Ashoka University launches Ashoka Centre for a People-centric Energy Transition

Higher Education

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March 15, 2023

Ashoka University announced today the launch of Ashoka Centre for a People-centric Energy Transition (ACPET), will assist India and the Global South’s efforts to achieve net-zero energy consumption while also advancing economic growth and energy security.

A draft of India’s integrated Energy Policy is the Center’s first initiative. Additionally, it will give top priority to initiatives in fields such as Energy Efficiency and Conservation, which includes behavioural change, Governance of the Energy Sector, Cooling Technologies, Carbon Markets, Hydrogen Economy, and Electric Mobility. The Centre will collaborate with the Indian government and business to develop models and insights that can help India achieve its goals for clean growth. Additionally, it will provide executive, postgraduate, and undergraduate classes.

Mahua Acharya, first interim Director ACPET and former MD & CEO, Convergence Energy Services Limited of the Government of India said, “India’s energy needs are only going up. Electric mobility is picking up. We are discussing the creation of a domestic carbon market. Ambitions around the use of hydrogen are high. India’s energy sector is currently undergoing a transition. And of course, job creation and economic growth remain priority. Managing this well will benefit from a Centre that thinks in an integrated way, is centered around people and economic growth, and benefits from a two-way dialogue with the market and Government. I am grateful to have worked with a small team of very committed people and of course the founders of Ashoka University to get us to this stage; and I remain committed to setting this up and getting the Centre on the road.”

“We are pleased to be financially supporting the creation of this institution. The country needs it and there is no better institution than Ashoka University to host it,” said Saurabh Kumar, India Head of the Global Energy Alliance for People and the Planet.

Pramath Raj Sinha, Founder and Chairperson, Board of Trustees at Ashoka University said, “Energy transition is a complex issue, requiring a look into economic growth in a manner that is sustainable, without compromising the needs of the most vulnerable sections of our society. At Ashoka, we are resolutely committed to supporting India and the Global South in traversing this journey towards ‘net-zero’, in ways that are both just and equitable. This will require well-informed insights and innovations in the fields of technology, business and policy making. The launch of ACPET is an important step in this direction, it will act as a ‘go-to’ knowledge centre for informing best practices that we can adopt as a society.”

Speaking about the overall approach, Somak Raychaudhury, Vice Chancellor, Ashoka University said, “At Ashoka, we have always taken an inter-disciplinary approach to thinking about complex problems of our society, including the challenge of addressing the impacts of climate change. In the context of energy transition, this particularly requires formulating solutions that are ‘people-centric’, ideas that weigh-in the interests and needs of all stakeholders. ACPET will bring this to fruition by having a fulcrum of world-class faculty and practitioners from the fields of natural and social sciences; a collaborative approach; and a commitment to producing cutting edge research.”

ACPET will have three research verticals–

1) Decarbonisation: Identifying near and middle-term opportunities to decarbonise India’s economy, especially supporting the creation of new manufacturing capacity in a sustainable manner.

2) Net Zero Energy Future: Develop a vision for a Net Zero sustainable society, in line with India’s vision and the Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) principles.

3) Energy Finance: Identify methods to bring in domestic and international capital into Indian economic sectors.

LEAD acquires Pearson’s local K-12 learning business in India; expands reach to 5 million students

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digitalLEARNING Network

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March 15, 2023

The local K-12 learning division of Pearson India has been acquired by LEAD. With the largest portfolio of School Edtech products and services to better meet the educational requirements of India’s 5 lakh+ private schools, the acquisition is a strategic investment for LEAD. With this acquisition, LEAD has widened its reach to enhance learning outcomes in 9000+ schools across India.

Sumeet Mehta, Co-Founder and CEO, LEAD, said, “Different school segments in India have very different learning needs. With this acquisition, LEAD aims to serve as a single-point solution provider for all the learning needs of both affordable private schools in India’s small towns, as well as private high-fee schools in its metros and large cities. We will build on the combined knowledge, experience, and team strengths of both companies to create opportunities for growth and innovation, and to further deepen relationships with our school partners.”

