Education Must Scale Beyond Degrees: TN Central Varsity VC

ANANTAPUR: Education must reach levels beyond degrees and it must cultivate in youths an interest in nation-building through native knowledge systems, opined Tamilnadu Central University vice chancellor Prof N. Krishnan.

He was addressing an event organised by the Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Centre under the Central University of Andhra Pradesh here on Monday.

The six-day capacity building programme on integration of Indian knowledge systems in curriculum resolved to integrate the nation’s civilizational knowledge traditions with contemporary higher education curricula.

Krishnan said higher education must move beyond degree-centric models and focus on social responsibility and nation-building. Drawing upon the nation’s intellectual and cultural traditions, including the works of Thiruvalluvar and the Carnatic music trinity—Thyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar, and Shyama Sastri—he highlighted the enduring relevance of Indian knowledge systems in shaping ethics, culture and everyday life.

He emphasized the need for robust IKS-integrated curricula, interdisciplinary approaches, institutional collaboration and lifelong learning as essential pillars of future education.

Presiding over the inaugural session, central university vice chancellor Prof SA Kori described the institution as a UGC-recognised, technology-enabled and student-centric university committed to academic innovation. Referring to the Gurukula system and the Guru–Shishya Parampara, he underlined the experiential and holistic learning foundations of native knowledge systems.

Noting that India’s youth constituted nearly 60 per cent of the educated population, he stressed that integrating IKS was crucial for addressing contemporary social, ethical and technological challenges and for achieving sustainable national development.

Around 120 faculty members across several universities representing higher educational institutions participated in the event.