B Kalyan Chakravarthy, IAS, Principal Secretary Higher Education Department Government of Assam
New-age technologies are going to change the face of education and are important for the future of education. The silver bullet that changed the way knowledge is disseminated is digital technology. It was proved during the pandemic. Earlier the change in education was due to the privatization the education but could not be delivered to the poor and for those living in remote areas. Digital technology plays a vital role in Assam to reach out to students in remote areas. There is also a need for internet connectivity.
On education
Education has been the single most policy disruption the country has seen and the Right to Education was once such decision at the beginning. Starting with the recommendations of the Mudliar Commission onwards to the present NEP 2020, education is a priority. All policies stress on Equity, Access, Quality and Neutrality. 40 percent of the education sector is privatized. We have to ensure that education becomes equal. That is one of the goals of the New Education Policy 2020.
On reaching out the farthest places
Access is a major issue and in the state of Assam it becomes even more important. That apart, quality the big changes could be made by technology. Ensuring that the best of content and the best of lectures is delivered to students is the need. We need to have internet connectivity and digital devices. Whether it’s a college or school, the major difference which will come upon in the future is through digital technologies or through methods by which we increase accountability and transparency.
In terms of ensuring that the students are progressing in a particular way to bring about a connection between what courses are being offered and what industry is really looking forward to-these are the huge black holes which the education industry needs to fill up. The huge opportunities that are there and we can tackle them really forward is perhaps to do digital technology and we are doing a lot in the state of Assam right from reaching out to the education foundation from developing a language lab so that the children will understand the subjects in their own language.
Also developing the ease of understanding their teachers college management systems and school management systems
We are investing a lot in the state of Assam and we know that we are on the right path. We are trying to make education fun and stress-free with the right to education and in a manner in which the education is delivered by making it student and child centric.
