Goa, a state that boasts commendable access to higher education in the country, hosted delegation from academia and industry this November over high level discussions on higher education.
The digitalLEARNING Higher Education Knowledge Exchange – Goa co-organised by Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India was organised during 15 – 17 November, 2013. The two-day residential event was convened with the aim of strengthening the knowledge society. The event took into account various topics related to higher education sector through extensive panel and round table discussions. Vice Chancellors from central, state, private and deemed universities deliberated on ongoing initiatives, short-term and long-term objectives for strengthening the country’s higher education system and the challenges and scope for accomplishment of these goals. Keeping in view the inevitable role of technology in enhancement of the teaching-learning experience, the event also engaged several solution providers from the industry who shared their innovations in the domain. The event was inaugurated with a heated discussion on the relevance of Rashtriya Ucchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) in giving higher education a new dimension. Other major areas of discussions included skill development initiatives, importance of researchbased curriculum and role of technology in boosting pedagogy.
 Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary – IT, Government of Maharashtra |
 Prof Ajoy Kumar Ray, VC, Bengal Engineering and Science University, West Bengal |
 Nilesh B Fal Dessai, Director IT, Government of Goa |
 Dr G James Pitchai, VC, Bharathiar University, Tamil Nadu |
Skill Development Initiatives to Boost Employability
• Need to embed employability factor into curriculum, give hands on training to make students industry ready – Dr S S Chahal, VC, Desh Bhagat University, Punjab
• Role of teachers and employers in creating employable graduates needs to be defined – Prof G L Datta, Chancellor, K L University, Andhra Pradesh
 Dr G Tulasi Ram Das, VC, JNTU Kakinada |
 Dr Rupesh Vasani, Director, Sal Technical Campus, Gujarat |
 Dr S S Chahal, VC, Desh Bhagat University, Punjab |
 Bhaskar G Nayak, Director – Higher Education, Government of Goa |
Role of Research-based Education in Strengthening Knowledge Society
• Every government has been talking of increasing the spending on R&D to at least 2% but it has never increased to more than 0.9% of GDP – Dr W N Gade, VC, University of Pune
• Implications of higher education and research system have global dimensions affecting every sector of the society especially the knowledge society – Prof K Narsimha Reddy, VC, M G University, Andhra Pradesh
• Knowledge generated by research and innovation is the basis for a sustainable social development. Research activities must be integrated with the needs of the society to make it more useful – Prof S Satyanarayana, VC, Osmania University, Andhra Pradesh
• Universities are the fertile field of research and innovations have to be harvested from this fertile field – Dr G James Pitchai, VC, Bharathiar University, Tamil Nadu
 Dr Akshai Aggarwal, VC, Gujarat Technological University |
 Prof Anjan Kumar Ghosh, VC, Tripura University |
 Dr W N Gade, VC, University of Pune |
 Dr Vinay Kumar Pathak, VC, Vardhman Mahaveer Open University, Rajasthan |
Effective Use of Technology to Boost Teaching, Learning & Assessment
• More and more states may find transaction-based solutions attractive, as most universities in Maharashtra too are opting for it – Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary – IT, Government of Maharashtra
• In Goa, MoUs have been signed between engineering colleges and IITs, wherein the lectures delivered at the IITs is telecast in the colleges – Nilesh B Fal Dessai, Director IT, Government of Goa
• With the help of the use of ICT tools by a teacher, the teachinglearning process can happen beyond the classroom – Dr G Tulasi Ram Das, VC, JNTU Kakinada
 Prof S Satyanarayana, VC, Osmania University, Andhra Pradesh |
 B Syama Sundar, VC, Yogi Vemana University, Andhra Pradesh |
 Prof Darlando T Khathing, VC, Central University of Jharkhand |
 Prof B S Rajpurohit, VC, Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur |
Importance of Introducing Diversified Courses and Programmes in the Curriculum
• It is important to have diversified courses for complete development of a student. Students should not be restricted to their chosen subjects but must be exposed to various ideas and philosophies – Prof Anjan Kumar Ghosh, VC, Tripura University
 Prof E T Puttaiah, VC, Gulbarga University, Karnataka |
 Prof G L Datta, Chancellor, K L University, Andhra Pradesh |
 Prof K Narsimha Reddy, VC, M G University, Andhra Pradesh |
 Prof K P Mishra, VC, Nehru Gram Bharati University, Uttar Pradesh |
Role of Technology in Redefining Pedagogy
• If we have to compete globally then we have to introduce a higher education system that is strong, comparable and compatible with world scenario – Prof K P Mishra, VC, Nehru Gram Bharati University, Uttar Pradesh
• Technology is a link to the new knowledge, resources and high order thinking – Dr Rupesh Vasani, Director, Sal Technical Campus, Gujarat
• We can train teachers in a much better way by making use of the technology and in turn teachers can use the same training material or e-learning material to train the students – Prof K Lal Kishore, VC, JNTU Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh
• ICT can be a supplementary tool for better education but it has to be used in such a way that it connects with Indian requirements – Dr Vinay Kumar Pathak, VC, Vardhman Mahaveer Open University, Rajasthan
 Prof Manoj Kumar Arora, Director, PEC University of Technology, Punjab |
 Prof P Rameshan, Director, Indian Institute of Management Rohtak |
 Prof R Venkata Rao, VC, National Law School of India University, Bangalore |
 Prof K Lal Kishore, VC, JNTU Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh |
Bringing Quality and Promoting Inclusiveness in Education to Meet Student Aspirations
• RUSA will basically be a channel or vehicle through which the resources from the government will be transferred to the state institutions – Bhaskar G Nayak, Director (HE) Government of Goa
• Quality education has two aspects- skill of the learners and perception of the users on their skills – Prof P Rameshan, Director, Indian Institute of Management Rohtak
• Exams like JEE are making students non-analytical – Prof Ajoy Kumar Ray, VC, BESU, West Bengal
• We should focus on internship programs, projects in rural areas and international exposure for holistic development of students – Prof Darlando T Khathing, VC, Central University of Jharkhand
• Engineering education has deteriorated due to faculty shortage, poor laboratory and library facilities and absence of autonomy – Prof Manoj Kumar Arora, Director, PEC University of Technology, Punjab
• The government should work in tandem with private sector to make education inclusive- Prof R Venkata Rao, VC, NLSIU, Bangalore
Critical Role of Industry academia Interface in Enhancing Education Infrastructure
• Four factors required to make student employable- creative abilities, learning at the university, operative skills and the idea of soft skills – Dr Akshai Aggarwal, VC, Gujarat Technological University
• Establishing strong linkages between teaching and research, participation of industry in drafting curriculum and educational policies, strengthening public private partnerships, industry collaboration for revenue generation, constitution of working groups for constant mutual support is essential – B Syama Sundar, VC, Yogi Vemana University, Andhra Pradesh
• Since anybody can access the pool of teachers and knowledge through the use of ICT, it has made it easier to survive in this competitive world – Prof B S Rajpurohit, VC, Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur
