I foresee the challenges in higher education for making the students useful and careful who are otherwise useless and careless as unemployable by the employers in the world of uncertainties in post covid era. The online system of education will deteriorate the standards which are desirable for the economies of the world including India.
There is always a trade-off between quantity and quality and in the name of the quantity we forego quality. As a teacher, I have firm faith that online education cannot be a substitute for offline education in institutional setup. Both can coexist but cannot survive long in isolation. The related issues are to be resolved at all levels with healthy discussions is the most practical approach to be adopted.
I have been keenly observing that there is no one in the world of materialism that does not have problems, obstacles, and challenges in post covid era. It does not decide what will happen with anyone including me and you even as teachers. We have to decide what to do and what not to do with the said problems and challenges for survival, existence, and excellence.
One will be doing what with the said problem is a matter of choice. One cannot change the circumstances but one can tackle the circumstances which depend on the choices one has to make.
One has to face the challenges with smile or weeping is one’s decisions. Let us decide to face the challenges as a teacher who instructs everyone to do what? when? where ? for whom? in society.
One needs to prove strong by facing challenges and problems. The problems have two sides of the same coin which conveys that a problem is useful for someone and is a problem for the other. There is a solution to every problem hidden in the corner. We have to diagnose it with more than one solution.
One needs to remember that there is no lock-in this world that does not have the key to open it. Every problem brings a change in the one who has that. Become strong to face the problem. If one is alive then accept the reality of the problem, challenges, and threats that certainly have solutions.
Assume life with problems having solutions with oneself only and no one else. Every problem has an expiry date and extreme situation. Everything has an end so is the end of the problem is certain. One needs to be helpful to solve the issues with patience and keep taking steps ahead.
One needs to become good if not great by taking the problem as an opportunity to prove worth to solve it. See the problem logically, diagnose, and concentrate on the solutions is the mantra of happiness if not successful in finding solutions.
The desirable human resources for the economy in post covid era require increased maturity to deal with artificial intelligence (AI) with diplomatic quotient (DQ), the spiritual quotient (SQ), and emotional quotient (EQ).
More than using smartphones, the youth need to be street SMART (simple, moral, action-oriented, responsive, and transparent) for accepting the challenges as a useful and careful human resource. A street smart person believes that value lies in knowing things and just reading things is not streetwise.
We have to adopt a simple model of youth empowerment consisting of six human development activities such as spiritual quotient (SQ) development, intuition development, mental level development, love oneself attitude development, and emotional quotient (EQ) development. The synergy of these six aspects is an essential requirement for us to emerge and realize the full potential.
It cannot be denied that the book smart person is indeed smart. We find some of the brainiest and most knowledgeable people around us. They may be book smart and can be described as ‘exam smart’, or ‘academically smart’ also.
The skills in information technology (IT) is necessary for survival and existence with AI but not sufficient. To make it sufficient, we need morality, credibility, and accountability (MCA) more than the degree of MCA as master’s in computer applications.
Indian economy is still standing at 12:00 noon and calls for measures to reduce revival time in almost all the sectors. My stay in Seoul (South Korea) during 2010 -2011 provided me the opportunity to observe Koreans with keen interest and found them disciplined, healthy, wealthy, and busy people with ‘palli palli culture’.
There are lessons for us from the Republic of Korea (ROK) where military service for youth is compulsory which has made them proud nationalists of international standing capable with capacities of handling issues like Covid quickly.
To become agents of progress, prosperity, and peace, the Indian youth need to firmly establish inner-net (not internet) based on inside –out approach flowing from ancient Indian perspectives (Sanskar) by becoming careful and useful which certainly require military training with discipline.
To re-establish the economy, we need honest, humane, and hardworking human resources who are capable to handle AI. Through real education (professional or vocational) as a proper, productive, and practical (3P) use of hands, heads ad hearts (3H), we can achieve morality, opulence, victory, and empowerment to participate in the socio-economic development with common sense approach in post COVID era.
To improve the quality of higher education, public expenditure should not only be enhanced by the Government but need to change its orientation towards result orientation from the targeted oriented approach with manpower planning.
The educational institutions should be provided with adequate academic autonomy and strengthened infrastructural facilities for improving quality which is a continuous process.
We have to maintain a balance between quantity and quality of higher education by appointing Vice-Chancellors and teaching faculty on merit and strengthening infrastructure. We have the demographic advantage in terms of youth who deserve the quality of higher education as per the needs of the economy without a mismatch of demand and supply.
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