Education Leaders | Top Interviews

Students these days are under so much pressure from the educational and social environment to follow the "popular" career paths, get perfect marks, and keep up with everyone in the social comparison game that making the right career choice has become more confusing than ever. To offer students some guidance in this convoluted situation, EdInbox Communications Vertical Head PR and communications Pooja Khanna has released another edition of its Voices That Educate series special interview with Ms Pooja Khanna, Founder of Find Your True North, Assistant Professor at the School of Liberal Studies & Humanities, UPES, and North India Representative of the Asia Pacific Career Development Association (APCDA).

This is a great opportunity for all students and parents who wish to get their career related queries solved by a true professional. Pooja Khanna has immense practical and theoretical knowledge in the domain of career development as well as personal growth. For instance, Ms Khanna explains that only marks are not a gauge of your abilities and you can figure out who you are by taking a deep dive in yourself and finding the areas that feel natural or good to you. Similarly, the parents also need awareness about the career decisions of their children so that they do not try to control the child's desires through inappropriate ways).

Q.1 What is the most common mistake students make while choosing a career, and why does it happen so often?

The most common mistake students make is confusing visibility with suitability. They choose careers that are popular, highly discussed, high-paying  or socially rewarded, rather than ones aligned with who they are.

This happens because students grow up in an ecosystem driven by comparison, marks, rankings, social media success stories, and parental anxiety. According to OECD and World Economic Forum insights, young people today are making career decisions in a far more volatile and uncertain world, but with decision-making tools that haven’t evolved at the same pace.

When choices are made out of fear—fear of falling behind, fear of disappointing parents, fear of being “average”- clarity gets replaced by pressure.

Q.2How can students identify their real interests and strengths amid parental expectations and social pressure?

Self-awareness is not discovered overnight—it is built through exposure and reflection.

At Find Your True North, we encourage students to:

Explore before committing: internships, short-term projects, volunteering, shadowing professionals, and informational interviews.

Allow boredom: Some of the best self-insights come when students are not constantly stimulated by social media. Boredom creates space for curiosity.

Observe energy, not just performance: Ask- What activities make me feel engaged, even when they are hard?

Research-backed career development models globally emphasise career exploration as a process, not a one-time decision. Interests become clearer through experiences, not assumptions.

Q.3How important are academic marks in shaping a student’s long-term career, according to your experience?

Marks matter—but they matter less over time.

Academic performance may open the first door, but skills, adaptability, learning agility, and values determine how far a student goes. The research consistently highlights skills like critical thinking, collaboration, and resilience as future-proof capabilities.

I often tell students: Marks are a snapshot, not your full story. Long-term success depends on how well you can learn, unlearn, and reinvent yourself.

Q.4 At what age or stage should students begin thinking seriously about their career, and what should their focus be then?

Career thinking should begin early, but career fixing should not.

Ages 12–14: Focus on self-awareness—interests, values, personality, and curiosity.

Ages 15–17: Exposure—subjects, industries, role models, real-world work.

Post-school: Skill-building, experimentation, and reflection.

Global career frameworks, including those supported by National Career Services and APCDA, emphasise career readiness over career certainty. The goal is not to decide “what I will be forever,” but to understand what I want to explore next. Career is a journey; be ready for detours.

Q.5 Students today fear making the “wrong” choice. How can they approach career decisions with clarity and confidence rather than anxiety?

Students must shift from a fixed mindset to a navigation mindset. There is no single “right” choice—only well-informed next steps.Practical strategies include:

Breaking big decisions into small experiments

Using “Yes, and…” instead of “If… but…”

 (For example: Yes, I want security, and I also want meaningful work.)

Focusing on skills and experiences that transfer across roles. Career confidence grows when students realise that careers are built, not chosen, once.

Q.6What role should parents play in guiding career decisions, and where should they allow students to lead?

Parents should move from being decision-makers to decision-enablers.

Their role is to:

-Provide exposure, perspective, and emotional safety

-Share experiences without imposing outcomes

-Encourage effort, not just results

Students should lead when it comes to interests, learning preferences, and aspirations. Clear, respectful communication between parents and children, grounded in facts rather than fear, creates the healthiest outcomes.

