Unshackling the Education Sector - A Surefire Way to Accelerate Development

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”, said former South African President Nelson Mandela. I believe his prescient observation is timeless in its relevance. In the world that we live in, there are two major factors that will shape how education will be consumed in the future. The first is the reality of ever-increasing digitization. The second is the huge changes to lifestyles forced upon us in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

In many ways, these two are closely intertwined in the context of education. We as a nation today stand on the threshold of a historic opportunity to transform our education system. The New Education Policy has set the ball rolling, but much more needs to be done to enable our institutions to deliver the kind of education that our nation needs. This is especially true for higher education. We have hundreds of universities and higher education institutions (HEIs) that cater to the entire gamut of academic fields. But the fact that even the best of our HEIs do not rank among the top 100 globally is telling. By comparison, several Chinese universities do- and have got there only in the past decade.  

Innovations around the world, powered by digital technologies, are enabling better remote teaching and learning experiences. In India, mobile/internet penetration is increasing rapidly and becoming ever more affordable. Together, these are powerful forces of change. For many courses, virtual classes can easily be conducted by teachers from their homes- provided they are equipped with the right digital infrastructure. Students too can attend these classes from the comfort of their homes. Of course, for certain courses such as Medicine, Engineering, Agriculture, etc. it may not be possible to fully replicate the experience of a laboratory or a field- although I think sooner rather than later, Augmented Reality will enable even this gap to be bridged. This means that unlike in the past, universities and HEIs no longer need large areas of land to build physical classrooms or other on-campus facilities. 

Given India’s legacy of teaching in English and the relatively lower fees and costs of living, our universities have, for the past many decades, attracted students from Africa and Middle Eastern countries who pursue various undergraduate and post-graduate degrees. To be fair, some of this is also the result of “education diplomacy”. Why not take advantage of this and work towards making India the education hub of the world for the new era? Given India’s own linguistic diversity and the needs of foreign students, multilingual support too can be provided digitally, to improve learning outcomes and hence increase the attractiveness of our HEIs.  

We have the talent to develop the right curricula and teaching methods. Just a few weeks back, Ranjit Disale, a government school teacher from Maharashtra won the Global Teacher Prize for his revolutionary contributions to the education of girls by leveraging QR code technology. There must be hundreds of other teachers in our HEIs with innovative ideas on how to enhance learning efficacy in their subjects.  

If asset-light, “virtual-only”, for-profit HEIs are permitted, private capital will more legally and transparently be attracted to the education sector. Investors such as PE funds will be more willing to fund the development of next-generation technology-based delivery infrastructure, hiring quality teachers, and development of new, digitally deliverable content that enables students to develop core knowledge as well as critical thinking skills and gain exposure to emerging fields that will become more and more important for India and the world. These knowledge assets can be used to scale up the education venture, thus lowering the risk for capital providers.  

 

Allowing asset-light virtual universities to be established in specific disciplines will also address the challenge of a shortage of qualified and motivated faculty. By allowing faculty to teach courses on multiple platforms, even students affiliated with different HEIs can get access to top-notch teaching. Digital content can be updated more easily, without the costs associated with printing, distributing, and updating physical textbooks. 

Naturally, such a massive transformation will need a radical change in the mindset of parents, teachers, and students. It will also need changes to the laws that govern the country’s education sector. Under India’s Constitution, education was originally a State subject. In 1976, the 42nd Amendment transferred some aspects to the Concurrent list. Visionary state governments can take the lead in amending the necessary regulations or enacting new legislation so that the education sector is able to attract adequate capital and has the ability to innovate around new courses, curricula, delivery models, testing mechanisms, etc.  

The pre-condition that Universities/HEIs can only be permitted when those who wish to set up such institutions have adequate land available is a major structural impediment. This is especially true for courses where there is no need for laboratories or hospitals etc. Per prevailing law, even private education institutions in India are supposed to be “non-profit”. But the reality is very different- and this is what breeds corruption. Trusts are set up to acquire large land banks on the outskirts of cities ostensibly to establish a school or college/university campus. The funds used to acquire these large tracts of land sometimes have questionable provenance. If the HEI clicks, well and good. If the institution does not gather the desired traction, that’s no big deal either. Over a period of time, these land banks are used for commercial or residential projects.  

In cities that have grown rapidly in the last decade or two (Bangalore is an example), educational institutions whose campuses were established say 20 years ago, are now located in the middle of the metropolitan area. These institutions shift to new areas on the outskirts. The prime real estate thus freed up in the city centre is used for other projects. In some cases, developers build a school as part of a large gated community, thus seeking to satisfy the conditions of land grant or conversion.  