Following Covid, the development aspirations of school owners and other ecosystem stakeholders, as well as forward-thinking policy initiatives like NEP 2020, are expected to propel the growth of the school edtech sector. LEAD is dedicated to enhancing learning outcomes by transforming classrooms all over India. LEAD is the country’s top provider of school edtech. The purchase of Pearson India’s local K-12 learning company will expedite LEAD’s goal of delivering high-quality, integrated school edtech solutions to over 60,000 schools in India by 2026. The merger was authorised by the boards of Directors of both businesses in January 2023, and EY served as LEAD’s exclusive financial advisor.

In January 2023, LEAD raised approximately Rs. 160 crores through a mix of long-term funding from India’s top venture debt investors, Alteria Capital and Stride Ventures, and working capital financing from prominent banks like Standard Chartered Bank, HDFC Bank, and ICICI Bank. The new round of funding will aid in financing LEAD’s plans for both organic and inorganic growth since the path to profitability for its core business—Affordable Private Schools—has already been established through existing capital.

Quality education is more than gross enrollment ratios: Dr. R. Balaji, SBOA School & Junior College

Interviews

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digitalLEARNING Network

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March 15, 2023

Pre-primary education must be given top priority by the government. It is essential to design flexible, play based foundational curriculum. For this, a teacher educational curriculum should be developed to train teachers appropriately, shares Dr. R. Balaji, Secretary & Correspondent, SBOA School & Junior College, Chennai with Srajan Agarwal of Elets News Network (ENN). Edited excerpts:

Union Budget 2023 focused on revamping teacher training. How do you support the move and what are your plans for implementing training at your school?

In my opinion, change is a growth requirement, and so I agree with the revamping of teacher training. Students should be provided with the best possible learning experience and for that teachers have to adapt and find newer ways to meet the changing needs.

As far as our school is concerned I feel teachers should be trained to adapt the changing dynamics of education trends. They should be provided with continuous development programmes that will enable them to stay abreast on new methods of teaching skill development techniques, and to map student’s learning and academic process. The use of podcast videos gamification and flipped classrooms offer more scope for discussions and interventions and therefore teachers need to be trained to use such practical approaches too. Training teachers to plan their lessons incorporating ICT (Information and Communication Technology) tools to boost creativity, collaboration and effective learning will be implemented. Learning with fun and effective tools like quizzes, game based learning – building lessons and activities based on games which would facilitate learning with motivation and fun which is the need of the hour and therefore features should up skill themselves in order to teach skill based and competency based learning curriculum.

Recently, the Education Minister launched the Yuva Sangam portal which will concentrate on organising youth-exposure tours for students from North Eastern States to other states and vice versa. How do you think such initiatives are going to develop multicultural education in Indian students?

Multicultural education seeks to create equal educational opportunities for all students. It changes the total school environment. Multicultural education is a reform to give equal educational opportunities irrespective of race, social class, ethnic groups and gender. It enables the students to know more about their own and others’ history, culture and art. It will bring immense exposure and opportunities for knowledge exchanges and enhance their mutual understanding. It will encourage cooperative social skills among students. Multicultural education will expose students to various cultural and social groups preparing students to become better citizens in their communities. It will enable students to maintain a good relation with students of different ethnic groups. Moreover, in a country like ours where we are bound to “Unity in Diversity”, if students are exposed to diversity and have multicultural education, they get better prepared for a diverse workplace and it allows them to interact in a wider range of social groups and feel more confident in themselves as well as in their interaction with others.

NCERT issues guidelines for ‘Early identification and intervention for mental health problems in school-going children and adolescents. How are you planning to work on the same at your school?

Schools play an important role in creating an optimistic community that enhances a sense of connection and belonging among students. Mental health problems can be resolved by the following ways:

Mental health education can be integrated into academics.
Seek school counsellors help.
Mental health building tools can be incorporated, such as mindfulness, relaxation techniques, art etc
By providing mental health and well-being tips in the morning assembly.
Appropriate training to be given to educators so that they can identify and respond to signs of mental health issues.
To take up physical exercise, meditation, yoga, hobbies etc
To raise awareness about mental health.
Encourage to eat healthy and stay fit.
Importance of mental health will be taught by involving students in activities like poster making or painting.
To develop healthy relationships and the ability to work cooperatively with others.
Special programmes can be organised by the school Counsellors for teenagers in school.

