| | 8 October 2016HIGHERReviewIN MY VIEWAddressing the issue of Educated Unemployed in IndiaBy Prof. Prabir K. Bagchi, Vice Chancellor, SRM UniversityIn the context of the educated unemployed in India the question we in higher education have to be asking is very simple: Are we putting out the graduate the market wants? The answer to this is essentially two fold. First is an appraisal of the demands of the system from a longer term perspective and seeing if the right choices have been offered to the youth as they enter the University or college. And second, is in seeing if along with the necessary academic orientation, an institution of higher learning "prepares" a student for the job market. And much of this has to do with honing in skills related to employment, be it in speaking skills, logical reasoning and quantitative methods. India is a multi-lingual country but for the most part employers are looking for good communication skills in English and a lot of this today has to do with the forces of globalization and revolutions in information technology.It is indeed a shame for the country that such a large number of our youth who are graduates or more are without a job. A common perception not just in India but also elsewhere is that the sluggish economy is to be blamed. In the case of India we do not have the luxury to take cover under this explanation for the simple reason that the Indian economy is doing much better than even the developed economies of the world. A growth rate of about 7 per cent is nothing to be looked down upon.The problem of unemployment exists because the educational system does not graduate the "right" person. We are still bogged to a rote learning procedure with little emphasis on applications. The market is looking for youth who is not only well rounded in his/her field of specialization but also an individual who is going to be able to put theory to practical applications. Further as I said before we need youth to be very proficient in communication skills. Whether it is on-shore or off-shore, the ability to connect is ultimately what determines success or failure. For education to be useful to society, it must be both academically rigorous and practically relevant to the dynamic market place.The only way we are going to be able to close the discrepancy pertaining to quality is in ensuring that we have the right person for the right job. Before we even sign off on the accreditation process, the authorities would have to ensure that "quality" is in place. Opening an institution of higher learning seems to be a He is a Ph.D. in Business Administration from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA. He has held several respected positions before he took up the role of VC of SRM University. He served as Director of the Operations and Supply Chain Management Program, Chairman of Decision Sciences Department and Senior Manager with two reputed multinational firms: Philips Electronics in India and Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) in the US and others.Prof. Prabir K. Bagchi
< Page 7 | Page 9 >