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crisis into
oppor-
-tunity
Does the student fraternity of higher education
need to worry about the sudden brake in their
academics, internship and placements? No, says Dr •
Anil Sahasrabudhe, Chairman of All India Council By
for Technical Education (AICTE), who believes
COVID-19, like World War I and II is putting human Vinita
Deshmukh
intelligence to a challenging test, from which the latter
will once again come out with flying colours. Read on… •

18 / Corporate Citizen / May 16-31, 2020

“Changes regarding online education began
in a big way since the last three to four years.
We have not necessarily started online
education only because of the pandemic, but
it was a vision of our knowledge construction
strategy to make part of the education
online. Now, COVID-19 crisis would provide
the impetus to accelerate this process”
May 16-31, 2020 / Corporate Citizen / 19
cover story

Dr Anil
Sahasrabudhe, the dynamic Chairman of AICTE sharply analyses the pres-
ent situation of higher education in India that has also been affected due
to the catastrophic pandemic and  brings out a positive vision of the Post-
COVID-19 crisis, which he says is an opportunity for youngsters to innovate
and think out-of-the-box. Corporate Citizen catches up with him to bring
information that is sure to bring confidence amongst the student fraternity.

Corporate Citizen: COVID-19 is set to have an impact on high-

er education too. Which are the aspects where changes are
already visible?
Dr Anil Sahasrabudhe: Changes regarding online education began in a
big way since the last three to four years. We have not necessarily started
online education only because of the pandemic, but it was a vision of our
knowledge construction strategy to make part of the education online. Now,
COVID-19 crisis would provide the impetus to accelerate this process. We
had already adopted the concepts of the blended learning and flipped class-
rooms which have been implemented in various educational institutions,
across the country, may be in a limited way. This methodology involves
several permutations and combinations. For example, students are asked to
watch videos of the subject at home and come prepared to the classroom,
where the faculty would provide further guidance, solve the doubts, con-
verts information into knowledge. The faculty also challenges students by
narrating a challenging problem, divides students into small groups and
“The teaching-learning
asks them to solve the problem and come out with a realistic solution. Stu- would have to be a blended
dents then collectively evaluate their solutions, learning and in the process, one. Until now, we had 20%
get exposure to enabled experiences to problem-solving.
 
limit for online academic
So would you be laying down a refreshed policy in place to credits transfer; now we
give impetus to online classrooms? could think of increasing
The policy is all in place for the last three years.  The AICTE and the UGC
have both adopted the HRD ministry’s SWAYAM MOOCs which was
this limit to 30% or 40%
initially created by AICTE and has over 2000+ courses online. The stu- perhaps. We would be only
dents can do 20% of academic credits of their respective university from empowering what already
the SWAYAM courses. SWAYAM platform has courses in all the domains,
science, engineering, humanities and social sciences, business, arts etc, existed in our guidelines to
ranging from school education till post-graduation to be accessed by go part online”
anyone, anywhere, at any time from the best in class. The courses hosted
on SWAYAM comprise of four quadrants, viz., video lectures, specially
prepared reading material that can be downloaded/printed, self-assess- started using many learning materials from SWAYAM, and from several
ment tests through assignments, tests and quizzes and; an online discus- companies who have provided their products free. Thus, this mode has
sion forum for clearing the doubts. Steps have been taken to enrich the become more acceptable and they have fallen in line.
learning experience by using high-quality audio-video and multi-media Not only would we be issuing fresh circulars and instructions to educa-
contents and state-of-the-art pedagogy/technology.  AICTE is one of the tional institutions to adopt online learning, conduct workshops for faculty
nine national coordinators for disseminating this education. So COVID to make flipped classes and blended learning popular, but we would rely
or no COVID, we were already on the right track! more on having a top-down and down-to-top approach. Which means, we
  would be conducting training programmes for the faculty as well as the in-
Do you think there will be a drastic change in the way students stitutional heads who run their respective educational institutions, to make
attended classrooms? them techno-savvy for online teaching and classrooms, to go hand-in-hand
The teaching-learning would have to be a blended one. Until now, we had with conventional education. On the other hand, when students would see
the 20% limit for online academic credits transfer, now we could think of the faster benefits of the blended and flip learning methods, they would
increasing this limit to 30% or 40% perhaps.  We would be only empowering force the management and faculty of the institute to provide them a similar
what already existed in our guidelines to go part online. Many educational experience. Indeed, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Digital push is all set
institutions were not using this technology-propelled, teaching/learning to receive a major boost in the field of education.
method as they were either sceptical or not fully prepared for it. Now, during
COVID-19 crisis, many have started online classes of their own faculty, Would College campuses be the same again?