According to the economic survey 2022-23, enrollment at the pre-primary level decreased from 1.1 crores [11 million] in 2021 to 1.0 crores [10 million] in 2022. Your comments on the same.

Pre-primary education must be given top priority by the government. It is essential to design flexible, play based foundational curriculum. For this, a teacher educational curriculum should be developed to train teachers appropriately. I feel lack of awareness, illiteracy among parents and poverty are the basic reasons for the low enrollment at the pre-primary level adding to the problems of closure of schools due to the pandemic. Steps should be taken to make education affordable. Day care centres should be integrated with kindergartens to create a more cohesive system.

Schools at all levels showed an improvement in their gross enrollment ratios (GER) for the fiscal year 2021–22. Do you think the mere improvement in GER will enhance the quality of education?

No, I disagree with the statement. In my opinion quality of education depends on a good curriculum, advanced educational learning materials, proper infrastructure, trained teachers, appropriate assessment of the child’s learning, boosting their self-esteem and preparing them for life. Quality of education is enhanced by the physical, social, mental, emotional development of every student irrespective of their gender, ethnicity, status, race etc.

With the crashed job market across the world, how are you going to train your students to be competent citizens in the outside world? Do you think ‘Becoming job providers, instead of job seekers’ will improve the unemployability rate in India?

To become competent citizens here are a few suggestions:

Students should be equipped with the first century skills such as critical thinking, creativity collaboration and communication.
Extra-curricular activities should be given importance in order to get transferable skills that can be applied in the workforce.
Entrepreneurship should be encouraged.
No, in my opinion job providers do not increase unemployability rate in India in fact they decrease it.
Employment rates can be improved through the following ways:
MNC and establishment of domestic industries increases job opportunities and also improves the standard of living.
Technology enabled job profiles provides opportunities to more young professionals.
Tourism sector also provides employment to many people.

Under the PM – Yojana “Skill India Mission,” the Indian government AIMS to develop practical skills, which are required by the industry. Unemployability rate has dropped drastically since its implementation.

ASCI intends to amend its guidelines for education advertisements

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digitalLEARNING Network

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March 14, 2023

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) intends to alter its current “Guidelines for Advertising of Educational Institutions, Programmes and Platforms” document with the aim of ensuring that advertising in the education sector won’t jeopardise students’ wellbeing. All institutions, including colleges, coaching sessions, and edtech platforms, will be governed by the updated guidelines.

The physical and mental health of young students has been taken into consideration when creating the proposed amendment. F for instance, advertising must refrain from portraying average students or those with low test scores as demotivated, unhappy, or getting less praise from peers, parents, or teachers. Additionally, ASCI urges that students who receive bad grades not be portrayed as failures and that stereotypes based on gender or appearance be avoided. The ASCI code will be broken if there is a false sense of urgency or dread of missing out that might increase parental or student concerns about education. Brands are encouraged to avoid linking particular subjects with particular genders, even though it is not required to feature students of any particular gender.

The current ASCI code for education advertisements mandates that all promises and claims be supported by evidence and forbids companies from making deceptive claims.

But in 2022–2023, the education sector—which was responsible for 27% of the objectionable advertisements that the industry authority had to deal with—was the worst offender of the ASCI code. 22% of these came from conventional educational firms, and 5% came from edtech businesses.

A study by ASCI called EdNext on advertising in the edtech sector was published in January of this year and showed a number of issues. For instance, 73% of the parents surveyed felt that edtech companies’ advertising portrays too much scholastic pressure.

Manisha Kapoor, CEO and Secretary General at ASCI, said the guidelines are being updated on the back of the report’s findings.

“The new clauses are about recognising that education advertising impacts the minds of parents and growing children. Therefore, in addition to complying with the existing ASCI codes that mandate honest claims, advertisers should endeavour to make sure that ads are not harmful. The EdNext study and our conversation with various stakeholders such as academicians, consumers, institutes and the advertising industry have paved the way for the additional guidelines to come in,” said Kapoor.

