The document discusses transforming India through quality higher education. It argues for student-centric education that provides skills, vocational training, and research opportunities to create entrepreneurs rather than just job seekers. Education should maximize domestic innovation and technology to add value within India. The ideal system encompasses learning, research, technology, innovation, entrepreneurship, and sensitivity to society/environment. It outlines reforms needed for world-class universities, including governance, funding, industry partnerships, and skill development.

1. Transforming India
Through Quality Higher
Education*
--Anil Kakodkar
* 34th Vikram Sarabhai Memorial Lecture
Ahmedabad Management Association
October 27, 2012

2. -- Our youth population / GER / bridging disparities
through affirmative actions
-- Create entrepreneurs ( job providers at higher
levels in
the value chain) rather than just job seekers
(Student centric, development oriented quality
education
and skills training rooted in Indian societal
values)
-- Maximise globally competitive domestic value
addition
(products and services)
-- Domestic Innovation and Technology. Effective
engagement with emerging A3 ( any one, any time,
any
where ) connected society
-- Policies and practices that generate wealth
particularly at
the bottom of pyramid

3. Evolving modes of value creation
 Raw resources Towards
knowledge
driven
 Value added materials & development &
economy. Key
products to deal with
depleting
resources and
 Technology environmental
stability
 Innovation
Clearly quality higher education is the
key

4. Educational Institutions / Learning Domains
Skills Vocational Education
&training Education &Research
 Hands on  Exposure to Progressive
capability built procedural structured
through knowledge and expansion of
structured training knowledge
training and envelope
apprenticeship
Every student should have a choice of concurrent
education & training in all learning domains including
opportunities to do so across institutions
We should be able to catalyse the process towards student centric
education in a Meta University framework

5. Ideal Higher Education System
Should encompass the following:
• Learning & scholarship all the way up to current
frontiers of knowledge
• Research that pushes the frontiers of knowledge
• Technology at the cutting edge
• Innovations to address the problems and
opportunities in the industry/society
• Entrepreneurship that generates wealth in the
society
• Sensitivity towards society and environment rooted
in Indian values
On a scale commensurate with the needs of
Indian youth population

6. World-class University
Fle
ore x ib
to attract m tal ility
M agnets t all levels, adj ent, a to nu
a ork ne ust
talent a s to w ed b rt
to ility t ure
g ide s, a
fas cinatin n sp
inn mbia ecific
o
o
ova nc
tio e fo
o n r
po rt t
sup mers,
ive Abi
ass perfor nd l
M h
ig bility a of inn ity to
h gov ovate
mo ange s er n
h r sys ance
exc arche te m
e
res s
6
Engagement with industry, society, government, alumni and other stake holders

7. Higher education Institutions
• Universities -- State, Central, deemed
• Institutions specially set up IITs, NITs,
IIITs, IISERs, NISER, IIMs etc.
• Institutions engaged in research and
development in a given area
All these institutions should progressively
become world class and serve Indian needs

9. Situation as at present
• Low in global ranking
• Inadequate mutual confidence
between industry/society and
university
• Limited mobility of academics to
industry/society and vice versa
• Most students as they graduate are
unemployable
• Limited role in development process

10. Linkage between Govt. and University
Broad
political Apex advisory cum supervisory council
mandate
Academic and
Professional development
facilitation group with MAHED council
respect for autonomy
Functions:
 Nurture excellence in Higher education
 Oversee and promote education and
development as an integrated activity
 MAHED to play a central role in apptt. of VCs
 All Univs to be answerable to MAHED
 Facilitation for Universities to perform
 MAHED to define govt. funding policy for
Univs.

11. University –Multidisciplinary centre
of learning and development
• Should be a holistic learning environment that
enriches students with new knowledge and
skills
• Nurture innovation & problem solving
capability relevant to contemporary context
• An University must have a large enough fully
developed campus with multidisciplinary
approach
• Host education and globally competitive
research activities that are alive to the
dynamics in the neighborhood
• Host research parks, incubators, projects of
societal relevance on the campus
• Locate a campus in or adjoining a SEZ

12. University –Multidisciplinary centre of
learning and development --- contd.
• Should contribute to capable human
resource as well as guide emerging socio-
economic transformation
• Autonomous Governance that nurtures all-
round excellence including in colleges
• Liberal availability of financial resources
• Should support high quality UG education in
an ambiance of high quality research
Need more campuses – eventually one per
district – develop new campuses before
dividing an university

13. Borderless interaction between
Education, R&D, Industry and Society
1) Flexible Networking opportunities
2) Mobility of Students, Scientists and Entrepreneurs
3) Life long learning
4) Ability to selectively deploy resources on worthy
ideas
5) Choice of programmes based on problems that
need to be solved rather than the problems that
can be solved

