With the rapidly evolving world, technology and innovation have become the driving force of every economic development and to combat global competitiveness. Along with that, one key factor that is redefining the track of growth is Education. An educated nation is more likely to step on the growth track in comparison to an uneducated one. 

The Government of India launched a mission during the Union Budget of 2019 with an objective to achieve the development of various key initiatives from Digital India, Sustainable, Healthy India, Education, and more – Vision 2030. 

Sustainability stands as a cornerstone in numerous Vision 2030 agendas. Education emerges as a pivotal tool for fostering awareness about environmental issues and advocating for sustainable practices. By integrating environmental education into curricula, countries can prepare upcoming generations to embrace environmental consciousness and become responsible custodians of the Earth. Moreover, education can train the workforce in green technologies and sustainable methodologies, thereby aiding nations in achieving their environmental objectives.

Education serves as the breeding ground for innovation and technological advancements. Through investments in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education and research institutions, nations can furnish their populace with the requisite skills to propel technological breakthroughs and instigate transformative changes across diverse economic sectors.

While Governance and Leadership remain essential for the effective execution of Vision 2030, education assumes a critical role in nurturing capable leaders and fostering an enlightened citizenry. A well-educated populace is better poised to engage in democratic processes, hold leaders accountable, and contribute meaningfully to national governance. Leadership development initiatives and educational establishments focused on public administration can cultivate the next generation of leaders who will steer the vision toward fruition.

Boosting Career Readiness – A Core Priority!

Employability has been one of the crucial challenges for the Indian students. The Department of Economic Affairs published a report reviewing the economic growth and commented that there is a scope for mainstream skilling into curriculum development. Also, emphasized upskilling the existing workforce into future-relevant skills. 

According to the report, “The employable percentage of final-year and pre-final students increased from 33.9% in 2014 to 51.3% in 2024,” it said citing the findings of the online Wheebox National Employability Test. 

Talking on the same line, ObserveNow connected with Prof (Dr.) Manpreet Singh Manna, Vice Chancellor, of Chandigarh University and here is what he said, “Education plays an important role in the holistic development of an individual. Better quality of life, more job opportunities, higher earning potential and growth of the economy are all linked to a good quality of education. Education is a very effective tool in creating skilled manpower. The employment ability of a student improves drastically when given exposure to trends in the industry and also when a student gets the chance to interact and collaborate with industry experts. Such an interaction prepares the student to face real-world problems. World over, it has been observed by experts in the industry and scholars in academic circles that there is a gap between what the industry needs and what is taught in the universities. The current education system must be scrutinized for further improvisation. As far as India is concerned, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 provides a framework for a plethora of reforms, some of which are linked to better employability. The policy provides for relevant changes in the education system which is conducive to encouraging Industry Academy Collaboration.” 

Industry and Academic collaboration is one of the major elements to enhance the employability rate. Prof (Dr.) Manpreet Singh Manna expressed his thoughts on the exposure to industrial jobs and said, “Exposure to industry jobs – The industry-academia partnership provides a platform for the colleges to offer real-time industry jobs to the students, along with encouraging them to be involved in incubator projects, that are offered within the firm post-graduation to the students. The collaboration also helps the students to turn their internships into full-time employment, which makes it a powerful tool for colleges. This results in high placement numbers, that can be used to entice prospective students and corporate partners.”

India’s Ambition to Lead the World in Education

India is one of the three largest higher education systems in the world, with over 40 million students enrolled across 1,000+ universities and 42,000+ colleges nationally. Adding on the same, Prof (Dr.) Manpreet Singh Manna said, “Moreover, with a target of raising the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education to 50% by 2035 and plans to add 35 million seats in higher education institutions, the government of India has undertaken various initiatives to facilitate students.”

The government of India has also made significant strides to make India – a global education hub. India is already home to some of the top institutions like IITs, IIMs and now it has opened its doors for foreign universities to explore India’s education landscape. For continuous development and to achieve the aim of putting India as one of the education hub, the government is stressing the role of collaboration.  Aligning to this, Prof (Dr.) Manna added, “The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has forged substantial partnerships with prestigious organisations, including Pearson, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, LinkedIn, CISCO, Microsoft, IBM, Amazon, deAsra, IITs, and numerous others. These collaborations empower the ministry to harness the knowledge and resources of these entities, resulting in the development of innovative and industry-aligned skill development programs.”

The intertwined dynamics of education, employability enhancement, and global educational aspirations are shaping India’s trajectory towards achieving its Vision 2030 objectives. With a robust focus on sustainability, technological advancement, and leadership development, education emerges as a fundamental catalyst for national progress. The collaboration between academia and industry, as underscored by Prof (Dr.) Manpreet Singh Manna, is pivotal in bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, thereby enhancing students’ employability and fostering innovation. Moreover, initiatives to elevate India as a global education hub, alongside efforts to bolster skill development partnerships, signify the government’s commitment to nurturing a skilled workforce equipped to meet the demands of the future. As India endeavors to elevate its Gross Enrolment Ratio and expand its higher education infrastructure, collaboration remains central to realizing the vision of a prosperous and knowledge-driven nation by 2030.