Such new-age virtual universities can benefit students from India as well as overseas and allow underprivileged students to access high-quality education. Even in the current setup, there are several examples of talent from underprivileged backgrounds coming up with innovative ideas. Imagine what might be unleashed when virtual universities are able to channelize the creative energies of millions more of the world’s youth!  

 

Image Credits: Photo by Mohammad Shahhosseini on Unsplash

Even in the current set-up, there are several examples of talent from underprivileged backgrounds coming up with innovative ideas. Imagine what might be unleashed when virtual universities are able to channelize the creative energies of millions more of the world’s youth!  

Related Posts

POST A COMMENT

The Concussion Conundrum

  • 08 December, 2020
  • Santosh Vikram Singh

The first T20 International Cricket match between Australia Vs. India played on December 4, 2020, at Manuka Oval, Canberra witnessed an unusual controversy. During the inning break, on-field cameras captured the animated discussion between the match referee David Boon and the Australian head coach Justin Langer. The issue was centered on the decision of the match referee about concussion replacement player Yuzvendra Chahal for concussed player Ravindra Jadeja.

During the last over of India’s inning, a beaming delivery of Mitchell Starc hit Ravindra Jadeja on his helmet. Though Jadeja went on to complete that over without any complaint or call for help, later reported dizziness in the dressing room. As per the news reports, the team medics after examining the player suspected of concussion hence sought concussion replacement.

The team medics seem to have duly followed the ICC Rules on their part by completing the required formalities. Match Referee, David Boon who approved India’s concussion substitute had an animated conversation with Justin Langer followed by outbursts from certain Australian players and the decision being questioned by Cricket experts and scrutinized by the media.

ICC Rules & Guidelines on Concussion Replacement:

Well, to lay rest to these speculations and determine if the Indian team subverted the rules, it is important to look at the International Cricket Council (ICC) Rules and Guidelines concerning concussion replacement. The concussion rules were implemented to restrict a player from being unduly exposed to health risks and also to save a team from being disadvantaged if their player is concussed.

The concussion replacement issue is dealt with under Rule 1.2.7 of the ICC Men’s Twenty20 International Playing Conditions which was introduced in July 2019. The Rules allow a ‘like-for-like’ replacement in case a player is concussed, i.e., an injury is caused to the head or neck during the course of the match and the incident had occurred within the playing area.

The team medical representative is responsible for diagnosing the player and submitting the request for concussion replacement to the Match Referee. Rules 1.2.7.1.3.4 mandate that the concussion replacement request shall be a like-for-like for the player who has sustained the concussion or suspected concussion.

As per Rule 1.2.7.3, the ICC Match Referee should ordinarily approve a Concussion Replacement Request if the replacement is a like-for-like player whose inclusion will not excessively advantage his team for the remainder of the match. Further, the ICC Match Referee should consider the likely role the concussed player would have played during the remainder of the match, and the normal role that would be performed by the nominated Concussion Replacement. The decision of the match referee in this regard is final and cannot be appealed.

Did India and the Match Referee follow the Rules?

Let us analyze the core issues which became the point of discussion and disagreement and caused the stir.

a) Player Assessment

The major issue was that the player was not assessed after he was hit and hence there was a breach of protocol by team India. Let us look at the ICC’s concussion management guidelines and refer to section “Clear and immediate diagnosis of concussion” which reads as:

When should a team doctor/physio run out for an on-field assessment?

  1. If called on by the umpire;
  2. If a player is down and players are calling for assistance;
  3. Immediately, if there is a head knock and the player is unable to resume after 3 to 4 seconds;
  4. If a player calls for a new helmet following a head injury; and
  5. At the end of the over, if the player resumes play after having sustained a blow to the head.

Analyzing, the above guidelines team India does not seem to have breached any protocol as the player was attended and assessed in the dressing room by the team medics immediately after the (final) over in which he was hit, therefore falling under the fifth scenario. Hence, the objection of an unfair advantage being taken solely on this ground cannot be sustained. Moreover, given the medical expertise and sensitive nature of the injury, the opinion of the medics can also not be called into question or be disregarded.

b)  Like-for-like replacement:

The second issue, which caused much furor was whether the replacement player (Yuzvendra Chahal in this case) could be considered a ‘like-for-like’ replacement (Ravindra Jadeja) where Jadeja is considered a bowling all-rounder while Chahal is purely a leg-spinner.

