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New Delhi, Forty-two per cent of children in the age group of 14 to 18 years in <keyword id="6355185" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rural-india" source="Orion">rural India</keyword> cannot read easy <keyword id="20228834" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sentences-in-english" source="Orion">sentences in English</keyword>, while more than half of them struggle with simple division problems, according to the <keyword id="10211733" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="annual-status" source="Orion">Annual Status</keyword> of Education Report (<keyword id="20226735" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="aser" source="keywords">ASER</keyword>) 2023 released on Wednesday. The ASER 2023 '<keyword id="20228833" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="beyond-basics" source="keywords">Beyond Basics</keyword>' survey was conducted in 28 districts across 26 states, reaching a total of 34,745 youths in the age group 14-18 years. One rural district was surveyed in each major state, with the exception of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, where two rural districts were surveyed. The annual report published by the Pratham Foundation also found that more than half of the students in the 14-18 age group struggle with division problems. "About 25 pc of this age group still cannot read a class 2 level text fluently in their regional language. More than half struggle with division (3-digit by 1-digit) problems. Only 43.3 pc of 14-18-year olds are able to do such problems correctly. This skill is usually expected in class 3 and 4. "A little over half can read sentences in English (57.3). Of those who can read sentences in English, almost three quarters can tell their meanings (73.5 pc)," the report said. ASER reports are also used by the government while formulating policies. Across enrollment categories, females (76 per cent) do better than males (70.9 per cent) in reading a Class 2 level text in their regional language. In contrast, males do better than their female counterparts in arithmetic and English reading. The report says that around 45 per cent of the students surveyed could calculate the number of hours a child had slept based on the time she went to bed at night and woke up in the morning. In another everyday task of measuring an object with a scale, 85 per cent of those surveyed could calculate the length of an object correctly if it was placed at the '0' mark on the ruler. But when the object was moved and placed elsewhere on the ruler, less than 40 per cent could give the right answer. Two-thirds of the surveyed youths (65.1 pr cent) were able to read functional instructions on a packet of ORS solution, the report said. According to the report, low levels of foundational numeracy affect the ability of youth in tackling everyday calculations where they need to apply measurement or use the unitary method in practical situations, or even do simple financial computations (managing a budget, applying a discount or calculating interest rates or repayment of a loan. "Catch up efforts for foundational literacy and numeracy are needed for a significant portion of the 14-18 population, not only for doing better in school but also for everyday needs. Data from ASER 2023 indicates that building foundational literacy and numeracy may be needed for about a fourth of youth in the 14-18 age group. "NEP (National Education Policy) 2020 recognizes the need for 'catch up' in the case of those who have fallen behind. Thus, programs could be put in place, if they do not already exist, to help students from <keyword id="20228831" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="std-viii" source="keywords">Std VIII</keyword> and higher grades who are lagging behind academically," it added. ASER is a nationwide citizen-led household survey that provides a snapshot of the status of children's schooling and learning in rural <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="keywords">India</keyword>. First implemented in 2005, the 'basic' ASER survey was conducted annually until 2014 and switched to an alternate-year cycle in 2016. The 'basic' ASER collects information about enrollment in preschool and school for children in the age group of three to 16, and assesses children aged between five to 16 one-on-one to understand their foundational reading and arithmetic abilities. In the intervening years, the ASER survey dives deeper into different aspects of children's schooling and learning in rural India. The 2023 survey explored the following domains: what activities are India's youth currently engaged in, do they have basic and applied reading and math abilities, their digital awareness and skills, do they have access to smartphones, what do they use smartphones for, and can they do simple tasks on their smartphones? "Trends on basic learning have remained relatively unchanged over the last decade. Although the National Achievement Survey (NAS) and ASER use different metrics and methods for assessing learning, both point to the fact that basic learning levels of elementary school children need significant improvement. "NEP 2020 also clearly states the urgent need for ensuring that by <keyword id="20228832" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="std-iii" source="keywords">Std III</keyword>, children have acquired basic reading and arithmetic skills," the report said.

