Needed: More schools of excellence

Sam Pitroda, chairman, PM’s Knowledge Commission
India has a strong history of entrepreneurial dedication to education. The Tata group’s focus on education through its three-pillar approach of steel, power and education in 1850s, the Birla group’s initiative to set-up Birla Management Institute and most recently the announcement about a world-class, multi-disciplinary Vedanta University by one of the most successful Indian entrepreneurs, Anil Agarwal. These collectively describe the Indian entrepreneurs’ passion for world-class education.

The contribution of such institutes is effectively a contribution to the Indian society, since they can serve as growth engines for the country. While there is a bundle of positive news for India, since the world has identified the country’s potential, foreign direct investment is growing stronger by the day and there are new opportunities emerging fast. However, we still face serious concern over the lack of basic infrastructure and knowledge infrastructure facilities.

The rapidly growing demand for talented and highly educated young force, fuelled by fast expanding business growth is a cause of serious concern for the country. It is imperative for a nation in this situation to invest towards creating world-class education system.

China, Hong Kong and Singapore have undertaken massive institution building efforts to become regional higher education hubs, while India’s higher education system is acknowledged as woefully inadequate. Our top ranked institutes offer less than 1,00,000 seats every year — where 3m are eligible for admission.

There is an annual outflow of more than 1,50,000 students to institutes in the west every year — driving out nearly $2-3bn in foreign exchange per annum. It makes India the second-largest target market globally for education institutes in the West.

The answer to this situation is — 25 to 50 world-class, multi-disciplinary institutes within India. Vedanta University is a very vital step in this direction with its focus on greater access to world-class education across disciplines; cutting-edge, cross-disciplinary research through centres of excellence; and contribution to the social and economic development of the region & nation by producing not just the academics of the future, but also administrators and Nobel laureates.

Such universities have the potential to become enablers for creating a much-needed ‘thriving economic ecosystem’ through strong academic, research, industry, community & government inter-linkages. At the Knowledge Commission, our focus is on the five areas of access, concepts, creation, application and services. This is achieved through multi-faced attention to about 50 different areas like libraries, research and e-governance. Our concern is promoting knowledge creation in higher institutions.

Historically, the best brains in the world are focused on solving problems of the rich and the problems of the poor do not get the attention of the best minds. Similarly, the best of talents also goes into defence-related research and not human development issues. India is in a position to address these issues and can lead the world in looking at them.

While the Government of India is committed to strongly support and facilitate initiatives in this area, the real challenge is to get the new generation of successful entrepreneurs to follow examples set by industry houses such as Tata, Birla, Vedanta and others.