20 / Corporate Citizen / May 16-31, 2020

 College campuses would, of course, be required to exist,
in their present avatar. Online education cannot be and
should not be a 100% substitute for conventional educa-
tion, especially where a lot of laboratory-based and expe-
riential learning are necessary. We need to complement
and supplement conventional technical education with
the changing technology for the future and not make it
competitive with each other. College campuses are essen-
tial for collaborations between people to people and phys-
ical interaction is most necessary, by abiding by the new
normal of keeping safe physical distances. While it has
given a boost to online learning, there are many aspects
of engineering, for example, that cannot be taught online.
Blended learning is the only way forward and maybe the
order of the day, soon!
 This lockdown period is a temporary period and tran-
sitory. However, lessons learnt would be long-lasting, still
maybe after six months or one year, college campuses
should blossom with lots of sports activities on their play-
grounds, become centres of various clubs where students
give vent and showcase their creativity in various talents
like painting, music, drama, performing arts, photog-
raphy and so on. The college auditoriums should again
bustle with activity of hosting programmes. Thus, college
campuses would be the breeding ground for personality
development and positivity.
 
What would be the fate of students for the com-
ing academic session beginning June 2020
and the earlier academic session where exams
were to be held in April-May?
 A circular has already been circulated by the UGC which
AICTE has adopted, superimposed with some changes
for standalone institutes. It has directed colleges to stagger
examination activity and postpone the academic calendar
by one and a half months. They have been asked to adjust
the academic calendar by shortening the vacations and
stretching the curriculum teaching in a way that it will
be completed in a year’s time. So, hopefully, the time loss
would be compensated in a year or two.
 
Would there be a paradigm shift in higher ed-
ucation post-COVID? If so, what would they be
like in the short-term and long-term?
 I would like to reiterate that three years back, when we
worked on the online education platform SWAYAM, we
didn’t even imagine that a catastrophe like COVID would come by. Yet,
on the lines of how technology was moving, we created the required in-
frastructure for online education. We have invested largely on e-books to
provide knowledge resources on the basis of access, equity and quality to
every student, including the most disadvantaged. Initiatives of MHRD such
as SWAYAM, National Digital Library (NDL), E-Shodhsindhu, National
Academic Depository NAD) seek to bridge the digital divide for students
who have hitherto remained untouched by the digital revolution and have
not been able to join the mainstream of the knowledge economy.
 We have been constantly raising the bar in terms of increased inter-
net bandwidth requirement in colleges, wi-fi campus connectivity, online
payment of fees and salaries to make the best use of digital revolution.
We have been conducting Smart India Hackathons for the last four years.
This is a nationwide initiative to provide students with a platform to solve
some of the pressing problems we face in our daily lives, and thus incul-
cate a culture of product innovation and a mindset of problem-solving.
“College campuses would, of course,
be required to exist, in their present
avatar. Online education cannot be
and should not be a 100% substitute
for conventional education, especially
where lot of laboratory based and
experiential learning are necessary”
The first three editions of 2017, 2018 and 2019 proved to be extremely
successful in promoting innovation out-of-the-box thinking in young
minds, especially engineering students from across India. We were all set
to hold the 2020 Hackathon but the lockdown came in. We also promoted
organisation of Hackathons at the local level, college, university, state level
too to encourage students from various parts of the country to innovate.
We had two India Singapore hackathons. We have planned Indo-Portugal
and ASEAN hackathon.
 
What will be the COVID-19 impact on the student community?
 The unprecedented outbreak of Coronavirus has caused extreme distress to
the students and is a temporary setback to academic activity. They are wor-
ried as internships have suddenly stopped and those who got jobs through
campus placements suddenly find themselves stranded as their joining date
has been postponed or they are unsure of it. Most of them have undergone
quality education so they would still be in demand in the job market. They
should not lose heart as this setback would be around for only a few months.
They should accept the situation as such phases come in one’s life. Life is
too long to worry and this crisis is hopefully short-lived or we will learn to
live with it.
 The crisis has left everyone wondering about their future. Students are
constantly worrying about their career and other aspects of their lives. How-
ever, the current scenario demands a different approach. Our survival is
most important! We all should focus on surviving this pandemic as the first
step. The students should follow all the safety norms issued by the govern-
ment and should focus on staying safe.
 
Do you think the days of distance and online learning has ar-
rived in a big way?
Distance learning has been on board for quite a long time although it is
limited to certain courses like management, computer applications, tourism
and travel in the technical domain, while it is popular in other fields like arts,
commerce. We would be essentially pushing for taking more courses in the
online mode that students can avail of 20% online curriculum in whichever
course they are pursuing. Gradually increase it to say 40%. Courses which
require laboratory set-up cannot be done online. However, there can be
virtual labs in some courses using simulation techniques. For example, the
trainee pilots have to undergo training on simulators before taking up flying
in real aircrafts. Same is the case of naval trainees who undergo training on
simulators. They undergo long hours of virtual training so that they can
handle the real engines, more efficiently later. The same could be adopted for
courses that require laboratory work by having virtual laboratories.
 
