CHENNAI: Home to the world’s youngest population, India’s development depends on how well its students are prepared to convert ambition into action.
At the ThinkEdu Conclave 2026, organised by TNIE, former University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Prof Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar and Dr Girija Vaidyanathan, former Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu, spoke about how education policy can support this in a fast-changing world.
In a session titled ‘Dreamers and Doers: The Next Gen Student’, moderated by Shankkar Aiyar, the speakers discussed how well the next generation is equipped to dream and to act. Responding, Prof Jagadesh Kumar referred to the Madras Presidency around 200 years ago, and said the education system in the region was socially inclusive, accessible, and of high quality.
Citing Thirukkural 391, which he said urges people to learn what they choose and make it part of their lives, he argued that India needs to move away from rigid, Western models of education and return to practices such as multidisciplinary education and exponential learning. “We have emphasised this in NEP 2020, so that our students will become dreamers and doers,” the former UGC chairman said.
To this, Dr Vaidyanathan added, “Students should also be taught self-discipline and differentiate between useful and non-useful information available, including digital platforms.” She also emphasised the meaningful use of available information to strengthen the higher education sector.
“If students want to contribute to social growth, they need to have exponential learning and focus not only on acquiring domain knowledge, but also to incorporate into other parts of life,” he said.
On the future of education, he opined, “Study from anywhere will become the norm in the future except for real-life courses.” He urged students to focus on building products, adding that experiential learning, integrated with personalised education, is set to shape the coming years.
Dr Vaidyanathan emphasised the need for critical thinking skills, and highlighted the importance of teachers in school education. “Fundamentally, we need to strengthen our primary education system with teachers,” she noted.
Asked about implementation, Prof Jagadesh Kumar said that whether it is NEP or SEP, the intention should be clear, to make India’s education sector great. He concluded by saying, “Education should become accessible and never be commercialised.”