“Technology is merely an augmentation to a teacher”: Baseema Anayat, Shah Rasool Memorial Welkin Higher Secondary School

Interviews

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digitalLEARNING Network

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March 14, 2023

“We cannot deny the fact that Artificial Intelligence is taking over different sectors, so education is not an exception. Let’s be optimistic and expect it stands as a positive development in the educational sector”, shared Baseema Anayat, Vice Chairperson, Shah Rasool Memorial Welkin Higher Secondary School, Sopore, Jammu And Kashmir in an exclusive interview with Sheeba Chauhan of Elets News Network. Edited excerpts:

Recently, the government of India emphasised the importance of the native language for better understanding. What are your thoughts on this? Do you plan to incorporate the same at your school in near future?

History and culture are inherent in a language. Learning the native language signifies learning the same history and culture of your parents, relatives, and even the generations before and after. So, it is fine if you want your children to stay connected with their origin.

What are your thoughts on the usage of AI tools like ChatGPT, Bard etc for creating content and various other uses? Do you think it will hamper the quality of education in the long run?

We cannot deny the fact that Artificial Intelligence is taking over different sectors, so education is not an exception. Let’s be optimistic and expect it stands as a positive development in the educational sector. AI hampering the quality of education in the long run –we must not forget that we are taking it only as a facility not as a replacement. Technology is merely an augmentation to a teacher. It can help the process of learning. While technology will not replace teachers, teachers who use technology will replace those who do not.

India’s G20 presidency is not a mere event. It imbibes the concept of creating global citizens and is fundamental to developing the world order and our education and skills ecosystem has a vital role in this. Your comments

Any international event that is held in the country is an honour and at the same time significant on many fronts. Our department has already launched a massive awareness programme. Activities are conducted across schools, which include Quiz programs, debates, and discussions. The activities are designed to increase awareness about G-20 and its significance under India’s presidency.

The emerging edtech has gained immense success in the education space but the ride has seen many bumps in between. How do you see the changing landscape of the edtech industry and will it impact the school education ecosystem?

If we look at our education system pre and post-COVID, we find a drastic change. A change is something that one cannot avoid. Like every industry, education too is going through a digital transformation. Now its impact on school systems, any technology that is introduced, will only facilitate us.

Besides, the traditional education system, edtech is here to stay a long. We can use the technology to provide students with a personalized learning process according to edtech’s ability.

How is your school planning to enhance quality education using the technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, etc.?

You know these days imparting quality education is impossible without employing the technologies. So far as our school is concerned, we have always been striving and toiling hard to keep pace with the institutions which are fully equipped with modern technologies. At Welkin, we have a fully equipped computer lab and different science labs besides a sophisticated Artificial Intelligence lab. All the labs are functional and students are benefiting a lot from these labs. In near future, we are installing Interactive Panel almost in all the classrooms of the school. We are keen to embrace the latest versions(developed forms) of modern technologies.

Leading Innovators to Gather for the 25th Elets World Education Summit & Awards in Dubai

Press Release

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digitalLEARNING Network

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March 11, 2023

Elets Technomedia along with its premier Digital Learning Magazine is proud to organise the 25th Elets World Education Summit & Awards in Dubai on 20-21 March with a vision to make education more accessible, engaging, and relevant to the needs of today’s learners.

Focussing on the theme “Exploring the Next in Education”, the premium closed-door event will present exclusive insights into the latest trends, best practices, and growth opportunities in the evolving education sector of the digital era.

“We are excited to bring together top educators and technology leaders to discuss the most pressing issues being faced by the education sector in the digital age. This is an ideal platform for all stakeholders to connect & collaborate to build a smart education ecosystem while exploring new-age innovations,” said Dr. Ravi Gupta, Founder, Publisher & CEO, Elets Technomedia.

He further said, “We are excited to showcase some of the most innovative education solutions at our expo. Also, we are looking forward to felicitating ground-breaking innovations at the 25th Elets World Education Awards.”

The 25th Elets World Education Summit (WES) will bring together leading educators and industry experts from across Asia & the Middle East for two days of learning and networking. It will feature keynote speeches from renowned speakers, panel discussions, and presentations from some of the leading experts in the field.