42% children in 14-18 age group in rural India can't read easy sentences in English: ASER

The basic reading ability of school students across all classes has dropped to pre-2012 levels while basic maths skills have declined to 2018 levels, according to the Annual Status of Education Report (<keyword id="11948487" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="aser" source="Orion">ASER</keyword>), 2022, released on Wednesday. It showed that the drops are visible in government as well as private schools in most states and for both boys and girls. While the maximum drop in reading abilities has been seen in states such as <keyword id="28504" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="kerala" source="Orion">Kerala</keyword>, <keyword id="6358126" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="himachal-pradesh" source="Orion">Himachal Pradesh</keyword> and <keyword id="41646" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="haryana" source="Orion">Haryana</keyword>, the drop in maths skills has been seen in <keyword id="20154" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="tamil-nadu" source="Orion">Tamil Nadu</keyword>, Mizoram and Haryana. ASER is a nationwide, citizen-led household survey that provides a snapshot of children's schooling and learning in rural India. The first ASER survey was conducted in 2005 and repeated for 10 years. ASER 2022 is the first field-based "basic" nationwide ASER after a gap of four years. It comes at a time when children are back in school after an extended gap in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. "Nationally, children's basic reading ability has dropped to pre-2012 levels, reversing the slow improvement achieved in the intervening years. Drops are visible in both government and private schools in most states, and for both boys and girls," it said. The ASER reading test assessed whether a child can read letters, words, and a simple paragraph at the class 1 level of difficulty, or a 'story' at the class 2 level of difficulty. The test was administered one on one to all children in the age group of five to 16 in sampled households. Each child was marked at the highest level that she or he can reach comfortably. "The percentage of children in class 3 in government or private schools who can read at class 2 level dropped from 27.3 per cent in 2018 to 20.5 per cent in 2022. This decline is visible in every state and for children in both government and private schools," it said. States showing a decline of more than 10 percentage points from 2018 levels include those that had higher reading levels in 2018, such as Kerala (from 52.1 per cent in 2018 to 38.7 per cent in 2022), Himachal Pradesh (from 47.7 per cent to 28.4 per cent), and Haryana (from 46.4 per cent to 31.5 per cent). Huge drops are also visible in Andhra Pradesh (from 22.6 per cent to 10.3 per cent) and Telangana (from 18.1 per cent to 5.2 per cent). "Nationally, the proportion of children enrolled in class 5 in government or private schools who can at least read a class 2-level text fell from 50.5 per cent in 2018 to 42.8 per cent in 2022. States where this indicator held steady or improved marginally include Bihar, Odisha, Manipur, and Jharkhand. "States showing a decrease of 15 percentage points or more include Andhra Pradesh (from 59.7 per cent in 2018 to 36.3 per cent in 2022), Gujarat (from 53.8 per cent to 34.2 per cent), and Himachal Pradesh (from 76.9 per cent to 61.3 per cent). Drops of more than 10 percentage points are visible in Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Haryana, Karnataka, and Maharashtra," it said. The report has noted that although drops in basic reading ability are visible among class 8 students as well, these are smaller as compared to observed trends in classes 3 and 5. Nationally, 69.6 per cent of children enrolled in class 8 in government or private schools can read at least basic text in 2022, falling from 73 per cent in 2018. According to the report, children's basic arithmetic levels have declined over 2018 levels for most grades across the country. But the declines are less steep and the picture is more varied than in the case of basic reading. "The all-India figure for children in class 3 who can at least do subtraction dropped from 28.2 per cent in 2018 to 25.9 per cent in 2022. "While Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh maintained or improved slightly over 2018 levels, steep drops of more than 10 percentage points are visible in Tamil Nadu (from 25.9 per cent in 2018 to 11.2 per cent in 2022), Mizoram (from 58.8 per cent to 42 per cent), and Haryana (from 53.9 per cent to 41.8 per cent)," it said. The proportion of children in class 5 across India who can do division has also fallen slightly, from 27.9 per cent in 2018 to 25.6 per cent in 2022. While Bihar, Jharkhand, Meghalaya and Sikkim show slight improvements over 2018 levels, steep drops of more than 10 percentage points are visible in Mizoram (from 40.2 per cent in 2018 to 20.9 per cent in 2022), Himachal Pradesh (from 56.6 per cent to 42.6 per cent), and Punjab (from 52.9 per cent to 41.1 per cent) among others. The report noted that the performance of class 8 students in basic arithmetic is more varied. "Nationally, the proportion of children who can do division has increased slightly, from 44.1 per cent in 2018 to 44.7 per cent in 2022. This increase is driven by improved outcomes among girls as well as among children enrolled in government schools, whereas boys and children enrolled in private schools show a decline over 2018 levels. "Children in class 8 in government schools did significantly better in 2022 than in 2018 in Uttar Pradesh (from 32 to 41.8 pc) and Chhattisgarh (from 28 per cent to 38.6 per cent), but significantly worse in Punjab (from 58.4 to 44.5 pc)," it said. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/janitri-on-shark-tank-india-bill-melinda-gates-foundation-backed-startup-provides-ai-solutions-to-monitor-pregnant-women/articleshow/97088842.cms">Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation backed startup provides AI solutions to monitor pregnant women</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/personalities/award-winning-compostwali-poonam-kasturi-wants-money-not-awards-finds-it-on-shark-tank-india/slidelist/97087692.cms">Compostwali Poonam Kasturi says she wants money, not awards, on Shark Tank India and gets it</a>