What are the new skills that the students should learn for a
better prospect of job opportunities in the current scenario?
For any job opportunity, there are certain competencies that the students
have to possess in current scenario or anytime later. They are universal and
for all times. Students must be equipped with life skills, communication
skills: oral, written, reading, listening skills, prepared to work in a team, time
May 16-31, 2020 / Corporate Citizen / 21
cover story
“Those who have not
invested in online
technology now have
a lesson to learn.
Hopefully, they will
learn their lessons now
and gear up to put
technology in place on
their campuses”
management, problem solving ability, adaptability, analytical ability, critical
thinking, creativity, leadership, have a holistic idea of the curriculum, its
connection with other domains, connect between individual, society, com-
munity, nation, mother earth, environment, nature etc. The student must
realise that for a better life in a society or workplace one must have ethics,
values and the right attitude. They should learn how to change and adapt
oneself to any situation and be confident.
 
There are many universities and institutes in the country which
are not well equipped with IT infrastructure before the national
lockdown, what is your advice to them?
Those who have not invested in online technology now have a lesson to
learn. Hopefully, they will learn their lessons now and gear up to put tech-
nology in place on their campuses. Of course, there are issues of Internet
connectivity in remote areas, which the government is addressing.
What is your overview of the Corona pandemic and its impact
on the world?
The larger picture is that one need not be cowed down by this once in a
lifetime event. A lifetime crisis is a lifetime opportunity. Many new solutions
come from such challenges and we have seen them in the last couple of
months. There has been intense research and so many innovative products
of healthcare like masks, ventilators, sanitizers, PPEs, mobile Apps and so
on have been developed by students, faculty and entrepreneurs. We saw
this happen, post World War I and World War II too. Man has come out of
dreaded natural disasters like storms, cyclones, earthquakes and Tsunamis.
We will certainly come out of the COVID-19 pandemic too, with Homo
Sapiens being the highest species of biological science/nature has immense
potential and her/his intelligence is being once again put to test.
22 / Corporate Citizen / May 16-31, 2020
How are you keeping busy during this pandemic?
We have been extraordinarily busy, having already conducted work-
shops online on Universal Human Values, Student Induction Pro-
grammes, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), 3-D
printing, Cyber Security, Data Analytics etc in emerging areas, exam
reforms workshops and so on. I’m busier than before when I used to
have a stream of visitors who would walk into my office. Now, it is a
continuous interaction with people through workshops online through
Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex, Google Hangouts, Jitsi etc - depending
on which is convenient for whom.
To ensure the continuous learning of the students we gave shape to our
online learning platform. Enhancement in Learning with Improvement
In Skills (ELIS) portal has been designed by AICTE in order to foster
digital learning and support the student community across the country.
Many companies have come forward to give these free of cost for students.
AICTE itself has developed an online helpline portal.
AICTE has devised online scrutiny of documents and online institute
inspections using Microsoft team without physical visits for giving ap-
provals to new colleges. Internships, interviews and placements have also
gone online to address the present challenge. The placements are being
conducted online by various companies and institutions. IIMs are con-
ducting interviews through online medium amid the crisis.
 We started conducting online workshops for the faculty as their inputs
play a crucial role in the online mode of knowledge transfer. We have
already conducted 40+ workshops in the last two months. There are three
main focus areas for our workshops:
§  Workshops for faculty on universal human values and three-
week student induction programme for the first-year students: These
workshops cover a part of the development of life skills, attitude, honesty,
integrity, awareness about self, family, society, nature, environment and
essence of happiness. These workshops also covered all the life skills such
as Leadership, communication that is important to cope with the crisis
and will be important for the future as well. 
§  Workshops on various technical skills and soft skills which will be in
demand: These workshops covered various emerging technical skills that
are going to become all the more important post-COVID such as AI, IoT,
AR, VR, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Robotics, 3D Printing, Block-
chain, Cloud Computing, Cyber Security, and Data Analytics. The tech-
nical skills were offered by eminent experts from academia and industry. 
§  Workshops for preparing the faculty for AICTE’s examination re-
forms: These workshops are about the significance of examination reform,
why, what and how. For the last few years, we are talking about the changes
in examination patterns as our current examinations are unable to assess
the students on various important factors such as application of knowl-
edge, problem-solving, analysis and synthesis, creativity, innovation etc.
Hence, preparing faculty for the exam reforms is significant.
(vinitapune@gmail.com)
CC
tadka
India’s record food
reserves
India has enough foodgrain stock-
piles to feed its poor for at least a
year-and-a-half. It will have 100 mil-
lion tons in warehouses across India by the end of April, compared
with an annual requirement of 50 million to 60 million tons under
various welfare programs for the poor. India is likely to produce
record 292 million tons of food grains in 2019-20.