Rules 1.2.7.3 – 1.2.7.5 sets out the guidelines for Match Referee to address the issue of concussion replacement. As per the Rules, the Match Referee should assess the likely role the concussed player would have played during the remainder of the match and the normal role, which would be performed by the nominated replacement. It is not necessary that a player should be a ‘like-for-like’ replacement in terms of ability and standing. Such an interpretation would render the concussion rules infructuous as no two players are alike and no team can be expected to carry a squad containing an exact substitute for each of its players. The assessment is to be done on the basis of the ‘likely role’ to be played.

Moreover, if the Match Referee believes that the inclusion of the replacement would excessively advantage the team, the Match Referee is well within his rights to impose conditions upon the identity and involvement of the Concussion replacement, to neutralize any advantage being accrued. In the instant match, being an all-rounder, Jadeja was likely to complete his bowling quota. Since the replacement happened at the end of the batting innings, Chahal could be considered a ‘like-for-like’ replacement, as he would have played the role of Jadeja, which is to bowl his quota of four overs.

Conclusion:

An in-depth analysis of the ICC Rules & Guidelines and the subject issue of concussion replacement do not hint at any unfair or mala-fide intention neither on the part of the Indian cricket team nor the match referee. Another perspective; had Chahal not bowled the Indian team to victory and bagged the man of the match award, this issue would not have seen the light of the day. The whole matter seems to be no more than a tempest in a teacup.

Image Credits: Photo by Aksh yadav on Unsplash

Had Chahal not bowled the Indian team to victory and bagged the man of the match award, this issue would not have seen the light of the day. The whole matter seems to be no more than a tempest in a teacup.

Related Posts

POST A COMMENT

Surrogate Advertising In India :Is CBFC Certification mandtory?

  • 17 December, 2020
  • Sripriya Padmanabhan
  • Sidheswar Sahoo

We are all familiar with the quirky and satirical advertisements of ‘Men Will Be Men’ for Seagram’s Imperial Blue Superhits Music CDs. Needless to mention, the brand “Imperial Blue” is in fact a popular brand of Indian whisky, owned by Pernod Ricard and launched in the year 1997. Since Indian law prohibits advertisements that promote, directly or indirectly, the production, sale, or consumption of cigarettes, tobacco products, alcohol in India, these products are advertised through surrogate advertising or brand extension.

Time and again there have been numerous case laws, Court rulings, and Govt. notifications prohibiting/regulating the advertisement of these products in India. ASCI, the self-regulatory body of advertisements in India, has been playing a proactive role in this regard thereby keeping all these ads in check.

Evolution of Surrogate Advertising in India

In India, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B), through The Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 (‘Act’) and The Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994 (‘Rules’) as well as other policies and guidelines issued from time to time, has been regulating content on private satellite channels, a network of multi-system operators, and local cable operators (LCOs).

Rule 7 of the Rules prescribes the advertising code which has to be conformed to by cable operators while broadcasting advertisements through their cable service. Rule 7(2) specifically enlists advertisements that cable operators would not be allowed to broadcast. Rule 7(2) prohibits advertisements that “promotes directly or indirectly production, sale or consumption of cigarettes, tobacco products, wine, alcohol, liquor or other intoxicants.”

 A proviso to the above Rule was inserted through an amendment on August 9, 2006 [G.S.R. 469 (E)]1, which permitted advertisements of products that use a brand name or logo, which is also used for cigarettes, tobacco products, wine, alcohol, liquor, or other intoxicants, subject to conditions that (i) the storyboard or visual of the advertisement must depict only the product being advertised and not the prohibited products in any form or manner; (ii) the advertisement must not make any direct or indirect reference to prohibited products; (iii) the advertisement must not contain any nuances or phrases promoting prohibited products; (iv) the advertisement must not use particular colours and layout or presentations associated with prohibited products; (v) the advertisement must not use situations typical for promotion of prohibited products when advertising the other products:

“Provided further that all such advertisement shall be previewed and certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) suitable for unrestricted public exhibition prior to telecast or transmission or retransmission.”