Pandemic reversed improvement seen in rural children's basic reading and math skills: ASER report

Nearly 33 per cent of the 424 parents who took part in a survey reported that their children were approached by strangers via online platforms soliciting friendships, seeking personal and family details and broaching up sexual advice, according to a new report. Apart from the 424 parents from Maharashtra, Karnataka, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh, the participants also included 384 teachers from the four states and and 107 other stakeholders from three states (West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra). According to the parents, of the children indicating cases of <keyword id="16129596" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="online-solicitations-and-abuse" source="Orion">online solicitations and abuse</keyword> 40 per cent were adolescent girls within 14-18 years, closely followed by adolescent boys (33 per cent) within the same age group. For the parents who had shared that their children have indicated experiences of online child sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA), responses were received more from rural areas than urban areas, with both male and female respondents accounting for such incidents. The study is jointly conducted by CRY (<keyword id="6514873" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="child-rights-and-you" source="Orion">Child Rights and You</keyword>) and the Chanakya National Law University (CNLU), Patna. It revealed that one-third (33.2 per cent) of the parents among the respondents reported that their children were approached by strangers via online platforms soliciting friendships, fishing for personal and family details and broaching up sexual advice concerning relationships. Inappropriate sexual contents were also shared with the children and they indulged in sexual conversations online, they said. On being asked what measures they would like to take if their children faced OCSEA, only 30 per cent of the parents stated that they would go to the police station and file complaint, while a "worrying 70 per cent discarded the option". Further, only 16 per cent of parents reported of being aware of any legislation relating to OCSEA. These findings indicated a huge information deficit and low trust with the legal and law enforcement institutions among the parents, the report said. The most common behavioural changes noticed among children by the teachers were absent-mindedness and unjustified absence from school (both 26 per cent), followed by increased usage of smartphones in school (20.9 per cent). Soha Moitra, Director of Development Support at CRY and the Head of its Regional Operations in the North, underscored the importance of re-evaluating and adding more teeth to the existing legal frameworks. "This research has found that the internet is being used for the trafficking of children in India. Now, with the use of the internet in trafficking, especially among younger children, as indicated in this study, the provisions may need to be re-evaluated," Soha noted. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/emergency-door-opened-by-mistake-tejasvi-surya-apologised-says-scindia-on-indigo-row/articleshow/97094696.cms" style="">Emergency door opened by mistake, Tejasvi Surya apologised, says Scindia on Indigo row</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/pandemic-reversed-improvement-seen-in-rural-childrens-basic-reading-and-math-skills-aser-report/articleshow/97093007.cms" style="">Pandemic reversed improvement seen in rural children's basic reading and math skills: ASER report</a>

33% parents say their children were approached by strangers on online platforms: CRY study

