Towards More Effective Education: Emergence of STEM Education in India. VIF Task Force Report.
by Vivekananda International Foundation, New Delhi, 2019.
About the Report/ Foreword
Science and innovation have been long-embedded in India's civilisation and culture. Today, they are playing an important role in shaping the country's future in an increasingly globalised world. The current pace of technological change across the world is unprecedented and is opening up new ways of manufacturing and creating knowledge and innovations. This creates huge opportunities for economic growth and social benefits for India's large population. However, to achieve these benefits, India needs to develop and grow human expertise in the inter-related fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics – STEM.
For the vast Indian population, which is at the cusp of rapid socio-economic transition, it is paramount to develop people's skills so that they can be meaningfully employed in specialised STEM sectors. STEM impacts on almost all employment types and careers and affects society at large. It is thus important that every individual in the society is able to develop the understanding of STEM and to fully engage with it. Apart from employment generation, the future advances in science and technology will also be essential to combating the greatest social and environmental challenges we face, and suitably qualified experts are required to tackle these.
In this context, the VIF had set-up a Task Force under the chairmanship of Prof. K.K. Aggarwal, Former Vice Chancellor, GGS Indraprastha University, New Delhi to examine the issues relating to STEM education in India. The report identifies the main issues involved in STEM education; provides guidance on how the industry can contribute to science education; and proposes a new framework for all types of science education from formal, to non-formal and informal approaches. It lays down the 21st-century vision on how best to equip Indian youth with the necessary skills through STEM education and foster the country's long-term economic growth and development.
The experts offer several important recommendations and among other, the need to start the integrated B.Tech programmes which will align not only spur innovation and creativity in students but also serve requirement in India's growing small-scale industrial sector. The experts rightly identify the need to bring scientific temper to translate Indian society's strength of 'Jugad Culture' into 'Culture of Innovation'. For young people aspiring careers in STEM, the report identifies the need to bring emerging technologies and markets closer to the classroom, and also to fire the imagination of young children through innovative learning. This is mainly so keeping in mind the workforce requirements for future markets and innovative industries in India.
The VIF is pleased to publish the work of experts who have compiled this report and made a substantive contribution to the STEM education thinking within India.
Dr Arvind Gupta, Director, VIF
Table of Content
Chapter 1: Higher Education in India – Developments, Status and ChallengesChapter 2: STEM Education in India – Status Report and PerspectiveChapter 3: Creativity and STEM Education – A Strong InterdependenceChapter 4: Leveraging ICT for STEM EducationChapter 5: STEM Education in USA and China – A Case StudyChapter 6: Emerging STEM Domains and New Job OpportunitiesChapter 7: Some More SuggestionsSummary of Recommendations
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