Synergy among branches of education is a must to face challenges, says scientist

Scientist S. Ayyappan emphasizes synergy in education to tackle future challenges at Karnatak University convocation in Dharwad.

Scientist and National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) chairman S. Ayyappan, who delivered the convocation lecture at the Karnatak University convocation in Dharwad on Tuesday, said that synergy among different branches of education is necessary to face future challenges.

“Synergy among different branches of education and students with varied backgrounds, both family and university, is the way forward to mitigating the future challenges,” he added.

He called for a multidisciplinary approach to tackle abiotic, biotic stresses. “The future challenges pertain to climate change, environmental pollution, natural resources degradation, hunger and malnutrition and emerging diseases. Floods and droughts, unseasonal rain, landslips and high temperatures are becoming normal features, leaving no one unaffected. There are challenges, both natural and man-made, global and local, that are to be taken as opportunities to demonstrate our skills as well as sense, for our own good and the good of society,” he said.

Prof. Ayyappan, who is a former Director-General of ICAR, said that India with 143 crore people has 18% of the global population on only 2.4% of land and 4.2% of water.

“However, it has the advantage of over 10% of biodiversity and a rich demographic dividend, with one-third of the population being youth. We need to harness this, with quality training and education,” he said.

“The higher education landscape has transformed and enrolment in higher education is around 4.33 crore. Female enrolment is to the tune of 2.07 crore and the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education for the 18-23 age group is around 28.4,” he said.

He urged youth to become job-givers and not job-seekers. The need, at this juncture, is good education and knowledge, skillsets, innovation and an attitude of service,” he said.