<ul><li>Finance Minister <keyword id="129243" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nirmala-Sitharaman">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> will be presenting the Union <keyword id="6358021" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="budget">Budget</keyword> amidst unprecedented circumstances. </li><li>The digital progress made in health and education has not reached everyone and the gaps need to be fixed. </li><li>The COVID-19 pandemic has also posed a risk to the battle against malnourishment and food coupons may be a way out.</li></ul>There are high expectations from the <keyword id="8420431" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="budget-2021">Budget 2021</keyword>, which comes about a year after India recorded its first confirmed COVID-19 case. With the pandemic severely disrupting business as usual, the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will be presenting the Union Budget amidst unprecedented circumstances. The crisis has opened up opportunities in education and health but the new ideas have not been able to cross the social fault lines of an unequal society. So, it may be time to bridge those divides with innovative programmes like food coupons for the malnourished, and spending money to ensure that no one is left behind in all the digital progress made in health and education. The pandemic has underscored the importance of social sector schemes It is not all about challenges. The “new normal” has also created opportunities to build back better. One such opportunity is to prioritise and invest in what has traditionally been considered “social sectors”. One hopes that the pandemic has demonstrated beyond doubt that these so-called social sectors are, in fact, critical for economic progress and workforce productivity as well. Of course, the budget is not the only window of opportunity for the government to implement measures for strengthening these sectors but to the extent that the budget signals priorities and sets the tone at the highest levels, it is crucial that areas like health, nutrition, education and gender equality feature prominently. The budget must increase allocation for health as well as promote telehealth While India has fared much better on COVID-19 management than most would expect, the outbreak has also shone a spotlight on the underlying gaps and inequities in the health system in terms of access to and quality of physical infrastructure, human resources as well as drugs and medical devices. Further, the lockdown, which was a necessary response for gearing up the health system to respond to COVID-19, resulted in disruptions to some essential services in areas like maternal and child health, tuberculosis, and non-communicable diseases like cancer, cardiac ailments and chronic kidney disease. India is committed to ramping up its spending on health to 2.5% of GDP by 2025 as per the National Health Policy, 2017. However, in the post-COVID scenario, the government might need to consider achieving this level of spending on health before 2025. This will not only enable India to build a strong and resilient public health system to address the ongoing challenges faced by the population more effectively and equitably but will also ensure that the country is better prepared for such disease outbreaks in the future. A timely increase in spending is necessary to equip the already stretched health sector to cope with new and additional challenges posed by the pandemic, including a rise in mental health and stress-related issues. Further, the budget must emphasise initiatives for making full use of the opportunities that have emerged during the COVID era, most notably the adoption of digital health interventions, like telemedicine. The Indian government released the Telemedicine Practice Guidelines in March 2020 to enable access to remote healthcare consultations. By early December 2020, over 1 million teleconsultations had taken place through e-Sanjeevani, the Government’s telemedicine service, across 550 districts in the country. A survey of 800 physicians conducted by Boston Consulting Group between March-May, 2020, revealed a trend of accelerated digital adoption, with 85% of clinicians using digital platforms and telemedicine during the lockdown period. Going forward, there is tremendous scope to expand telemedicine services to Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities as well as rural areas, where the unmet need for access to quality healthcare is the highest. Nutrition sector Nutrition is another sector which has suffered from disruptions to essential services like mid-day meals in schools and hot, cooked meals in Anganwadi Centres, on account of the pandemic. <div type="image" title="anganwadi" msid="80477523" hostid="261"></div> For instance, under normal circumstances, 1.3 million Anganwadi Centres provide supplementary food to pregnant and lactating mothers as part of the Integrated Child Development Scheme. Adverse effects on livelihoods further exacerbate food and nutrition insecurity. Besides restoring programmes delivering essential nutrition services fully, the budget could also consider food purchasing assistance (in the form of coupons) for people from low-income backgrounds. Budget must provide the infrastructure needed for the have-nots to access online education In 2020, the government released the National Education Policy outlining several ambitious measures for transforming the education sector. It is crucial that the Budget supports the implementation of these interventions with the requisite financial allocations, in line with the overall plan to increase public spending on education to 6% of GDP from the current approximately 4.6%. Specifically, to tackle the challenges posed by COVID-19, it is essential to ensure adequate funds for enabling schools across the country to reopen with the necessary water, sanitation and hygiene facilities in place. <div type="image" title="classroom" msid="80477582" hostid="261"></div> Additionally, steps need to be taken to bridge the digital divide. According to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), ownership of smartphones in student households increased significantly between 2018 and 2020. However, the report noted that only one-third of school children were pursuing online education. Thus, while COVID-19 has undoubtedly given a fillip to the use of technology, it has also widened the digital divide, with students from underprivileged families finding it challenging to participate in online classes or access digital content. There is, therefore, a case for the budget to make a provision, perhaps in the form of a dedicated fund, for promoting manufacturing of equipment like tablets and providing an enabling digital ecosystem targeted at students who are currently getting left behind. The pandemic has hurt women the most both in terms of life and livelihood Finally, across sectors, COVID has worsened gender inequality in much of the world. Research conducted by Azim Premji University suggests that the work participation rate for Indian women reduced to 5.8% in August 2020 from 9.15% in December 2019. Women have also had to bear a disproportionate burden of caregiving during the pandemic. Contraceptive supply chains have suffered from disruptions, which could lead to an increase in the number of unwanted pregnancies as well as sexually transmitted diseases. Further, due to the confinement during the lockdown period, job losses, and absence of the usual support networks like Self-Help Groups (SHGs), instances of domestic violence are also believed to have increased over the last several months. Additionally, economic distress could lead to parents making choices about sending only male children to school, perpetuating intergenerational inequalities with respect to the education of girls. Restoring existing health, nutrition, and social safety programmes for girls and women in their entirety must therefore be a top priority. As of July 2020, there were around 66 Lakh SHGs formed under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission with over 70 million women members. This network of SHGs should be strengthened through credit linkages and access to digital literacy and tools to create suitable economic opportunities for women. Disclaimer: Views and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author.

