Gujarat : Education Sector Stalwarts debate on ‘National Education Policy at ChhatrNiti Aayog in Karnavati University

Ahmedabad: In its constant pursuit of nurturing ideas of the youth, Karnavati University, took yet another leap by organising ChhatrNiti Aayog at the varsity campus on Monday. ChhatrNiti Aayog is an Intellectual Congress of the Youth – a platform to ideate, analyse, discuss, and deliberate upon the process of state policymaking. This year, ChhatrNiti Aayog was held on the theme of ‘National Education Policy: Opportunities and Challenges’, at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose auditorium, Extended campus, Karnavati University.

Dr Anil Sahasrabudhe, chairman, National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), National Education Technology Forum (NETF) and the National Board of Accreditation (NBA), remained present as the chief guest. Shri Hiranmay Mahanta, CEO, i-Hub Gujarat, Dr PV Madhusudhan Rao, Dean – Alumni Relations, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, Dr Preet Deep Singh, Vice President and Lead, One District One Product (ODOP) Invest India, Professor Sunil Maheshwari, Dean, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) and Professor Sanjay Inamdar, Chairman, AICTE Startup Policy Implementation Committee, were also among the guests of honour who remained present during the event.

During the keynote address, Dr Anil Sahasrabudhe dwelled upon the various kinds of learning mentioned in Indian knowledge systems and traditions and spoke about the accreditation and registration systems being revamped to cater to the needs of universities and students.

Karnavati University is a state private university located in Uvarsad, Gandhinagar, and is dedicated to excellence in teaching and is focussed on interdisciplinary learning.

Speaking about the event, Shri Ritesh Hada, president, Karnavati University, said, “In the direction of Viksit Bharat @2047, several industry captains and senior policymakers have emphasised on the urgent need for improving the quality and access to education and building a skilled workforce. The deliberations on the National Education Policy – Challenges and Opportunities, will further help chart a roadmap to building an education, innovation, and research-oriented skilled workforce.  I am confident that the series of deliberations on this issue, held at ChhatrNiti Aayog will become the building blocks of India’s growth.”

During his address, Dr PV Madhusudan Rao enlightened the students about the various challenges related to the implementation of the NEP.

“Several institutions are not equipped to provide experiential, collaborative and social learning. There is an urgent need to go beyond perceived specialisation to enhance the skill set because restrictive learning tends to disrupt the future. The NEP lays greater emphasis on interdisciplinary interactions, however, institutes here still need to build opportunities where courses are introduced encouraging transdisciplinary learning,” he said.

Dr Rao also emphasised on the importance of leveraging opportunities through technology transfers and investment in research.

Professor Sunil Maheshwari of IIM Ahmedabad explained how NEP could be a gamechanger if faculty members are trained in various pedagogical techniques, and if flexibility is maintained in the curriculum.

Shri Hiranmay Mahanta, CEO of i-Hub, stressed on the need for effective learning. “In future, skills will invariably matter much more than an educational degree one gets from a university. Therefore, it is extremely important to focus on effective learning and understanding the task at hand and completing it most optimally,” he said.

Dr Preet Deep Singh highlighted the need to unlearn and relearn within the framework of the new education policy. “NEP is the cornerstone for the right education and therefore, securing a bright future for the students. It is the only policy that emphasises on unlearning the conventional ways of learning and relearning the practical and real-world aspects. The best part about NEP is the flexibility it provides to experiment with the curriculum, making it more relevant,” Dr Singh said.

The engaging discussions on key issues ended with an interactive session where experts effectively addressed several queries from students and faculty members about the importance of NEP and how it can be integrated into current educational systems.