting edge paradigms and business concepts like Design thinking should be absorbed in the entrepreneurial training and skill development. The start up growth has to be inclusive for India to compete with other countries.

    It is rightly said that the development comes when the highest level of technology reaches the lowest level of the society. The “startup culture” needs to percolate deep into the Indian society. Our educational institutes have the potential to accelerate this development and catapult the nation to the global stage.