From the higher education sector, the stellar line-up of speakers includes Dr. Hamad Odhabi, Vice Chancellor for Administrative and Financial Affairs, Abu Dhabi University, Abu Dhabi, UAE; Dr. Nasser Al Muraqab, Chief Operating Officer (COO), University of Dubai, UAE; Dima Rachid Jamali, Dean of School of Business. University of Sharjah, UAE; Jan Horn, Managing Director, SAE Institute Dubai, Dubai, UAE, etc.

The speakers from school education include Amol Vaidya, Senior Director Operations, Global Schools Foundation, Dubai, UAE; Ghadeer Abu-Shamar, Senior Vice President Education – GEMS, and CEO/Superintendent, Al Khaleej International School, Dubai, UAE; Abigail Alexis-Olubuyide, Head of School, Wesgreen International School, Sharjah, UAE; Dr. Beno Kurien, Principal, International Indian School, Abu Dhabi, UAE, etc.

The digital era has changed the education landscape significantly, facilitating new tools and resources, personalised learning experiences, and new opportunities for collaboration and communication. As technology continues to evolve, the education landscape is likely to continue to transform, and educational institutions will need to keep up with the changing times in order to stay relevant. The summit will be joined by industry experts for an enriching exchange of ideas on future-ready digital transformation in length. The speakers from the industry include Madhuri Sawant, Founder and Managing Director, Brainquartz, Dubai, UAE; Dr. Brijesh Karia, COO, Singhania Education Services Pvt Ltd; Denise Hutton Gosney, Managing Director and Founder, Razzamataz Theatre Schools; Karen Keeman, Public Relations Advisor and Content Creator, Razzamataz Theatre Schools, Nirmal Singh, Founder & CEO, Wheebox, etc.

Key Discussion Points

Technology Intervention: Changing Landscape of Education
Skill Development: Road to Employability
Strengthening Vocation Education for Future-Ready Workforce
Digitisation in Education: Best Practices, Challenges and the Way Forward
Reforms and New Policies for Education in the Digital Era
Education Reimagined: Leadership for Transformation

& many more

Showcasing New-Age Products/Services

The 25th Elets Word Education Summit will feature a dynamic expo showcasing some of the latest and most innovative education solutions designed to meet the needs of today’s educators and learners.

Expo participants will include some of the most innovative and forward-thinking companies and organisations in the industry including Lyallpur Emporium, Vestel, Accuracy, Torrins, Matific, etc.

Celebrating Excellence in Education

In addition to the conference and expo, there will be a felicitation of innovations shaping the future of teaching and learning at the 25th Elets World Education Awards.

The prestigious awards aim to recognise and celebrate the exemplary work/initiatives of individuals and organisations in the education sector. It will The awards will highlight outstanding technologies, academic achievement, leadership, innovative educational initiatives, etc. that have enhanced the teaching and learning practices.

2 Days of Learning & Networking

Dubai is a city known for its innovation, diversity, and commitment to education. With its world-class infrastructure, state-of-the-art facilities, and thriving business environment, Dubai is the perfect destination for this mega event.

Join over 200 top leaders at the summit for unparalleled learning and networking experience. For details, visit: wes.eletsonline.com

Our Partners/Exhibitors: https://wes.eletsonline.com/wesdubai-partners-2023/

Punjab Budget 2023: A sharp focus on the education sector

Government News

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digitalLEARNING Network

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March 11, 2023

Harpal Singh Cheema, Punjab’s finance minister, on Friday, unveiled the state’s 2023–24 budget, which is an increase of 26% from the previous year. It contains no new taxes and places the greatest emphasis on the farm, education, and health sectors. In his first complete budget, Cheema unveiled a number of new initiatives, including a programme to reduce market price risk for the horticulture industry, a programme to support young entrepreneurs, a programme to solarise agriculture pumps, and two coaching programmes for students.

Effectively, there is a fiscal deficit of 4.98 percent and a revenue shortfall of 3.32 percent of the gross state product (GSDP), respectively.

The Punjab Young Entrepreneur Program has been introduced under the umbrella of education in to encourage Class 11 students to submit their unique business ideas. The government would assist them by giving each pupil seed money of Rs 2,000. For this reason, a budget allocation of Rs 30 crore is suggested. For the installation of rooftop solar panels in government institutions, the finance minister suggested allocating Rs 100 crore.

