Dr Anil Sahasrabudhe: The education system stifles the innovator in us, NEP will change that

We are born innovators but the system stifles us and that's what NEP 2020 will change, said AICTE Chairman Dr Anil D Sahasrabudhe speaking at the launch of World Student Innovation Summit (WSIS), a student-led platform for innovation on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti. He also added that the NEP is the only innovative education policy in the world and has the potential to change the way we look at education and innovation.

Critical thinking and ability to analyse is the way to go for young India, said the AICTE Chairman. "We have had a system where everything from KG to PG is about rote-learning. The teachers don't explain and the students don't ask what they are learning. We need analytical and critical thinking and that's what the NEP does. AICTE has been doing this for the past few years. We have had workshops to find out how to devise a question paper that provokes thinking. We need our students to ask questions. And if we don't know an answer, we should not wiggle out of it but accept and learn ourselves," he said. "Nurturing teacher innovation was very important because it talks about everything from academics, technology, industry internship and how to establish a better connection with the students — we have been doing this for three years and the NEP also talks about this," he added, before inaugurating a Suraksha Box by young innovator Aditya Pachpande. The event was hosted by ASM Group of Institutes.

Speaking at the event, Dr Ramanathan Ramanan, Mission Director of the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, said that India is being led by its young innovators. He added that the youngsters of today have the option of leveraging technology to get ahead of their times and they should not lose out on this. The day-long webinar will see various dignitaries and stalwarts from the field of education speak on innovation and the way ahead for India.