Innovative Indian Education Strategy

Leader: Dr. KRS Murthy;;Top rated and award winning professor and professor of five departments; ,Founding advisory member  and board of trustee to University of California System and few other universities in USA.  Famous key note speaker with over 150 key notes and few hundred international conference session chair / speaker Dr.Sri.Murthy@Gmail.Com

Gaps and Challenges in Indian Education System

1.      Indian education system has many gaps and inadequacies at all levels from Kindergarten through high school, all levels of the college education, applicable to all disciplines and specializations

2.     The students at all levels have mostly theoretical education with subjects of outdated curriculum, with very little and outdated practical and hands-on learning.

3.     The tests and examinations stress memorizing and not creative thinking and problem solving.

4.     The teachers and college faulty are life time educationists with very little to no practical industry experience in all subjects, thus unable to impart hands-on education and training to their students.

5.     None of this are negative reflections on the students nor teacher, except the systemic legacies in all schools and colleges.

6.     India needs innovative approaches to empower teachers and students to learn real world skills and knowledge

Approach to Innovative and Practical Education

Rotational Careers and Triple Track Careers

1.      Rotational careers for teachers, industry and government professionals

2.     After graduation from school or college with bachelor degrees, diplomas, master degrees and terminal degrees like Ph.D. MD or JD, the graduates would be given a choice to pick one career to start.

3.     They can pick, for example, the following tracks:

a.     Full time teachers / faculty in colleges and universities

b.     Full time industry professionals in private or public companies

c.     Full time government professionals in local, state or central government

d.     Full time non-profit organization or NGO type organizations

e.     Full time R&D in private, government or university R&D labs

f.     Private entrepreneurs, independent or part of any of the variety of incubation or acceleration centers across India

4.     They can decide to get a rotational transfer on cooperative / collaborative sabbatical to serve their choice of organizations in categories a to f. This would be based on open opportunities published on the shared web sites or negotiated between the professional and management of the organizations from a to f. Minimum duration for longer term assignments is mutually agreed.

5.     The professionals could also choose short term internship in the organizations of one to six month duration, that would give them an overview of work environment, so that they could later decide to extend or take up longer work assignments.

6.     The rotational transfer on cooperative / collaborative sabbatical programs will enable and empower working professionals to gain and develop a more holistic skills, prowess and experience.

7.     A teacher from organizational category A will get knowledge of one or more other categories, so that the teacher can impart worldly and practical knowledge to students.

8.     A working professional from categories B to F gets a chance to impart practical knowledge while serving as an adjunct teacher or faculty, while the theoretical foundation that they learned during their student life is strengthened by teaching, with additional skill set of teaching and training.

9.     All these dual track or rotational assignments between A to F will especially help students to learn better and also enable empower them to be better working professionals.

10.   Both students and working professionals in all A to F categories gain mutual respect.

11.    The students at all grades K – 12, college and university will have requirements to serve A to F organizations in different levels of short and long term internships. Such programs will prepare better citizens with appreciation, mutual respect and knowledge in multiple of the A to F categories, thus the educational institutions becoming practical and graduating well prepared employees.

12.   Please note that the students and professionals are actually made up of parents, grandparents, kids and youth, making every family a better family.

13.   Continual review and improvement should be done in all educational curricula to start with, for example 80 percent theory and 20 percent practical and hands-on programs, which over the upcoming years and decades should gradually become more and more practical percentage reaching 50 percent theoretical foundation reinforced by 50 percent practical and hands-on learning.

14.   The different types of educational institutions, for example teaching universities and vocational schools / colleges, can provide a healthy mix and a broad spectrum of theory, hands-on laboratory and practical projects. Flexible individualized programs or choices to pick from for students would be the ideal goal for India.

15.   Creativity, brainstorming, entrepreneurship and innovation should be necessary skills taught at all levels and ages.

16.   Social entrepreneurship and social service should be a required curriculum for all grades and ages.

17.   The educational institutions at all grades should aim to hire international professionals from ALL countries and continents, for quarterly or annual contracts, and some on permanent, long term basis.

18.   Local travel, state or interstate travel for students once or more in a year will energize them and at the same time enhances their awareness of the world around them. Companies could sponsor or subsidize such programs.

Example Enhancements in Educational Curriculum and Continuing Education Programs

19.   NOTE: The educational institutions, at school, college, university levels and also the Department of Education need to act urgently to train students, along with a supplemental continuing education program, large number of professionals in the areas already listed by me.

20.   Mobility, cloud, data centers, internet of things (IoT) or internet of everything (IoET), Big data, sensors, MEMs  - especially ongoing innovations

21.   Transportation and Infrastructure Engineering as a degree program

22.   Nano, micro, material science – especially ongoing innovations

23.   Energy and green energy alternatives, environment – especially ongoing innovations

24.   Innovative intelligent and precision agriculture, gardening, algae, biomass, herbal gardening, urban gardening

25.   Water management, especially clean water

26.   Sports – all types of international sports – not just cricket, hockey and football

27.   Latest and ongoing innovations in healthcare, pharmaceutical and biotech

28.   Truly global understanding and appreciation in arts, literature, music, drama and the modern media

29.   Truly global understanding and appreciation in governments, intergovernmental relations and conflicts to prepare students to be internationally aware world citizens

Murthy’s Suggestions for New Degree and Diploma Programs- 

Titled for example BS in Nano – Micro or MS in Big Data and NOT general science, engineering or medical degrees – For a four year degree, 3 years should be specialization, or ALL two years in a Master degree. BS in Civil, Electrical, and Mechanical are neither useful nor specialized enough.

30.   Bachelor Degrees in: Transportation Infrastructure; Transportation Engineering; Transportation Parts and Systems Manufacturing; Transportation Industry Supply Chain

31.   Master and Ph.D. Programs with specialization in: Two Wheel, Cars, Busses and Trucks, Air, Naval

32.   Bachelor, Master and Ph.D. Degrees in: Nano and Micro Manufacturing and Supply Chain

33.   Bachelor, Master and Ph.D. Degrees in: Mobility, Cloud, Data Centers, internet of things (IoT) or internet of Everything (IoET), Big data, Sensors, Wireless Sensor Networks, MEMs , Data Science, Visualization

34.   Bachelor, Master and Ph.D. Degrees in Energy and green energy alternatives, environment. For example, BS in Solar, BS in Wind………. MS in Solar Thermal or MS in PV or Diploma in Solar Installation; Diploma in Solar Operations and Maintenance; Diploma or BS in Clean Water

35.   BS, Diploma, MS in Intelligent and Precision agriculture, gardening

36.   BS, Diploma, MS in Algal Engineering

37.   BS, Diploma, MS in Biomass to Energy

38.   BS, Diploma, MS in Urban Gardening

39.   BS, MS in Sports – MS or Ph.D. in all types of international sports – not just cricket, hockey and football, MS in Sports Management

40.   BS, MS and Diploma in Video Games; BS and MS in Social Media and Modern Media (Example: Internet TV)