Two new programmes were suggested by the finance minister: Professional Coaching for Employment and Soft Skill and Communication Training. Under these programmes, students will receive professional coaching by creating employability coaching centres in government colleges.

The budget was harshly criticised by the opposition parties, who claimed that it had shattered the expectations of the common citizen and that the state would soon become heavily indebted.

Edtech unicorn Byju’s to raise $250 mn in Aakash pre-IPO funding

Corporate Updates

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digitalLEARNING Network

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March 10, 2023

Byju’s, the most valuable edtech startup in the world, is in discussions with both current and potential investors to collect about $250 million for its tutoring service subsidiary Aakash Educational Services (AESL), according to people familiar with the situation.

From investors like the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), Sumeru Ventures, Vitruvian Partners, BlackRock, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Sequoia, Silver Lake, Bond Capital, Tencent, General Atlantic, and Tiger Global, Byju’s has raised a total of $5.8 billion.

By the the next year, AESL plans to make an initial public offering (IPO). In order to set the stage and raise the necessary funds, an interim event will be produced. The sources claim that AESL will carry out this through the issuance of convertible notes.

In 2021, AESL was acquired by Byju’s for $1 billion. The stock-and-cash transaction was the largest in the field of education. It offers thorough test preparation services to students studying for NTSE, Olympiads, school and board exams, medical and engineering entrance exams, as well as other foundational-level exams. In India, there are more than 300 branches.

Byju’s will be able to raise money thanks to the pre-IPO round at AESL despite a financing winter and significant losses. According to the most recent financial report accessible, Byju’s reported losses of Rs 4,588 crore in FY21, which were 19 times higher than those in the year before. Its purchase of the kid’s coding company WhiteHat Jr. is said to have contributed 26.73 percent of the overall loss. Byju’s, with a $22 billion market cap, plans to turn a profit by March of this year.

Australian PM Albanese: India, Australia finalise Education Qualification Recognition Mechanism

Government News

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digitalLEARNING Network

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March 9, 2023

According to an announcement made by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese the “Australia-India Education Qualification Recognition System” has been completed.

While in India, Albanese spoke at a programme to formally declare that Deakin University in Australia would be establishing an international branch campus at GIFT City in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

He further said, “There is a significant development in our bilateral education relations. I am pleased to tell you that we have finalised Australia-India Education Qualification Recognition Mechanism.”

“This new mechanism means that if you are an Indian student who is studying or have studied in Australia, your hard-earned degree will be recognised when you return home. Or if you are a member of Australia’s very large Indian community — 500,000 and growing — you will feel more confident that your Indian qualification will be recognised in Australia,” he further said.

Albanese said it is the most comprehensive and ambitious arrangement agreed to by India with any country.

“It paved the way for commercial opportunities for Australian education providers to offer innovative and more accessible education to Indian students. And it provides a solid basis for educational institutions to consider new ways to partner with each other,” he said.

The prime minister further added, “It is a fantastic piece of work that will have really tangible benefits.”

Prime Minister also announced a new scholarship for Indian students who want to study in Australia.

Albanese said, “I am pleased to announce a new scholarship offering — the Maitri scholarship. This is for Indian students to study in Australia for up to four years. The scholarships are part of the wider Maitri programme that seeks to boost cultural, educational, and community ties between Australia and India.”

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Governor Acharya Devvrat were also present on the occasion.

AI & ChatGPT Revolutionising Education in India: A game-changer for students & educators

Cover Story

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Srajan Agarwal | ENN

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March 9, 2023

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has gained significant traction in the education sector in recent years. AI-powered applications such as Chatbots, Natural Language Processing (NLP), and Machine Learning (ML) have found applications in diverse areas of the education sector. One such emerging example of AI tools in the education sector is ChatGPT (Generative Pre-Trained Transformer). Developed by OpenAI (An AI research laboratory operating in the United States, to advance the development of friendly AI and promote its growth. The organisation was established in San Francisco in 2015 by several individuals, including Sam Altman, Reid Hoffman, Jessica Livingston, Elon Musk, Ilya Sutskever, Peter Thiel, and others, who collectively pledged $1 billion towards its mission. In 2019, Microsoft invested $1 billion in OpenAI LP, and in January 2023, the company made a second multi-year investment of $10 billion), ChatGPT is an advanced language model that can generate text that closely resembles human writing.

