Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not just a subject but a transformative force reshaping education globally, and India must urgently reimagine its curriculum to remain relevant, experts said at the NDTV Education Conclave. Stressing the need for technology-integrated education, they called for foundational reforms rather than piecemeal updates.
Ratuldev Ghosh Choudhury, Advisor to GLA University, said India's higher education curriculum must undergo a complete overhaul to match the pace of global technological advancement. "You cannot avoid technology-right from the curriculum design to the way it is delivered and the environment in which it is developed," he said, noting that nearly 47-48% of Indian graduates are not employable.
He warned against incremental changes to outdated curricula. "The students we are getting have never seen analog, they have all seen digital. The curriculum that is coming to them is from the old age. We have to revamp from the scratch, bringing technology right in the curriculum-not just in topics, but subjects."
Mr Choudhury also pointed to systemic issues holding back Indian academia from competing globally. "Top universities like MIT are way ahead of us because they included the research component at a very early stage. They have the proper ecosystem. Practical learning has been the core part of their education system," he said, adding that India must also foster critical thinking through industry-embedded courses.
Highlighting a cultural hurdle, he said, "In India, we have extremely high intolerance towards failure. It's not a stigma. There is a lot to learn from failure."
Echoing similar concerns, Professor Pradipta Kumar Nanda, Vice Chancellor of Siksha 'O' Anusandhan Deemed to be University, said that the gap between academic learning and industry needs is gradually closing, thanks to reforms under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
"The industry wants job-ready students. Earlier there was a gap, now the gap is decreasing. The curriculum has been revamped to prepare students for the workforce," Professor Nanda said. He added that specialised domains like AI, machine learning, cybersecurity, and robotics are now embedded across disciplines.
"Students are eager to study these subjects. We can't teach them everything, but we are introducing key components across engineering and health sciences so they feel confident to face challenges and step into the corporate world."
He also emphasised the importance of undergraduate research. "Undergraduate students should participate in research and upskill themselves as per the requirements in the current job market."
India's demographic advantage can only be harnessed with the help of technology and innovation-not merely additions, but as the foundation," the educationist stressed.