From food coupons to a fund to provide laptops and tablets to the poor⁠— NITI Aayog’s public policy analyst has a wishlist too

<ul><li>The overall facilities at India’s primary schools has improved overtime but children at government schools continue to witness alarmingly low levels in learning, says a report by the Annual Status of Education Report 2018 </li><li>In 2018, one in every four children left grade eight without having basic reading skills. </li><li>The gender gap in enrollment, however, has improved in the past few years. </li><li>School kids who could do basic math has fallen to 28% in 2018 from 37% in 2008. </li></ul>“Cow is giving kerosene, kids can't read at 17” are the lyrics from the famous 80s song “Touch of Grey” by the Grateful Dead. But these words seem apt in 2019 for India with its leaders busy selling the <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/cow-urine-can-cure-cancer-bjp-member-in-rs/article7012010.ece">idea</a> of cow urine as a cancer cure while the country’s school kids cannot even do basic <keyword id="6371069" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="maths">maths</keyword>. A recent survey,<a href="http://www.asercentre.org/Keywords/p/337.html"> the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2018</a> by NGO Pratham, threw out some basic maths and reading questions at Grade V primary students and the responses were alarming. The number of class V students who were able to perform on basic maths has dropped dramatically to 28% from 37% a decade ago. Nearly 72% students in grade V had no clue about the concept of division in mathematics, and the vast majority could not even manage a simple division of a three-digit number. The situation was equally worrying for class III students as only a third knew how to subtract. The struggle is not limited to just one subject. School kids in India are facing difficulties in reading as well. In 2018, one in every four children left grade eight without having basic reading skills. In 2008 most of the students (84.8%) studying in grade VIII were able to read grade II but the number has fallen to 72.8% in 2018. This is despite extensive efforts by the government to improve facilities, and the country’s <keyword id="53504" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Right-to-Education">Right To Education</keyword> Act, which makes access to education a fundamental right. The survey studied 596 rural areas across 28 states in India and covered 350,000 households and 550,000 children Shrinking gender gap a silver lining India has long been a poster child for discrimination against women, but it appears that the situation at least at the primary school level may be improving slightly. The percentage of girls leaving school between the age of 11-14 has <a href="http://img.asercentre.org/docs/ASER%202018/Release%20Material/aser2018nationalfindingsppt.pdf">fallen </a>to nearly 4% in 2018 from 10.3% in 2006 . In fact, girls between the ages of 15 and 18 are also staying at school. Gender gap in enrollment has also reportedly narrowed down. Presently, 4.1% girls between 11-14 age group drops the school after getting enrolled against 3.3% boys of same age. In 2008, nearly 7% girls left school in comparison to 5.5% boys. Most of the state governments in India has been focusing on improving the facilities provided at government schools, especially provision of toilets, said the survey. See more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/yourmoney/career/a-whopping-40-of-indias-women-engineers-dont-have-jobs-because-of-rampant-sexism-at-workplace/articleshow/67486684.cms">A whopping 40% of India's women engineers don't have jobs because of rampant sexism at workplace</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/military-defense/women-officers-steal-the-show-at-indias-71st-army-day-here-are-all-the-moments-when-they-proudly-led-the-forces/articleshow/67538917.cms">Women officers steal the show at India's 71st Army Day. Here are all the moments when they proudly led the forces</a>