With the growing demand for e-learning, ChatGPT has emerged as a powerful tool for generating content, answering student queries, and grading assignments. It can handle a vast number of text-generating tasks, including writing essays, reports, and summaries. The advanced capabilities of ChatGPT have been applied to develop several educational applications that have transformed the traditional learning experience for students.

One of the most significant benefits of using ChatGPT in the education sector is personalised learning. With the ability to adapt to individual student needs and learning styles, ChatGPT can curate specific content that caters to the student’s specific learning requirements. This approach has been particularly effective in providing remedial support to students who struggle with specific concepts or subject areas.

ChatGPT at its peak

Microsoft just announced a massive acquisition of Open AI, the developers of Chat GPT. The investment demonstrates the technology’s potential, and we will most certainly see even more use cases for Chat GPT in the near future, as stated by Bill Gates.

Several popular social media platforms/services, such as Instagram, Spotify, and Dropbox, have also reached one million users, but it took them longer. Instagram reached this significant milestone in just 2.5 months. Similarly, services like Spotify and Dropbox reached one million users in five and seven months, respectively.

Netflix took nearly three years after its launch in 1999 to achieve the status that ChatGPT has achieved in just five days. This demonstrates how much faster web services can now reach customers than they could 15 years ago. The rise in internet usage has made it simpler for online businesses to reach a wider audience, and ChatGPT is no exception.

Emergence of ChatGPT

ChatGPT has found widespread use in test preparation. Several EdTech companies in India have developed AI-powered Chatbots that use ChatGPT to provide students with real-time feedback on their performance. These Chatbots can interact with students, answer their queries, and provide instant feedback on test results. They can also generate personalised test papers based on the student’s strengths and weaknesses.

Another use-case of ChatGPT in the Indian education sector is in language learning. With India being a multilingual country, language learning is a significant challenge for students. ChatGPT has been used to develop AI-powered language learning applications that can generate custom language exercises and tests. These applications can analyse the student’s progress and provide real-time feedback to help them improve their language skills.

Furthermore, ChatGPT has found use in developing virtual assistants that can interact with students and help them with their learning needs. These virtual assistants can provide personalised support to students, answer their queries, and generate custom learning content. For instance, a virtual assistant powered by ChatGPT can generate summaries of complex texts, explain difficult concepts, and even assist with homework assignments.

ChatGPT has also been used to develop advanced tools for online assessment and evaluation. These tools can analyse large volumes of student data and generate automated reports on their performance. This approach has been particularly useful in evaluating student performance in online courses and MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses).

Industry Perspective:

Rashmi Singh, Principal, Poddar Brio International School, Badlapur, Maharashtra, said “AI helps streamline the student education process by offering access to suitable courses, bettering communication with tutors, and giving them more time to focus on other life aspects. AI enhances the personalization of student learning programs and courses, promotes tutoring by helping students improve their weak spots and sharpen their skills, ensures quick responses between teachers and students, and enhances universal 24/7 learning access. Educators can use AI for task automation, including administrative work, evaluating learning patterns, and grading papers; AI gives teachers a clear picture of the lessons and subjects requiring reevaluation.

AI gives students a customized learning approach depending on their unique preferences and experiences. Through AI tools, classrooms are now globally available to students, including those with visual or hearing impairments or who use different languages. When many students give the wrong answers to their homework assignments, the system alerts the professor and offers future students customized messages that provide hints to the correct answer. They grade tests, evaluate homework, fill out the needed paperwork, make progress reports, organize lecture resources and materials, manage teaching materials, and more. This means they might spend too much time on non-teaching activities, leaving them overwhelmed.

