Info-tech will improve higher education: Telangana Deputy CM Kadiyam Srihari
Bengaluru: Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Kadiyam Srihari observed on Friday that Information Communication Technology (ICT) holds the key in bringing radical reforms in the higher education sector.
He was speaking as a chief guest at Jnana Sangama, a two-day conference organised by the Karnataka State Higher Education Department, along with ELETS Technomedia for promotion of ICT best practices in higher education.
He said the application of ICT in all spheres of human life was increasing day by day. The societies which were fast adapting to the changing technology were progressive and successful. “We are proud that both Karnataka and Telangana are global centres of ICT,” Mr Srihari added.
The minister pointed out that higher education in the country was moving towards ‘transformative change’ with the proposed ‘new education policy’ by the Central Government. As per latest figures regarding higher education, released by union human resources ministry, there are around 700 universities, 40,000 colleges catering to the needs of 30-35 million students. The minister said this ‘massification’ of higher education requires quality improvement, along with universalization. Mr Srihari said that ICT was being treated as a modern tool to enhance the quality of education, which can make significant contribution towards improving teaching and learning at all stages of higher education.
He lamented that the academic institutions were concentrating on examinations. Their focus is more on degree oriented courses, rather than knowledge and skill oriented courses. “The present system gives more importance to scoring good marks in the examination. But in the coming days we should have holistic approach toward improving the knowledge among the students. Courses in skill-based programmes are must,” he explained.
State Higher Education Minister T.B. Jayachandra inaugurated the two-day conference while former chief secretary and vice-chairman, state higher education council S.V. Ranganath, and principal secretary, higher education department Bharat Lal Meena addressed the inaugural session. Vice Chancellors of universities across the country, experts in education and secretaries of department of education of various states are participating in the conference.
National meet on educating girls
The country’s first national conference on education for girl child will be hosted in September by the Telangana government, said deputy chief minister and higher education minister Kadiyam Srihari. Speaking on the sidelines of “Jnana Sangama,” a two-day conference organized here, he said experts in the field of education and policy makers of all states would be invited to address the conference. Mr Srihari said his government has decided to construct residential schools and colleges across the state exclusively for girls over the next three years at a cost of Rs 5000 crore.