14. Innovation Eco- system
Theory
Fundamental Experiments
Research
Education Applied Technology Scale Commerci-
Research Development up -alisation
Teachers Researchers Entrepreneurs
Skills
Students
Skilled / qualified workers for industry / society
Traditional
Commercial-
Knowledge Product/Process Development
-isation
Research Parks Incubation of Technology

15. Skill development
• A skill development program (both soft as
well as hard skills) for undergraduate
students as an add on to existing
curriculum in all disciplines is necessary
• Skill development to be a compulsory non-
credit program
• Delivery of skills through - in house
facilities in colleges, specially created
facility in each district/taluka to be used in
time sharing mode and out sourcing
• Govt., industry and colleges to co-partner
establishment and management of such
facilities

16. Autonomy and Governance
• VC to be the sole academic and administrative
head supported by a Statuary Adv. Committee
• Academics led peer based management
• Mature peer processes rather than
electioneering should prevail
• Autonomous working with assured funding on
the basis of predefined norms
• All stakeholders represented in management
• Society Partnership Council (SOUL) to replace
SENATE
• Three component curriculum i) Core
component ii) inter-disciplinary component
iii) vocational component
• 360 degree evaluation and graded reward
system

17. University Funding
• Grant priority to HE sector. Create special financial and
administrative instruments/ concessions to raise
resources for universities. In today’s context public
investments in higher education would be most
rewarding
• A campus would typically require around 200 crores
capital investment and around 15 crores recurring
expenditure in addition to salaries and R&D outlays
• Confer status of Special Planning Authority to university
campuses under Maharashtra Regional and Town
Planning act duly overseen by MAHED. Done with care
this would enrich learning environment
• Hopefully non- government financial support would
improve with credible autonomy in place
• Establish professional finance management system

18. STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE
QUALITY
•A key to excellence is high quality faculty. Presence of
high caliber researchers from proximate institutions, not
only would enrich the programmes but also create
attractions for better faculty and students.
•Set up centers involving better institutions with
complimentary interests/mandate
•Make institutions more autonomous and independent
•Establish collaborations with better institutions
•Encourage mobility of faculty to other institutions for
collaborative activities
•Internal quality system with external audit/review for all
activities and processes

19. Autonomous Examination Boards
• To minimise distraction from core university
activities, work load of conducting
examinations particularly at UG level
should be entrusted to an autonomous
examination board of the university. Such
Boards would conduct examinations in
accordance with the stipulations of the
university.
• Uniform modular credit based academic
structure and a well designed ICT support
would facilitate movement towards a
learner centric approach

20. ICT in Higher education
• Distance learning
• Education and evaluation
• Working and learning together from geographically different
locations
• Open platforms for research and problem solving
• Quick scale up of access
• E-enabled governance, services and student support
systems
• Set up EDUNET along with comprehensive ICT infrastructure
in all universities
Opportunities available under NKN to be quickly exploited

21. Rural Development
 Livelihood in rural areas has become a major issue
 Results in a more rapid migration to urban centers
and consequent strain on urban infrastructure and
societal hygiene
 There are several opportunities for development
and wealth generation in rural areas
 Knowledge and technology inputs can make a
significant difference
 Attracting bright talent with right mind set and
creation of a high level knowledge centre engaged
with the neighborhood can be the game changer

22. Linking large rural domains to NKN • Setting up educational townships with
with broad band wireless connectivity modern amenities away from major cities
for initiating knowledge driven would contribute to development in rural
development areas and equitable distribution of wealth
across the State
• Needs better connectivity
Village 1
Guest House
Integrated Fruit
Nisargruna
Boys & Girls
CILLAGE
+
Processing
Power Hostel
Grapes+Banana
+Pomgranate Generation +
Linking large rural domains to NKN with broad band wireless
Staff Quarters connectivity for initiating
Centre for
knowledge
Village 2
+ Entrepreneurship
Rural Human & Sports Complex Promotion
Tissue Resource Dev. Fac. .
Culture Lab Land
Bldg. Education
Budget &
RIA, SOCDK, L Skill . . Management
Body
LL Iterim Staff Training
Field Service Training & Implem Team
&
NKN
consultation
Project Executers & . Linkage with National
Village 3 Village Users Research Laboratory
Water Filter Technologies
Development
& Isotope Expert Guidence &
Hydrology Entrepreneurship (Tech. Guidance
&
Village 5 Village 6
50 villages Expertise)
Multipurpose
Seed
Knowledge Irradiator &
Sarpanch
Bank Centre Cold & SCHOOL
Govt.
Storage Gramsabha
Schemes, Fin., I
Village 4 nsurance Users

