| The Asian Development Bank noted in January 2008 | | | | but campuses elsewhere-regulators realized that lax |
| that education in India was lagging seriously behind its | | | | rules were allowing many of the schools as diploma |
| rapid economic growth with only 12,000 training and | | | | mills. The Supreme Court knocked down the Act in |
| vocational institutes, compared to half a million in China. | | | | February 2005. This episode emphasizes why just |
| Short-term turbulences aside (just as we are | | | | private investment in education will not solve the |
| witnessing now), India has entered an era of high | | | | problem; a public-private partnership is necessary in |
| economic growth. As we enter the last quarter of FY | | | | education to combine the agility of the private sector |
| 2008, the fourth consecutive fiscal when India has | | | | with the social responsibility obligation of the public |
| witnessed over 8% growth, we find India's manpower | | | | sector. Examples which come to mind include the |
| shortages aggravate even further. Just as growth has | | | | Cisco Development program and Microsoft's University |
| been multi-sectoral, so have the manpower | | | | program. The latter include the Imagine Cup |
| deficiencies. | | | | competition, run in universities worldwide to encourage |
| There is a growing demand that the government | | | | entrepreneurship and innovation, and in which students |
| should increase the outlays on education and do other | | | | from Eastern Europe and South-East Asia regularly |
| things to motivate and encourage education. It is true | | | | outperform their western counterparts in both the |
| that for India to have consistent rate of growth; | | | | volume and quality of their entries |
| Greater levels of R&D, combined with extensive | | | | The Global Education Centre was similarly |
| investment in workforce can make a significant | | | | established by Infosys in Mysore to train its new |
| contribution. Part of the solution lies in forging strong | | | | recruits for 14 weeks. The key was to address a key |
| partnerships between the private sector and the | | | | aspect of the national psyche, i.e. to take the reactive |
| academia. They should be developed in tandem with | | | | minds of Indian youngsters and change them into |
| the government to ensure that courses like computer | | | | proactive problem solving ones. Infosys Global |
| science are nurtured and developed as a discipline in | | | | Education Centre operates on 3 principles. First that |
| schools. | | | | the company is a campus and in a campus, there is |
| In India; on the one hand, you have world-class | | | | openness, receptivity to new ideas, meritocracy and a |
| institutions of higher education such as IITs and IITMs | | | | lot of porous learning. Second, that business of Infosys |
| and on the other hand, we have mushrooming private | | | | is its context. Third, to teach recruits what Infosys |
| institutions/universities which function more as coaching | | | | business is all about so they understand what kind of |
| centers, rather than as centers of achieving innovative | | | | decisions they have to take, what kind of crises they |
| excellence. Lack of university capacity has resulted in | | | | have to encounter. |
| a lower proportion of youth ages 17 to 23 enrolled in | | | | A private engineering college started by one of |
| higher education in India than in China, the Philippines or | | | | India's original technology tycoons and Chairman of |
| Malaysia. This could have an impact on the IT industry, | | | | HCL Technologies, Shiv Nadar, near the high-tech hub |
| unless immediately rectified. | | | | of Chennai was approved in 2003 by the National |
| There is scarcity of skilled manpower in every | | | | Board of Accreditation. The school, known as SSN |
| industry, from good carpenters and plumbers to | | | | College of Engineering, is affiliated with the nearby |
| factory workers, doctors and scientists. The banking | | | | Anna University, formed in 1978 from the merger of |
| industry, which employs 900,000 people, is expected to | | | | several public and private colleges. Anna University |
| add 600,000 more over the next three to four years. | | | | design the programs and grants degrees to SSN |
| Similarly, the IT and ITeS industry will need around | | | | students, but SSN is seeking university status, which |
| 850,000 additional skilled manpower by 2010. And, the | | | | would allow it to grant degrees in its own name. Over |
| retail industry will need nearly 2.5 million skilled | | | | the past decade, Shiv Nadar has poured $ 37 Million |
| professionals by 2012. Not only are jobs within India on | | | | into SSN to build facilities and fund scholarships. SSN's |
| the rise, the developed world too is facing manpower | | | | School of Advanced Software Engineering offers a |
| shortages, which are expected to rise to 40 million by | | | | graduate program that sends select students to study |
| 2020. This shortfall can be met by India, where both | | | | in the US at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. |
| educated unemployment and the number of people | | | | It is noteworthy that Goldman Sachs has a |
| joining the workforce are on the rise. In short, the | | | | "university", McKinsey has a "people committee" and |
| opportunities before India are huge, provided our | | | | Singapore Ministry of Manpower has an "international |
| education sector gears up to take these on. | | | | talent division". |
| Manpower shortages are both quantitative and | | | | Quite a few of the present courses taught in India |
| qualitative in nature.India needs more universities. While | | | | lack originality. Students should not be studying |
| Japan has 4,000 universities for its 127 million people | | | | computer science only for its core programming |
| and the US has 3,650 universities for its 301 million, India | | | | content. Courses should equip the students with the |
