Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, addressed the India Education Summit 2022 on April 6, 2022
The last two years have brought about a disruption in the education sector on the back of digital transformation, Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, said, at the India Education Summit 2022. “The pandemic has impacted the lives of students who will be decision-makers in the next 25 years. Their foundational journey has been severely impacted by the global pandemic,” he added.
Pradhan further added that the challenge is to empower the next 500 million students. “About 35 crore Indians fall under formal or informal education. For India to become a superpower in the 21st century, we will have to increase our gross enrolment ratio (GER). Our vocational and skilling network will have to be made aspirational.” The number of school-going students in India stands at about 25 crore. Students from higher education are at about four crore, and vocational education and skilling ecosystem at about four crore.
At the Summit, Pradhan also highlighted how people across tier 2, tier 3 cities and beyond are innovators in their own way. “53 crore youth are the future. Their economic productivity will increase, once they become knowledgeable and educated. They will have to become employers to make an entrepreneurial economy.”
He further added that India is the growth center of the 21st century. “Students going abroad will complement our economy and knowledge. It is not a brain drain. When provided with an opportunity, they will contribute here,” he added.
Speaking about the role of languages, he highlighted that while different languages add to the economic opportunity, diplomatic network and marketing; for manufacturing and critical innovation – local conventional knowledge and native language are the key. “National Education Policy (NEP) has put special focus on native language which will lead to output of critical thinking,” he stated.
https://www.financialexpress.com/education-2/india-education-summit-2022-dharmendra-pradhan-on-the-need-to-make-india-an-entrepreneurial-economy/2483412/
