National Workshop on ‘Higher Education: Knowledge Economy’ Held Ahead of Chief Secretaries’ Conference

In preparation for the 5th National Conference of Chief Secretaries, the Department of Higher Education, in collaboration with the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), organized a National Workshop for States and Union Territories on the sub-theme “Higher Education: Knowledge Economy” at the Pragyan Auditorium, AICTE Headquarters, New Delhi.

The workshop is part of a series of deliberations under the overarching theme “Human Capital for Viksit Bharat”, guiding discussions for the upcoming conference scheduled later this year. The event brought together senior education officials, academic leaders, and policy experts to chart out strategies for leveraging higher education in shaping India’s knowledge-driven future.

Key Highlights and Messages

Dr. Vineet Joshi, Secretary, Higher Education, emphasized that States and UTs are key partners in India’s development, urging them to tailor policies to regional needs and maximize the use of central schemes. “If States improve, Bharat improves,” he remarked, encouraging inclusive consultations that go beyond state capitals. He also called for the Concept Note circulated earlier to be treated as a foundation for transformative policy formulation.

Dr. Mangi Lal Jat, Secretary, DARE, underlined the urgency of reimagining agricultural education, advocating for the integration of emerging technologies like AI, ML, and behavioral sciences into curricula. He stressed the need for strong inter-institutional collaboration between Agricultural Universities, IITs, and other higher education institutions (HEIs).

Prof. M. Jagadesh Kumar, Former UGC Chairman, reflected on the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, calling for the breakdown of academic silos and the promotion of interdisciplinary learning, supported by frameworks like NCrF and NHEQF.

Prof. T.G. Sitharam, AICTE Chairman, called for transforming India into a product-developing nation by embedding AI, robotics, and other future-focused technologies into technical education. He showcased key initiatives such as the Smart India Hackathon, AICTE Internship Portal, and the E-Kumbh Portal with free multilingual textbooks.

Key Thematic Sessions

• Internationalisation & Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS): Maharashtra’s EduCity project and efforts to integrate IKS into academic curricula were highlighted.
• Reversing Brain Drain: Suggestions like Brain Gain Sabbaticals were proposed to attract global talent back to India.
• Upgrading State Public Universities (SPUs): Experts called for equitable funding and bridging faculty and infrastructure gaps to meet global standards.
• Tech-Ready Workforce: Karnataka’s Nipuna Karnataka initiative was presented as a model for scalable, tech-driven skill development.

Next Steps

States and UTs have been directed to collect feedback from grassroots-level officers and submit their input notes on a designated portal by August 20, 2025, and state-specific notes by August 31, 2025. These contributions will inform the Background Note for the Chief Secretaries’ Conference and shape future higher education reforms aligned with India’s vision for a knowledge economy.

The workshop marked a significant step toward integrating higher education into India’s growth strategy, reinforcing its critical role in building a skilled, innovative, and future-ready human capital base.