India is aspiring to become an economic superpower but has an antiquated
education system that is crippling generations of children. The
government, corporate sector and civil society need to ensure that the
young are well educated and trained.
This will augur well not just for the country’s growth but also foster
global citizens. Building a nation is not the sole responsibility of
government.
Corporates too need to join the cause with a long-term vision and
commitment backed by new technology-based solutions for betterment of
1.2 billion Indians.
A far-reaching Right to Education Act obliges the central and State
governments to provide eight years of free and compulsory education to
all children aged between 6 and 14 years. However, the country is a long
way from achieving that goal.
There are some clear improvements, though — in particular at the
elementary level — where the Government’s Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
initiative has seen huge increases in primary enrolment, along with
various midday meal schemes which attract economically-weaker sections
of the population. But this is far from sufficient to prepare young
people for productive employment.
While there are many handicaps in India’s governance system, the country has proven prowess in technology.
The mobile telecom revolution over the past decade or so overcame the
long gestation of laying physical infrastructure across all States, and
has put a wireless communication device in the hands of nearly 900
million people.
BROADBAND MAGIC
Can wireless broadband be made free for people to be empowered and fulfil their dream of a better life?
This needs to be debated and acted upon quickly. Such initiative will
help the education sector which is grappling with poor infrastructure,
low teacher skills and archaic pedagogy. It will be useful to shape
innovation among students of Asia’s third largest economy.
Globally, high-speed broadband accessibility has led to a steady increase in the GDP of many nations.
Nearly 540 million Indians are under the age of 25 years. The labour
force is expected to grow by 32 per cent over the next 20 years, whereas
it will decline by four per cent in industrialised countries and by
nearly five per cent in China.
INVEST IN EDUCATION
India's favourable demographic profile can add significantly to its
economic growth potential for the next three decades, provided its young
people are educated and trained properly.
Though the country has 621 universities and 33,500 colleges comprising
one of the largest networks of higher education institutes globally and
second in terms of student enrolment, its gross enrolment ratio (GER) of
18.8 per cent is still less than the world average of 26 per cent.
Global experiences indicate a positive correlation between GER and
economic growth. Still, India's spends only 1.2 per cent of its gross
domestic product on higher education, compared to 3.1 per cent in the US
or 2.4 per cent in South Korea. The figure should be higher.
Education and nation-building should resonate in purpose and action,
translate into job creation, better well-being of citizens and enhanced
national confidence in a country that is truly educated, not just
literate.
Businesses must focus on nurturing talent at the grassroots level as
well and tackle the challenge of reaching out to economically weaker
communities.
While India’s deepest malaise lies in underprivileged communities, the greatest untapped opportunity can also be found there.
Investing in education with a focus on long-term returns from these
communities will ensure a sustainable model of socio-economic growth.
Grooming them into leaders will also contribute towards creating a more equitable society.
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