School kids can't count in a country that claims to have invented zero

<keyword id="6355445" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Education">Education</keyword> and health are two responsibilities governments across the world strive to fulfill, as these are imperative for social progress. Four points are important, when looking at look at the education system and <keyword id="497931" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Competitiveness">competitiveness</keyword> in India. 
 
· First, in India’s case the government has been unable to provide education, and this is where the private sector has lent a helping hand. However, the support provided remains broadly inadequate because of the immensity of the challenge. At the school level, private tuitions remain rampant, as teachers are not paid well. It results in India's education system being riddled with bad learning outcomes at this level. The recent ASER report points to this inadequacy. Approximately half of the children enrolled at Standard 5, cannot read at a Standard 2 level. With respect to arithmetic, close to half of children who finish eight years of schooling do not have basic skills in arithmetic. How do we expect these students to gain skills of employability when basic foundational skills are missing? 
 · Second, the ‘ends’ have become all important replacing the role ‘means’ play for attaining ‘ends’. The ‘ends’ seem to be justifying the ‘means’. A recent case in point that has shocked people not only in India but across the world is the relatives and <keyword id="343" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="80" keywordseo="Friends">friends</keyword> of students in <keyword id="30033" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bihar">Bihar</keyword> that were photographed aiding students inside a classroom for cheating. It shows that attaining an end, in this case, passing an examination is more important than education one receives. On a broader level, the value attached to a degree/diploma is more important than the education that one receives. It is problematic, as it focuses on the fruits of the action rather than the action itself. An ‘open book’ examination system can help in bettering this. 
 
· Third, quite a number of ills that ail our society can be traced back to the moral degradation that we have suffered. In spite of the transparency and moral codes, a number of corruption scandals had rocked the previous government. Under the present government while the wholesale corruption (scams, scandals, etc. by ministers and bureaucracy) is low the corruption at the retail level (paying bribes for evading challans, asking for more money than, is due) broadly remain the same. It has not got to do with the government but us as a people and a society. It calls for a moral scrutiny of us as individuals and as a collective society. 
 
· Fourth, there is a distinct link between what ails us today as a society and the future productive ability and competitiveness of our nation. We cannot become a manufacturing powerhouse or industrial powerhouse with morally corrupt people sitting at the top and running factories. With this broken education system, India will find it extremely difficult to produce managers and leaders of tomorrow. Change has to begin at a family level and to be upright in one's dealings. Children mirror what parents do. 
 
In the long run, countries that have done well have had a strong value system (of hard work, meritocracy) in addition to other requirements that have made them raise their standards of living. It will be imperative for India, in the long run to focus on means as well as ends for becoming globally competitive. Thus, education and not just degrees should form the basis of what we do. 
 
(Dr. <keyword id="209438" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Amit-Kapoor">Amit Kapoor</keyword> is <keyword id="191828" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="president-and-CEO">President and CEO</keyword> of <keyword id="2773756" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="India-Council-on-Competitiveness-and-Honorary">India Council on Competitiveness and Honorary</keyword> <keyword id="6364480" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Chairman">Chairman</keyword> of Institute for Competitiveness, India. He tweets @kautiliya and can be contacted at <a href="mailto:amit.kapoor@competitiveness.in">amit.kapoor@competitiveness.in</a>)

4 ways to make India's education system competitive worldwide

Life is divided into three terms - that which was, which is, and which will be. Let us learn from the past to profit by the present, and from the present, to live better in the future. 
 