 

Timeline of Various Orders by the Government Pertaining to Surrogate Advertising

  • A notification2 issued by the Ministry of I & B on February 27, 2009, had stated that such ads found to be “genuine brand extensions” shall be previewed and certified by the CBFC.
  • Another directive3 that was issued on June 17, 2010, was quite blunt on the rules as it directed all TV channels to stop carrying any ad of a product that even used a brand name or logo used for wine, alcohol and liquor. According to this directive, it looks that even though any other product was being advertised, the ad will be prohibited if it contained the name of an “alcoholic beverage”
  • Recently, the Ministry of I & B on September 15, 2020, issued an advisory4 with a view to curb surrogate advertisements, saying that such ads are to be previewed and certified by the CBFC to ascertain whether they are suitable for unrestricted public exhibition and are in accordance with stipulated This is the latest order by the government in this regard.

Is the Advisory binding in nature?

  • The question which arises here is that whether such “advisories” issued by the Ministry of I & B are binding on the Court in the case of Kritika Padode v. Union of India & Anr.5 had established that an advisory is not a legally binding order. The court had mentioned that they were just “mere advice to the private satellite TV channels”.
  • Also, in the 2019 Allahabad High Court Judgement, Struggle Against Pain v. State of U.P.6 where the main issue pertained to “Surrogate Advertisement”, there was no mention of a CBFC certificate being

ASCI Code

Rule 7 sub-rule (9) was amended7 on August 2, 2006, which made the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) Code compulsory for the regulation of television advertisements. The ASCI is however a self-regulating body for the advertising and primarily has the power to pull up an advertiser for any violations against the advertising code. The Code does not though explicitly mention the requirement of a CBFC certificate to advertise something “surrogate”.

The ASCI8 has provided guidelines for the qualification of brand extensions, which are:

  1. The product or service should be registered with an appropriate government authority eg Central Value Added Tax (CENVAT)/ Value Added Tax (VAT)/ Food and Drug Administration (FDA)/ Food and Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)/ Trade Marks Registry (TM).
  2. The availability of the surrogate product in the market must be at least 10% of the leading brand’s market share as measured in metro cities where the product is being
  3. The sales turnover of the product or service should exceed Rs 5 crore per annum pan-India or Rs 1 crore per annum per state where the distribution has been
  4. A valid certificate must have been obtained from an independent organisation such as AC Nielsen or a category-specific industry association before

This has yet again been notified in a Press Release recently issued by ASCI on November 2, 20208. The Press Release reiterated that advertisements for brand extensions could not feature anything prohibited by law or that pertained to banned products nor could it refer to or hint at such products. The Press Release was issued to keep a check on advertisements that were being broadcasted during the IPL. Further, the IPL broadcaster also confirmed that all advertisements were checked for CBFC clearance so that they are not in violation of the Act.

 

The ASCI further sought responses from advertisers, within 7 days, to validate their claims of their product or service being a genuine brand extension, which included sales, distribution, and market share data certified by an independent body. The advertisement was to be allowed to continue only if it met the criteria for a genuine extension. However, if no response was received, then order would be passed ex-parte.

ASCI Rulings 

The Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) set up by ASCI handles complaints pertaining to advertisements that come before the ASCI. On perusing complaints for the year 2019-2020, there were 12 rulings related to surrogate advertising and brand extensions. Based on the cases, it may be inferred that ASCI places emphasis on adherence to its Guidelines for Qualification of Brand Extension Product or Service.

Consumer Protection Act, Rules & Guidelines

The draft Central Consumer Protection Authority (Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Necessary Due Diligence for Endorsement of Advertisements) Guidelines, 2020, was issued in August 2020, by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) in the exercise of the powers conferred by clauses (c) and (d) of sub-section (1) of section 18, read with clause (l) of sub-section

(2) of section 18 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 (Act 35 of 2019) (CPA).

The draft guidelines have been framed for the prevention of false or misleading advertisements as well as due diligence to be carried out for endorsements. Hence, the scope of the guidelines pertains to all advertising/ marketing communications regardless of form, format, or medium and apply to manufacturers/service providers whose products/services are the subject of the advertising/marketing communications, as well as to advertisement agency and endorser (wherever applicable) of the product/service9.

The draft guidelines under Rule 8 have also included Surrogate Advertising. Further, the guidelines state that the provisions of the CPA would apply for any violations of the provisions of the guidelines. Hence, we can gather that should there be any contraventions to the guidelines once it is notified, the CPA would have the power to impose penalties on the manufacturers or endorsers.

Conclusion

It may be noted from the Cable TV Act & Rules that the amendment was made to permit surrogate advertisements for genuine brand extensions, but solely with such advertisements being compliant with the requirements provided therein and in the ASCI Code. Hence, one such prerequisite is that the advertiser needs to obtain a certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for such advertisements to be allowed on the cable service. This has again been reiterated in several notifications issued by the Ministry of I & B and ASCI.

