Lunching of B.Com Courese in YMCA, 8.3.11

SHADWELL’S Launching of B. Com Professional Programme & Seminar on Higher Education and Employability 6.30 PM, Tuesday 8th March, 2011 At New Delhi Y.M.C.A ****** Inaugural Address Prof. Dr. V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai, Chairman of the session, Shri E.T. Mohammed Basheer MP, Prof. Dr. P.T. Chande, President of the Association of Indian Universities, Shri P.C. Chacko MP, Shri M.B Rajesh MP, Shri P.K Biju MP, Shri Jose K. Mani MP, Shri Hibi Eden, Shri Chandy Oommen, Fr. Jose Vattakuzhy, Prof. Sunil Bakshi, Dr. M.M. Rehman, Prof. James Joseph, Dean of ShadWell’s, Mr. Tom B. Mannapurathu, Chairman & CEO of ShadWell’s and friends, I am happy to be here today for three special reasons: (i) ShadWell’s is young; (ii) this is an educational programme; (iii) ShadWell’s is based in Kochi, in my constituency. When I say ShadWell’s is young, I mean not only that ShadWell’s is just three years old, but also that men at the helm of affairs are very young. Look at the bright handsome face of Tom, the Chairman, or at the revealing face of Jettin, the Vice-Chairman. They symbolize the youthful vigour, drive, imagination and optimism of the young entrepreneurs in Kerala. They are assisted by a team of young men and women who dare to share the dreams of ShadWell’s. Equally important is the fact that the refreshing youthfulness of ShadWell’s is enriched by the wide and varied professional experience of its Dean Prof. James Joseph, whose teaching experience of ten years in different colleges is frilled with 23 years of experience as Education Administrator in Kerala University and the Govt. of Kerala. I congratulate these young men for the bold initiative they have contributed to the educational scenario of the country. The second reason for my enthusiasm in joining you today is that this function takes me back to the realm of Education, where I really belong. And thirdly, I enjoy a sort of intimacy with ShadWell’s as the nerve centre of its activities is in Kochi, within my parliamentary constituency. The launch of B.Com professional programme in Delhi is a welcome move. I hope this would inspire other entrepreneurs all over the country to design and develop similar innovative academic programmes to meet the challenge of employability. B. Com degree of IGNOU along with an International Certification in a specialized area of study, plus International Certificate in Financial English would be a valid passport to the province of an attractive career. The students are equipped to face a selection process with confidence by going through soft skill development programmes during the entire course. This integrated programme is an answer to the questions raised regarding quality and employability. Hence, it is quite fitting and proper that a seminar on Higher Education and Employability is also being held. The percentage of youth in population places India in a prestigious position, and India is, thus, known as a ‘Young Nation’. Our major concern is to make the best use of this demographic dividend for nation building. The 11th Plan which is described as ‘Education Plan’ has laid strong foundations in this direction. There has been much discussion on the 3 E’s i.e., Expansion, Equity and Excellence, in the recent times. Expansion of higher education facilities to the multitudes is a Herculean task. In 1950, we had 20 universities, 700 colleges, 20,000 students and 2000 teachers. By 2010, the numbers recorded a steep rise. We have more than 500 universities, 24000 colleges, 16 million students and 5 lacs teachers. Still, the Gross Enrolment Ratio, i.e., the percentage of students getting enrolled for higher education after grade XII, is only 12. The National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA), in a report, has suggested that the minimum threshold level of required GER (Gross Enrolment Ratio) to contribute to rapid and sustainable economic development of the country would be 20%. The global level today is 23%. India has now set the target of 30% GER for 2020. To achieve this level of enrolment in higher education, we need to open 800 universities and 3500 colleges additionally, so that 46 million more seats can be created in higher education. The Government will not be able to meet this requirement solely with its own resources. That is why the private players are welcome. And, this is the relevance of initiatives like ShadWell’s. But the second ‘E’, i.e. Equity should be a guiding principle in all efforts made in partnership with private institutions. Special care should be taken for inclusiveness, to protect the interests of the marginalized segments of society. The third ‘E’, i.e., Excellence, is the greatest challenge in the Indian educational scenario. Disturbing questions are being asked about the quality of our education. We lament that none of our premier institutions find a place in the best 100 universities in the world. Our system fails to ensure the optimum growth of our students because it is over-rigid in its structure and under-funded in terms of resources. The ‘A-3’ generation in our Campuses—Anytime, Anywhere, Anything generation—can learn anything at anytime sitting anywhere. When times call for immediate response and positive change, our slowness, technical barriers and inadequacies frustrate the students. Initiatives like choice-based credit and semester system have marked a remarkable change. The revolution in thinking and approach to learning brought about by IGNOU is epoch-making. In the environment of life-long learning promoted by IGNOU and other universities, the test of employability has become more relevant. Employability, no doubt, is a vibrant determinant in quality and content of education. And, this is where we lag behind. Some surveys show that only 8% of our graduates are employable. It means, only 8 out of 100 graduates are equipped to do the right job for which they are supposed to be qualified. An Engineer working as a Technician, an MCA doing Data Entry or an MBA working as Clerk in a government office would be a sad commentary on the educational system. In short, the challenge is to enhance the employability of our educated youth. One remedy for the malady would be to integrate application dimension that leads to employability, within the curriculum. Another method would be to provide add-on programmes as value addition with a view to sustaining employability potential, highlighting communication, application, creativity, innovativeness and other employability skills. While the professional courses lack in quality, we find that the traditional mainstream courses have few takers as their employability is less. This is where add-on courses, with strong employability component, become relevant. Proven, quality-endorsed courses from anywhere would be welcomed by the students. One way to improve employability would be Industry-Academic Linkage. The Employer knows what he expects from his employees. Many institutions now resort to tailor-made programmes for industries. Involvement of industry in course design, pedagogy, and methodology of teaching would make a lot of difference. Accreditation has become compulsory now. But outcome-based accreditation is yet to come to stay. How employable is your product is a question to be considered in accreditation. I am happy that such vital concerns are enkindling our young minds. ShadWell’s is an initiative for others to emulate. ShadWell’s is making its humble contribution for enhancing the employability of our commerce graduates. This is a bold step. I congratulate ShadWell’s and wish them success in their endeavour. Today, incidentally, happens to be the International Women’s Day; and that rings a bell for ShadWell’s. A programme launched on the Women’s Day ought to have special packages for empowerment of women. With this special suggestion, I launch the B.Com Professional Programme of ShadWell’s. I also inaugurate the Seminar on Higher Education and Employment. JAI HIND