23. Rural education/development outreach
Low cost tablets with broad band connectivity to
compliment conventional teaching mode, make
education more student centric and induce
improvement in teaching / mentoring with existing
teachers
Low cost wireless broad band with around 20 – 25 KM
range to be demonstrated
 Locally produced solar/wind/biomass power
Rural University/ higher education campus with Akrutis
(Advanced Knowledge based RUral Technology Initiative) in
the neighborhood to be sustained promoters of
community learning and development in the area

24. Education and Science promotion
through commons movement
 All knowledge resources to be available to
users free of cost
 Open education resources (OER) in local
language
 Wiki process to enlarge OER with oversight
 Science activity centres / science based
community development programmes

25. SVERI, Gopalpur pilot project connectivity
• A pilot project is planned at SVERI, Gopalpur to study feasibility.
Technology/Cost Analysis/Contents creation-Sharing/Effect on
student/etc.
1. NIC/BARC - NKN connectivity to DAE out reach centre at SVERI: High
bandwidth 100 Mbps with Low latency and Internet access
2. M/S Nicheken: Wi-Fi broad band connectivity to 5 Schools (within approx.10-12
km
distance) from NKN enabled point at SVERI
3. IIT/Bombay: Akash tablets, software and contents
4. MKCL/HBCSE/(SNDT?): e-course content in Marathi for schools
5. RGSTF : Financial support
• Uninterrupted power provided from three sources: Normal AC
supply, Rechargeable Battery and Solar

26. Rural school at Anavali
linked to NKN at SVERI
Gopalpur

27. The objective of this
workshop was to
Empower
Traditional Indian
Artist through
Advanced
Technology to
Earn Livelihood.
Warli paintings,
Kalamkari, Madhubani,
Thewa art, Bhitti Chitra
and Phad Chitra can be
popularised through
advanced technology
route for upliftment &
empowerment of
Traditional Artists from
Rural & Tribal
background.

28. Such an eco-system would facilitate
following key aspects of human resource
and societal development
• Education and research that is relevant to needs of
neighbourhood.
• Innovation eco-system based of traditional as well as latest
acquisitions in knowledge.
• Transfer of Knowledge Applications.
• Opportunities for Local Businesses.
• Training and Human Resource Development.
• Community Infrastructure.
• Livelihood Opportunities.
• Protection of Environment, Heritage and Culture.

29. DNA of rural development
Group Livelihood Skills
Individua
l support Technology Technology
needs
Financial Advanced Knowledge
institutions Knowledge based
rural technology institution
initiative (AKRUTI) University
campus / College
Product /R&D Centre
ideas
Group
Support
ICT enabled
Scale up and education
outreach
replication
Public Funded
Financial Rural innovation Human Resource
inclusion and development Dev. Programme

31. Key Challenges
• World class research at a level
commensurate India’s size and needs.
• Faculty growth – primarily through PhD
programme
• To become magnets to attract and
retain talent
• To impact on education, research and
technology scene in the country as a
whole 31

32. IITs are at the right level to aim higher
--to transform India to be a techno-innovation power house
• Excellence at global level
--Each IIT can identify 3-4 areas of recognised strength and strive to be among the
best in the world
-- Preferential support to such areas on the basis of broad based peer assessment
• Research and innovation culture
--10,000 PhDs in engineering and technology every year
--Research Parks at all IITs
--Entrepreneurship development
• National technological capability in all important areas
--Large programs of national importance in multi group
and multi institutional mode
--Socio-economic ministries to establish labs in IITs
--PSUs and others to set up additional labs at IITs
• High quality graduate engineers in large enough numbers
--IITs to engage with NITs, NIITs, IISERs and other institutions
--100,000 (may be more) high quality graduates every year as feeder pool for PhD
program as well as for other segments 32

33. Why Govt. should grant greater
autonomy to IITs?
• Almost a prerequisite to be world class
• To explore new pathways to nurture innovation and
entrepreneurship
• To generate confidence in prospective donors
• To be in a better position to attract and nurture excellence
(This does not mean compromise on accountability
in terms of objectives and deliverables)
33

34. Gambro
Sony Ericsson
Active Biotech
Chemical Centre
Ecology Centre
University Hospital Ideon
Science
Park Astra Zeneca
LTH
BMC
School of
MAX-lab
Economics
500 m
Ideon Science Park Hans Möller 2008-04-21

35. Innovation System in Lund
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Pre Br en Ideon Business
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Idea Re cat
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Ven Capital Advisors Environment Process Idea Generation

36. Some new initiatives that
need to be scaled up
Homi Bhabha National Institute
Promote research on the interface of basic
sciences and technology
National Institute for Science Education and
Research and IISERs
Integrated M.Sc. Program in an ambiance of high level research
DAE – MU Centre of Basic Sciences
Enriching existing Universities through participation of proximate
institutions

37. Thank you