From the above rulings and the press release, it can be gathered that ASCI has come down heavily on advertisements for even the slightest of references to banned products (such as alcohol and the like) in their surrogate advertisements. Hence, adhering to such requirements provided in the Rules, Code and other related guidelines/notifications issued from time to time may be the way to ensure that such advertisements are displayed to the public. The ASCI being a self-regulatory body has no powers to penalize the advertisers and may only have them modify or remove their advertisements should they not comply with their Code. However, under the draft guidelines issued by CCPA, which has defined surrogate advertisements, directions could be issued, and penalties could be imposed against false or misleading advertisements by manufacturers/endorsers. Based on this, we would have to wait and watch on how both bodies would work together or if the powers of the ASCI for false and misleading advertisements would decrease.

References

1 https://mib.gov.in/sites/default/files/cab2.pdf

2 https://mib.gov.in/sites/default/files/cab4.pdf

3 http://www.rctfi.org/notification/directive.pdf

4https://mib.gov.in/sites/default/files/ADVISORY%20ON%20SURROGATE%20ADVERTISEMENTS.pdf

5 2016 SCC OnLine Del 4360

62019 SCC OnLine All 4624

7 https://www.ibfindia.com/sites/default/files/cab1.pdf

8 https://www.ascionline.org/images/pdf/pr_surrogate_advertising_2nd_november_2020.pdf

9https://consumeraffairs.nic.in/sites/default/files/file-uploads/latestnews/Draft%20guidelines%20for%20stakeholders%20consultation.pdf

 

 

Image Credits: Photo by Mohammad Shahhosseini on Unsplash  

From the above rulings and the press release, it can be gathered that ASCI has come down heavily on advertisements for even the slightest of references to banned products (such as alcohol and the like) in their surrogate advertisements. Hence, adhering to such requirements provided in the Rules, Code and other related guidelines/notifications issued from time to time may be the way to ensure that such advertisements are displayed to the public.

Related Posts

POST A COMMENT

Atmanirbhar Bharat needs to harness the right strengths through a New Governance Architecture

Achieving the goal of an Atmanirbhar Bharat depends on two other factors in addition to the need for changes to various laws and a mindset change in our people (which I have written about in my two previous blogs). The first is harnessing India’s diversity in terms of natural and human resources and our rich civilizational traditions that, in many ways, are becoming relevant again. The second is to strengthen India’s federal governance structures in order to enable the first. 

India as a nation has abundant mineral wealth, that, if tapped sensibly, will secure critical supplies to vital industries. Developing our own local sources reduces the dependence on imports, thereby partially insulating our economy from a range of geopolitical and other risks. India’s wide variety of soil types and climatic conditions are capable of supporting a range of food crops as well as cash crops. Our country’s rich biodiversity endows us with a number of indigenous plant and animal species. Many plants that are native to India have proven medicinal value. Plant extracts like saffron are in great demand worldwide, and through proper scientific cultivation, can be grown in more areas.  

Almost every state is home to some traditional art or craft, whether textiles, dyes, toys etc. As the world becomes more conscious of the need to act against climate change and protect the planet, there will be a demand for green, sustainable products. Bamboo toothbrushes and bottles are a good example. Several north-eastern states can grow enough bamboo to make such products- not just for India but also for exports. A similar opportunity exists with Indian fabrics made of say tussar silk or fine cotton or pashmina yarn.  

The concept of Atmanirbhar Bharat is not about becoming an insulated island in a global economy; it is about optimizing self-reliance. Even in the future, we as a nation will continue to import a wide range of products and services simply because we do not have the comparative advantage to make them: it is cheaper to import them. But in the years ahead, we must minimize this list of imports so that there is minimum strategic dependence on key materials, whether natural resources or other components and intermediates.  

India has a strong base of human resources skilled in STEM disciplines. But many of our graduates who are keen on the research end up doing cutting-edge work in overseas labs. Why can we not create a domestic ecosystem that enables our scientists, engineers, and technologists to conduct similar levels of advanced research in India and allow domestic companies to commercialize the research to create products and services for the world? The new education policy is a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done to unshackle higher education and encourage private R&D and innovation in key fields. In fact, public-private partnerships in R&D can be quite fruitful.  