	- William Wordsworth
 The year 2015 had some fascinating developments as far as India's political <keyword id="34412" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="economy">economy</keyword> and social sectors are concerned. The country had its share of ups and downs in different spheres. In the domain of external affairs and foreign policy, it had many ups and some downs. The ups included the country breaking new ground with the prime minister leading from the front. The year included the PM's many successful visits abroad and inviting state guests to India. These included hosting President <keyword id="15962" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Barack-Obama">Barack Obama</keyword> for the Republic Day celebrations, hosting Chancellor <keyword id="76" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Angela-Merkel">Angela Merkel</keyword> in October followed by the visits of heads of state and leaders of Africa in the third Indo-Africa Forum Summit, and hosting Prime Minister <keyword id="590894" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shinzo-Abe">Shinzo Abe</keyword> for the Ganga Aarti in Varanasi. On the negative side, there was continued dominance of domestic politics trumping talks with some leaders in the South Asian region and the continuing border issues with some of India's neighboring countries. 

	On the political economy front, several things changed. Some for the good others for the worse. The brute majority force and especially the insensitive remarks post the communal violence incidents were checked by the people voting in Bihar. Before this too a setback in Delhi sent a clear signal of focusing on development and governance, the two things for which the government was chosen. Also, the election results in Delhi and Bihar reflected that the honeymoon period for the government seemed to be over. 
 On the economic front, several positives emerged which show the signs of a recovery albeit a slow one. The relatively high <keyword id="35050" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="gdp">GDP</keyword> growth, low <keyword id="22195" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Inflation">inflation</keyword>, a surge in private consumption and increased government investment, substantial investment in highway sector, positive developments in railways and power sector performance seem to be a positive for the government. The negatives seemed to be stalled private investment due to massive debt/ leverage, rising NPA's of banks, spiraling pulse prices, and falling exports. The decision of greater decentralization and acceptance of <keyword id="25455" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="finance">Finance</keyword> Commissions recommendations is a welcome institutional step for strengthening the federal structure of the country. 

	On the legislative reforms agenda, people had expected much more legislative action but various sessions were rendered unproductive due to stalling of key reforms by the opposition. In spite of this, the government seemed to have been able to maneuver in particular areas where reforms could have been done without legislative action, most notably in the roads, railways and power sectors. 
 

	In the sphere of education, healthcare and law and order some activity was observed but much more remains to be done. The ASER report pointed to the alarming statistics of children's learning outcomes at the primary level. Similarly, the healthcare debates continued to be around spending and increasing access to healthcare especially in rural areas. In law and order much has remained the same, as there is a pendency of 30 million cases. The landmark judgement on NJAC showcased that the Judiciary will retain the right to appoint judges. 
 An important question now to ask is where does India go from here. In the next year, i.e., 2016 on the external front, foreign policy calibration is likely to continue expected lines. No significant breakthroughs in the neighborhood but increased engagement in the international arena and use of geopolitics and geo-economics to drive <keyword id="6362476" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="investments">investments</keyword> into India. 

	On the political economy, front state elections are expected in the southern and eastern belt. Assam, West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the UT of Pondicherry will most likely see elections in 2016. Will this tip the balance in favor of the incumbent government or away from it only time can tell.
 

	On the economic front, things are looking good for India as commodity prices are expected to stay low amid global glut caused due to falling Chinese demand. India's exports will be an area to look out for on the negative side. Another area to watch out for is the monetary tightening speed of the Federal Reserve. This could have consequences of a weaker rupee against the dollar and chances of capital flight. But overall the country seems well poised for growth amidst stumbling BRICS. 
 

	Some positive news is expected in the legislative arena. Members of opposition in Rajya Sabha may just tip the balance closer where the opposition may just become irrelevant as quite some incumbents are will retire. This may just help see some legislative action in the year ahead. The pace of legislative reforms could help India's internal economy as well will have a crucial bearing on India's trade relationships.
 

	In the social spheres namely education, healthcare and law and order much is thought to be expected lines. The crucial problems will persist; the government and the institutions of the state must focus on improving outcomes in all these spheres. 
 

	Overall what will 2016 hold for India only time can tell? It is in a better position than other BRICS economies to be an engine of global growth
 

	(The article is co-authored with Sankalp Sharma, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Competitiveness, India. Amit Kapoor is Chair, Institute for Competitiveness &amp; Editor of Thinkers. The views expressed are personal. Amit can be reached at amit.kapoor@competitiveness.in and tweets @kautiliya)

	 
	 
	Image credits: indiatimes

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