WHAT IS UR FUTURE?

In the new emerging India the profile of a student is fast changing. Gone are the days when they would want to just go on studying and would look at doing their formal education (+2), followed by college, then masters and maybe a PHD. In modern India, even if the student wants to do all that, he/she would still want to acquire some very specific skill sets to attain an edge over the rest. It could be good communication skill, proficiency in a few foreign languages, expertise in computer, marketing skills, leadership skills -- the list could go on and on.

So where does the student stand? They are going ahead in life at neck break speed. They want everything very early and very quickly. They want to do well in life. Disposable income is the key word. They want to start earning at a young age.

You would wonder why the emphasis is being laid on the young Indian. Well, it's because India is a young country in mind, in spirit and in age. Yes age. Over 50 per cent of the population is under the age of 25. And, when we talk about so many young people, how can the need for their education be far behind.

Talking about higher education in India, the government colleges are in place but the problems surrounding them are plenty. First of all, the demand is more than the supply. A staggering number of about 6.75 million students seek admission in higher education institutes in India. Student enrollment in higher education is growing at about five per cent annually over the past two decades. This growth is about two and half times the population's growth rate! There are fewer seats than the demand. There is fierce competition to get these seats, the courses are old and still follow the classical methods, and the teaching patterns have remained the same. The government colleges have not been able to adapt to the changing times maybe due to the delay in policy changes or the inability to grasp the fast changing pace of education in India.

As the government tries to cope with the changes, private sector players have made their presence felt in the field of education. For example, some of the most sought-after careers today are in IT, engineering and management and more than 90 per cent of the colleges imparting training and education in these sectors are private. Even though government and private colleges coexist in the system, the private institutions prove to be more attractive. They do not have to go through all the red tape associated with the government colleges and are attracting students with newer and innovative courses.

The private institutes are trying to fill in the gaps left by the government. In today's India, the stress is on specialization. The focus is on acquiring the right kinds of skill sets required to get into the workplace. And most of the private colleges cater to that demand. The standard of learning imparted at these private institutes are also getting benchmarked rapidly. Most of these private colleges try acquire an edge by either bring in foreign faculties, or even through tie-up with a foreign institutes of repute. They stress on the developing the students and lay importance on the curriculum keeping in mind the demand of the industry. The students frequently get practical training and do internships with relevant organisations during the course of study. Thus, their exposure and experience get enriched. In terms of course fee, private colleges, however, are far more expensive than the government colleges but a lot of them do have tie-ups with banks provide the students access to education loans.

A recent Henley Center report shows that the majorities of the students are pursuing their graduate or post graduate degrees in other than technical subjects. When it comes to the graduation-level degree, more and more students are now looking at commerce, rather than science following the economic boom. Many job openings await a commerce graduate.

More innovative and interesting courses are being provided by the private institutes. Vocational courses like fashion designing, fashion management, art management, retail management, sports management, graphic designing, interior designing, media and graphic designing related courses, courses related to the hospitality sector and even foreign language courses (for translator's jobs) and many such courses are now being offered.

So young India, welcome to this virtual Education Fair OF IDEAL CONCERN. There is a plethora of career options awaiting you. From the sane ones, to the cool ones. If you have an interest, you will find a corresponding institute. Go by the reputation of the place. Go by the faculty members. Go by the fee structure. Go by the courses provided. Go because you like where it's situated. Go because you like the colors of the institute. Go because you want to be amongst like minds. Go because you want be amongst creative minds. Go because you want to!
So go ahead and happy clicking. You might just find what you are looking for.

By BIDUYT SHARMAH