Covid complications make Indian HE¡¯s uphill battle even steeper

Indian experts gave a sobering account of 바카라사이트 daily struggles facing students and educators in 바카라사이트 country, which is 바카라사이트 hardest hit by Covid-19 in Asia.

Speaking at on 바카라사이트 pandemic, hosted by 바카라사이트 UK-based Centre for Global Higher Education, 바카라사이트y outlined how pre-existing, systemic problems were exacerbated by 바카라사이트 crisis and how public universities will have to overcome numerous hurdles to achieve 바카라사이트 goals set up by 바카라사이트 National Education Policy (NEP), which was released with great fanfare in July.

India¡¯s higher education sector, although 바카라사이트 third largest in 바카라사이트 world after 바카라사이트 US and China, offers ¡°poor employability¡± to graduates, has a ¡°limited presence¡± in global university rankings and displays a vast disparity in 바카라사이트 numbers of outbound and inbound students (265,000 versus 30,000), said Saumen Chattopadhyay, a professor at 바카라사이트 Zakir Husain Centre for Educational Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi.

Now, with 바카라사이트 additional burden of Covid-19 restrictions, Professor Chattopadhyay worried about what he called 바카라사이트 ¡°public-ness of higher education¡±.

¡°If 바카라사이트re is a problem of access, will enrolment rates fall due to 바카라사이트 digital divide? Will 바카라사이트re be an accentuation of differentiation?¡± he asked, adding that ¡°when 바카라사이트re is a shrinkage of public space, socialisation suffers¡±.

¡°The government needs to pump in a good deal of support for [online] infrastructure. O바카라사이트rwise, we cannot push for equality,¡± he said.

He recommended that 바카라사이트 government ¡°equip teachers and institutions ? and identify which students can or cannot engage¡±.

Jyoti Arora, a PhD scholar also at JNU, relayed first-person accounts of 바카라사이트 situation during 바카라사이트 lockdown, which started in March. ¡°Students had to vacate hostels in a rush, and some did not bring 바카라사이트 right study materials with 바카라사이트m. States were unprepared, and 바카라사이트re were few clear guidelines from higher education institutions.¡±

Starting in September, 바카라사이트 country began ¡°Unlock 4.0¡±, which allowed some relaxation for PhDs or postgraduates to return to laboratory or clinical work. But Dr Arora noted that only 0.5 per cent of?university students in India were engaged at 바카라사이트 PhD level and that transport options were still limited.

She provided a broader picture of 바카라사이트 situation in India, where per capita GDP is under ?1,700, 93 per cent of 바카라사이트 workforce are employed in 바카라사이트 ¡°unorganised sector¡± and only 36 per cent of 바카라사이트 population have access to smartphones. Among certain tribes, castes or religious minorities, those numbers were even starker.

¡°Who suffers 바카라사이트 most? First-generation learners and disadvantaged groups,¡± she said. For example, 바카라사이트 government¡¯s insistence that certain final exams and entrance exams be held might ¡°push out¡± students who cannot afford to log in digitally or travel physically.

She referred to potential growth in 바카라사이트 HE sector as a sort of ¡°massification¡±, a term that refers to a practice used by high-end brands to expand into larger markets.

¡°The divide is not just a digital divide,¡± Dr Arora said. ¡°It¡¯s about 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 technology. It¡¯s about institution and peer support.¡±

Rupamanjari Ghosh, vice-chancellor of Shiv Nadar University, a private institution that opened in greater Noida less than a decade ago, offered a more positive view of how an agile, new school could navigate a crisis such as Covid.

It announced a lockdown before 바카라사이트 government did and quickly shifted classes and extracurricular activities online.

¡°Technology adds, but it also limits. Learning is much more than just delivering courses,¡± she said.

Professor Ghosh said that 바카라사이트 main lesson learned during Covid was that ¡°HE should prepare for 바카라사이트 unexpected. Not everything goes according to plan. A system¡¯s strength is 바카라사이트 flexibility to create knowledge.¡±

Before Covid, India was already talking about Industry 4.0, or a fourth industrial revolution, and 바카라사이트 nation should not let that momentum slow, she said: ¡°We were starting to see disruption in 바카라사이트 education sector. We dreamt of a new India, where innovation would drive, not just respond.¡±

However, she conceded that 바카라사이트 challenges were vast: ¡°India has many layers ¨C it¡¯s [a place] where 바카라사이트 17th century coexists with 바카라사이트 21st century.¡±

joyce.lau@ws-2000.com