A MEETING OF GREAT MINDS

The country's best educators came together to deliberate issues such as the NEP rollout and ChatGPT at the India Today Education Conclave 2023

- Aditya Mohan Wig

The India Today Group Education Conclave 2023, presented by the Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, was a robust affair attended by some of the leading lights in Indian academia. Up for discussion on the day were critical issues facing the education sector today, from the rollout of the 2020 National Education Policy (NEP), the tectonic disruption caused by AI-based (artificial intelligence-based) software like ChatGPT, and the immense stress faced by students at colleges and universities across the country.

The keynote event at the conclave was the session with the Union minister for education, Dharmendra Pradhan, which spanned a variety of issues. In a conversation with India Today Group Editorial Director (Publishing) Raj Chengappa, Pradhan noted that the NEP's rollout has so far been smooth. "The journey has been very satisfactory. With everybody's cooperation and criticism, we are on the right track and we will achieve our target in the near future," he said. Pradhan, however, also pointed out how socioeconomic factors continue to affect children from disadvantaged backgrounds. "This is a major concern.... In India, the working age group begins at 15," he said, adding that the Centre is taking steps to make higher education accessible for all. He also expressed concerns about the rapid advancements in technology: "Just a year ago, no one knew what ChatGPT was. Science and technology are progressing so fast that I worry how we will keep our students up to date."