Education Reform

We’re honored to have with us today Mr. C. Ravi Shankar, IAS, Secretary, Skill Development & Employment Department, Government of Uttarakhand. Thank you for joining us. How do you feel about today’s event? Thank you for inviting me. This is a very good platform to discuss diverse and meaningful ideas. I’m glad to be part of this gathering. This event brings together stakeholders across the education spectrum – from KG to PG, along with representation from skilling institutions, corporates, EdTechs, and government bodies. How do you see such convergence benefitting society? It’s the need of the hour. Academia, industry, and all institutional stakeholders must collaborate to tap our demographic dividend, which is expected to peak by 2041. If we miss this window, what is now an opportunity could turn into a crisis. Ensuring our youth are employable through lifelong skilling is essential, and such platforms help align collective efforts. You emphasize lifelong skilling. How should we begin embedding this mindset right from school to higher education? Skilling must be holistic—not trend-based or superficial. We need to focus on fundamentals that remain unaffected by technological disruptions, such as leadership, collaboration, analytical reasoning, emotional intelligence, ethics, and empathy. These should be taught right from the anganwadi or preschool level. Simultaneously, we must introduce students to emerging technologies. In higher education and short-term programs, only skills that meet current industrial demands should be prioritized. The National Education Policy’s emphasis on practical learning, like the dual system of training (DST), is a step in the right direction. Could you elaborate on some of the key skilling initiatives taken by the Uttarakhand Skill Development Department? Certainly. One of our flagship initiatives is the Dual System of Training (DST). We have 87 ITIs in Uttarakhand, and over 30 of them have already implemented DST. The model is simple: 50% classroom training and 50% industry exposure. In a two-year course, one year is spent in the classroom and the next in real-world industry settings—directly addressing employability. We’ve also established eight Centers of Excellence in collaboration with industry partners, equipped with industry-grade tools and machines. These function as finishing schools, helping students bridge employability gaps post-education. Moreover, we’ve introduced foreign language training in select government nursing colleges to enhance global employability.  These are a few initiatives that we can tell about right now there are a lot more in the pipeline and the higher education department, technical education department, everyone is contributing to this holistic objective. So, this is how we perceive that demographic dividend can be fully tapped. ArdorComm Media has just completed its fourth anniversary. Any thoughts or message for the team? First of all, full of gratitude! What you’ve achieved in just four years—bringing together stakeholders, driving dialogue, and aligning policy perspectives—is commendable. These sessions don’t just unite minds; they align efforts. We often need to pause and assess whether we’re on the right path—and platforms like yours help us do exactly that. I hope this summit results in actionable recommendations that influence policy and practice. Wishing ArdorComm Media continued success and many more impactful initiatives ahead.