Q.7 In today’s changing landscape, how should students balance degrees, skills, and practical exposure?

Think of careers as a three-legged stool:

• Degrees provide foundational knowledge and credibility
• Skills provide employability and adaptability
• Practical exposure provides clarity and confidence

Global platforms like OECD, APCDA and WEF emphasise that employability is no longer degree-driven alone. Careers are no longer about climbing one ladder; they’re about building a lattice of skills that grows with you. Students who combine learning with real-world exposure, internships, projects, freelancing, and research are better prepared for uncertainty.

Q.8 What is one piece of advice you would give to students who feel confused, average, or unsure about their future? 

You are not behind, you are becoming. Confusion is not a weakness; it is often the beginning of self-discovery. Build experiences, choose your peer group wisely, follow people who educate rather than impress, and remember:

Happiness is not something you arrive at after success; it is something you create through meaningful experiences.

Your career does not need to look like anyone else’s. It needs to make sense to you.

India’s medical regulator, the National Medical Commission (NMC), has recently tightened rules for Indian students pursuing medical education abroad. While these changes have triggered anxiety among aspirants and parents, the regulator insists the intent is not to restrict mobility but to ensure that every doctor practising in India meets uniform standards of training, ethics, and clinical competence.

In an interview with EdinBox, NMC Secretary Dr Raghav Langer, a senior IAS officer, explained the rationale behind the reforms, the lessons from COVID and the Ukraine crisis, and what students must now prepare for.

Q: Why did the NMC feel the need to tighten regulations for foreign medical graduates?

Dr Raghav Langer:
Medical education across countries varies enormously in curriculum design, clinical exposure, duration of training, language of instruction, and internship requirements. In some places, students receive very limited hands-on clinical exposure. In others, courses are shorter than India’s mandated duration. These inconsistencies raised concerns about whether returning graduates were adequately prepared to work in India’s complex and high-burden public health system.

The NMC’s norms are meant to ensure that any doctor entering practice in India, regardless of where they studied, meets minimum standards of training, competence, and ethical practice. This is about standardisation, not exclusion.

Q: Students say the new rules are harsh. How does the NMC respond?

Dr Langer:
We understand that any regulatory change creates uncertainty. But these rules are not sudden. Many of these requirements existed earlier too. What we’ve done is make them clearer, more structured, and more enforceable.

Our message to students is simple: you have global mobility, but Indian accountability.

Q: Was the Ukraine crisis a turning point for the NMC?

Dr Langer:
Absolutely. The COVID-19 pandemic and later the Russia–Ukraine war tested our regulatory system. Thousands of Indian students were forced to abandon their education mid-way due to safety concerns or university shutdowns. Many returned with incomplete degrees and no clarity about their future.

Following Supreme Court directions and student petitions, the NMC introduced a one-time “academic mobility” framework for those affected by the Ukraine conflict. This allowed them to complete their remaining training at recognised foreign institutions instead of restarting their education from scratch.

But these were exceptional relaxations. They are not precedents.

Q: Who must clear the FMGE or NExT to practise in India?

Dr Langer:
Any Indian citizen or Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) who obtains a medical degree from a foreign institution must qualify the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE), which is currently the licensing test. Eventually, this will be replaced by the National Exit Test (NExT).

Foreign nationals are not eligible for FMGE.

Additionally, students who joined foreign medical colleges after 2018 must have qualified NEET-UG. Without NEET eligibility, their degree will not be recognised, no matter how well they perform abroad.

Q: What do the current FMGL rules mandate?

Dr Langer:
The Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) Regulations, 2021, apply to students admitted after November 18, 2021. They require:

• A minimum of 54 months of academic and clinical training
• A 12-month compulsory internship at the same foreign institution
• Training entirely in English
• Mandatory coverage of core subjects like Medicine, Surgery, Paediatrics, Psychiatry, Orthopaedics, Anaesthesiology, and Community Medicine
• Degree certificates attested by the Indian Embassy
  
  

After this, graduates must clear India’s licensing pathway. To address concerns about limited exposure abroad, they must also complete an additional one-year internship in India.

Q: Why is this additional internship in India necessary?