With the help of automation tools and solutions, educators can automate manual processes giving them more time to concentrate on teaching key competencies. Intelligent tutoring systems, including AI chatbots and tutors, and tutoring programs are designed to handle customized feedback and guidelines for one-on-one teaching. Nonetheless, they can’t replace teachers because they aren’t advanced enough to teach the way humans can. They help in cases where teachers aren’t available for subjects that can be taught and assessed online. Smart content may include digital guides, textbooks, videos, instructional snippets, and AI, which develop customised environments for learning organisations depending on goals and strategies.

I feel AI will enhance the quality of education by personalization in the education sector, which is a future world trend that can be achieved by pinpointing the areas where AI solutions can play a role, she added.

Recent achievements of ChatGPT:

According to new research released on the medical repository medRxiv, the AI chatbot passed the US Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). “ChatGPT performed at or near the passing criterion for all three exams without any particular training or reinforcement. Furthermore, ChatGPT displayed a high level of concordance and intelligence in its explanations,” according to the study. It was assured that “none of the answers, explanations, or related content were indexed on Google” before ChatGPT took the test. The AI tool also passed an MBA exam designed by a Wharton professor from the University of Pennsylvania.
A recent UK graduate wrote an essay using the contentious AI chatbot. According to The Independent, he was surprised to see that he had received passing grades for it. Pieter Snepvangers graduated from the University of Bristol on his own last year. But, after hearing about the buzz surrounding ChatGPT, he decided to see if it might be utilised to complete theory assignments and coursework. He used the bot to write a 2,000-word article about social policy. The bot completed an assignment that students were supposed to complete in 12 weeks in 20 minutes.
ChatGPT recently passed the Google coding interview for the L3 post. ChatGPT nailed one of the most difficult interviews, earning an annual salary of roughly $183000. This takes the topic back to the jobs that may be challenged by ChatGPT, as well as the question of whether AI can truly eradicate human elements.
ChatGPT also passed the coding exam for the Amazon interview a few weeks ago, although there were a few faults in ChatGPT’s replies to the company’s coding questions. They were inefficient and had “bugs” in their implementation. According to an Amazon machine learning engineer, ChatGPT was able to provide correct replies and even improve the programmes.

Challenges of ChatGPT:

The use of ChatGPT in the education sector of India is not without its challenges. One significant challenge is the need to ensure that content generated by ChatGPT is of high quality and free from bias. Another challenge is the need to ensure that ChatGPT-based applications do not replace the role of teachers in the learning process. Instead, ChatGPT should be seen as a tool that can support teachers in their teaching endeavours.

ChatGPT is a language model on a large scale that can generate text that resembles human writing, triggered by various inputs or contexts. It can carry out a broad range of tasks involving the creation of natural language, such as completing texts (like emails and reports), rephrasing, summarising, machine translation, and answering questions. Applications based on conversational AI, such as virtual assistants and chatbots, can also leverage its capabilities in appropriate situations. Furthermore, ChatGPT has demonstrated its potential as a code generator, adding another benefit to its use.

The rise of ChatGPT is a wake-up call for colleges to stop neglecting AI technology and embrace the advances it brings to higher education. The following are the most notable trends related to AI influence.

Every second, a new digital tool or technology is created, allowing for new methods of accessing information and completing time-consuming tasks. The capacity to evaluate, assess, and use technology and incoming information effectively, often known as digital literacy, has emerged as a vital skill set for students. As a result, the curriculum must be modified to accommodate digital literacy.

To sum it up

ChatGPT is a watershed moment in technological growth, with far-reaching and significant implications for society.

This AI technology will open up a world of possibilities for individuals, from finance and commerce to education and healthcare, even as it alters certain industries and potentially eliminates certain traditional vocations, such as copywriting, translation, and online tutoring.

Implementing AI in education has the ability to improve learning outcomes, make instruction more dynamic and engaging, and provide students with new options for learning and development. However, it is critical to remember that AI cannot replace human teachers, and that technology should be used to supplement rather than replace the human component of education.

Thus, ChatGPT has emerged as a powerful tool in the education sector of India. Its advanced capabilities have been applied to develop several innovative applications that have transformed the traditional learning experience for students. With the increasing demand for e-learning and personalised learning, the use of ChatGPT is likely to grow in the coming years. However, it is essential to address the challenges associated with its use and ensure that ChatGPT-based applications are developed responsibly and ethically.

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