In my view, it is possible to do all this, but to do so with impact and in a sustainable manner, we need to rejuvenate our governance structures. The founding fathers of India envisioned a strong federal structure where central and state governments will work symbiotically and in complementary ways towards the overall purpose of India’s progress. For a number of reasons, this intent of our federal government system has weakened over time. The tendency of central and state governments to often lock horns (unless the same political dispensation is in power) needlessly wastes valuable time and other scarce resources. In most states, continuity of policies does not depend on their merit or impact; very often, policies introduced by one party’s government are decried and rolled back or tweaked when another party comes to power. This is not right, because every government implements some good policies for sure. Irrespective of which political party is in power, the central government and state governments should work in harmony.  

While the central government policies must aim to create a national-level competitive advantage for various sectors (through the right policies), state governments should work towards giving a thrust to industries that are important to India and can thrive locally within their jurisdictions. individual states must learn to utilize the legislative flexibility given to them under our constitution to make themselves most attractive to investors. This will necessarily mean that states will need to compete with one another, but that’s the only way they can accelerate social and economic development. Pegatron, one of Apple’s key OEM manufacturers, recently announced its intent to set up a production facility in India. I read a recent news report that both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are offering incentives to get Pegatron to choose a location in their state. Similarly, UP has announced a policy to attract new data centres that come up.  

It is not that states are not doing this. But I do not think they are doing it well enough. Often, states compete on the basis of tax breaks or land at lower prices or single-window clearances, etc. But the business case of investing companies typically considers many more factors beyond just the ease of setting up a factory. While this criterion is undoubtedly important, depending on the nature of business, natural resource availability, availability of skilled human resources and infrastructure (power, water, multimodal transport options etc.) are also important considerations. The quality of housing, school/college education facilities, entertainment avenues, lung space, pollution levels, overall law and order situation etc. are also critical elements of the business case because these factors collectively go a long way in determining whether companies can attract top-quality talent, the levels of compensation needed and how easy it will be to retain staff.  

Also, some of these incentives can easily become a slippery slope because smart investors will start playing one state against another. For states to develop a stronger and more comprehensive “pull” factor, the quality of their policies and the degree of innovativeness they show will be key. This means that officers who understand the big picture will inherently be more flexible and responsive to the needs of investors, provided they are not impeded by political pressures of various kinds. States whose leadership consciously works towards quickly creating such a development-oriented culture within government will undoubtedly benefit much more than those states that continue to operate in the old way.  

In the context of the preceding analysis, I see three distinct clusters of sectors where we as a nation should focus in the next five years to create a global scale: 

  • those in which we have become strong global players in the past 20 years (pharmaceuticals, chemicals, steel, IT, automotive, textiles etc.)- we can build on our advantages. 
  • those that are part of our ancient tradition, but are finding new takers worldwide (Ayurveda and other ancient systems of medicine, yoga, environmentally-friendly dyes, weaving etc.)- we can leverage our rich tradition and present them in a modern context using better manufacturing, packaging and branding.   
  • those that are emerging as the new arenas of global competition (space and satellite technologies, remote sensing, AI-ML, robotics, 5G, IoT, cognitive computing, genomics, biotechnology etc.)- this is where we can harness the diversity in our human resources to emerge as leaders in what will essentially be the key fields of the future.  

Higher Education, in my view, is another large opportunity that India can benefit from. The pandemic has proved that with the right technology, virtual teaching and learning are possible. Naturally, the right teacher, training and content, along with further advances in technology, will help raise effectiveness further. With this in mind, allowing virtual universities to be established in various disciplines will help students from India and outside get access to a top-notch education. Of course, this will need a radical change in the laws that govern education.  

A sustainable Atmanirbhar Bharat depends not just on a large and growing vibrant domestic market, but also on our ability to become an export hub that caters to global demand by producing top quality products and delivering cutting-edge services (including education). This is the only way we can build a robust economy that not only delivers the levels of employment and GDP growth but is also better prepared to cope with shocks and slowdowns that may occur in the future. After all, there’s a good reason why twin-engine aircraft is preferred, why world-class batsmen can play both on the front- and back foot, why archers have a second string to their bows or indeed, why it is recommended that we should not put all our eggs in one basket. 

Image Credits: Photo by Balaji Malliswamy on Unsplash 

A sustainable Atmanirbhar Bharat depends not just on a large and growing vibrant domestic market, but also on our ability to become an export hub that caters to global demand by producing top quality products and delivering cutting-edge services (including education). This is the only way we can build a robust economy that not only delivers the levels of employment and GDP growth but is also better prepared to cope with shocks and slowdowns that may occur in the future.

Related Posts

POST A COMMENT