| has only 348 universities for its 1.2 billion people. | | | | relevant skills, so they can make a significant |
| The Economic Survey released by the Government | | | | contribution to the knowledge economy. Merely |
| of India on 28th February 2008 is significant for what it | | | | studying for the sake of getting a good job is very |
| does not say, than what it does. The Survey glosses | | | | superficial education. Students are taught job-specific |
| over the UPA government's failure to keep its | | | | skills, but they don't know how their skills can contribute |
| common minimum program pledge of raising public | | | | to the world knowledge economy, or even to the |
| expenditure on education to 6% of GDP. Public spend | | | | business model of the company for whom they intend |
| on education as a percentage of GDP has slipped | | | | to work for or are working, as the case may be. |
| below the high of 2.9 % achieved by the NDA | | | | The initiatives that are born out of such alliances |
| government in 2002-03. For the first time, the | | | | between the government and private sector for |
| government has acknowledged that the 86th | | | | cooperation in education gives students access to the |
| Constitutional amendment - mankind education a | | | | biggest technology players and offer real-world insight, |
| fundamental right for all 6 to 14 year olds-has not been | | | | thereby easing the transition from university to |
| enforced because the enabling Right to Education Act | | | | employment. |
| is yet to be enacted. The Survey is also silent on the | | | | Companies can also keep universities up-to-date as |
| number of school dropouts, learning outcomes and low | | | | technology changes and customer preferences and |
| enrollment rates for higher education. These issues are | | | | requirements change, and they can plug gaps in |
| part of the reality check that the Survey provides. In | | | | expertise or facilities. |
| the Union Budget 2008, the Government has allocated | | | | Such partnerships also help business. Graduate |
| Rs. 34,400 crores for education. It also announced its | | | | programs are valuable but they also signal how |
| decision to establish one Central University in each of | | | | important it is for companies to take greater |
| the hitherto uncovered states in the country. Besides, | | | | responsibility for developing business training. |
| three new IITs are proposed to be set up in Andhra | | | | But one should bear in mind that these companies |
| Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan. Two Schools of | | | | are trying to assist themselves by training their new |
| Planning and Architecture will come up at Bhopal and | | | | recruits. For there to be training for one and all; in a |
| Vijayawada. | | | | setup as in India, Government cooperation and |
| The government through the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, | | | | partnership is the key. |
| the flagship project of the HRD ministry, is geared | | | | There are apprehensions that MNC's are outsourcing |
| towards achieving useful and relevant elementary | | | | work to India because Indians are good at effectively |
| education for all children by 2010. This movement is | | | | completing the designated tasks in a timely manner |
| showing results. The number of out-of-school children | | | | without asking any further questions. MNC's confidence |
| in the 6-14 years age group has dropped from 13.4 | | | | in our ability to improvise the existing product and |
| million in 2005 to 7.06 million in March-end 2006. In the | | | | come up with high quality cost effective product |
| Union Budget 2008; the project received an allocation | | | | seems to be the motivating factor behind the |
| of Rs. 13,100 crores which would be spent in enhancing | | | | outsourcing of work to India. |
| retention, a shift from the earlier focus on access and | | | | As the pay scales go up in India, various companies |
| infrastructure. | | | | are trying to identify other low-cost destination such as |
| India needs ‘curricular reforms'. In today's world, | | | | Philippines and Vietnam to put up their outsourcing units. |
| where technological knowhow is evolving with each | | | | This will force Indian workers to move up the value |
| day, educational institutions need to be granted the | | | | chain, for which they do not seem to be having the |
| freedom to engage with the industry and change the | | | | requisite education skills. |
| curricula as and when required. Educational institutions | | | | Originality does not come just from courses in |
| must teach what the industry needs. | | | | universities, but in the mindset of the entire nation. |
| It is essential to realize that learning needs to continue | | | | The entire country needs to adopt the concept of |
| after formal education. Capgemini in India employs | | | | "Originality in Thinking" for India to become a true |
| almost 15,000 people in six cities and recognizes that | | | | superpower. This concept of originality has to be |
| industry must continue the training that they left after | | | | ingrained in the minds of every India right from the time |
| graduating; all new recruits participate in a six-week | | | | he commences his preliminary education, for India to |
| intensive course before induction, developing their | | | | emerge as a truly powerful economic force on the |
| business and behavioral skills. Offering expert training | | | | world scene. |
| on the job is the responsibility of the industry and is | | | | |
| essential for a developing economy. | | | | Note : Mr SUNIL KEWALRAMANI is a WHARTON |
| In 2002, India's Chhatisgarh state launched a Private | | | | BUSINESS SCHOOL MBA and is an International |
| Sector University Act to encourage private universities | | | | Finance Consultant for leading foreign financial |
| to start up in the region. But as 100 or so private | | | | institutions, Multinational companies and NRI clients on |
| schools sprang up-some with offices in Chhatisgarh | | | | FDI and money management matters. |