Dr Langer:
India has a very specific disease profile, patient load, and public health challenges. This internship familiarises graduates with Indian treatment protocols, healthcare systems, and ground realities.

Patient safety cannot be compromised.

Q: How many Indian students study medicine abroad, and where do they go?

Dr Langer:
Every year, an estimated 15,000–20,000 Indian students go abroad to study medicine. Popular destinations include Russia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, the Philippines, and parts of Eastern Europe. These countries attract students due to lower fees, English-medium instruction, and simpler admission processes.

China was once a major destination, but regulatory and language concerns have reduced its appeal.

Q: Students say implementation remains confusing. What is being done?

Dr Langer:
We acknowledge that communication gaps exist. That’s something we are working on. Clearer guidelines, better coordination with state medical councils, and transparent digital systems will go a long way in reducing confusion.

Q: What does the NMC want students to know going forward?

Every rule is made to ensure a smoother transition. Some may seem stringent, but they apply to all. Foreign students must clear NEET-UG, complete 54 months of training, followed by a 12-month internship, and be registered in their home country. In the NExT screening test, they will also be asked why they wish to practise in India.

COVID-related concessions granted in 2023 were temporary. Online classes meant minimal physical exposure. Students were issued certificates to compensate. But if they lack proper documentation, they must undergo an additional year of training. Ukraine students were given special concessions, but these were exceptional.

A conversation with Prof. Sandeep K. Shukla, Director, IIIT Hyderabad with Raish Ahmed Laali

As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly reshapes classrooms, assessment methods, and career pathways, engineering institutions across India are being compelled to urgently rethink how they teach and evaluate students. In this conversation, Prof. Sandeep K. Shukla, Director of the International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (IIIT-H), explains how AI is dismantling long-held assumptions in engineering education, putting pressure on traditional evaluation models, and why institutions must reinvent themselves through research-driven learning, projects like the Vyuh Labs in cybersecurity, and deeper industry collaborations to remain relevant in an uncertain technological future.

How is AI reshaping engineering education and assessment today?

Prof. Sandeep K. Shukla:

AI, especially generative and agentic tools, has completely transformed how students learn and produce outputs. Writing code, drafting essays, or generating structured answers has become much easier with AI assistance. This creates a major challenge for teachers: how to ensure that a student hasn’t just produced an answer, but has actually understood the concept and can apply it in real-world contexts.

This is why traditional assessment models are under immense pressure—not just in India, but globally. Institutions are now being forced to rethink not only curriculum design but also the very methods of evaluation.

What changes should Indian engineering colleges make in their curriculum and assessments?

Prof. Shukla:

Some institutions are experimenting with allowing the use of AI in exams and assignments, while also asking students to submit their prompts. The focus of questions is shifting toward conceptual clarity and creative application.

There is no single solution yet, but the direction is clear: moving away from rote learning toward experiential, hands-on, and concept-driven education. In the coming years, AI will become a powerful tool for personalised learning and adaptive assessment. As AI evolves, curricula will need continuous updating.

How is IIIT-H contributing to national cybersecurity through Vyuh Labs?

Prof. Shukla:

Cybercrime has become a major concern in India, and the problem is worsening each year—especially fraud driven by social engineering. Vyuh Labs aims to research different dimensions of cybercrime so we can better understand criminals’ strategies and methods.

These crimes are complex because perpetrators hide their tracks in vast oceans of data, while victims struggle to explain the nature of the highly targeted and sophisticated attacks they face.

The Cybercrime Navigator is a tool that helps law enforcement agencies map crimes based on victim inputs. Through data analytics, police can better understand trends and hotspots.

The lab is also working on technologies to transcribe cybercrime helpline calls in multiple languages and convert digital evidence into text for easier analysis. Additionally, it is developing indigenous forensic tools and training law enforcement agencies to tackle cybercriminals more effectively.

How does IIIT-H balance research, teaching, and student outcomes?

Prof. Shukla:

IIIT-H is structured around research labs rather than traditional departments. Faculty integrate their active research directly into teaching, and students begin engaging with research or translational centres from their second year itself.

This early exposure enables strong research output, innovation, intellectual property creation, and global academic competitiveness.

What skills will students need in a rapidly changing technological world?

Prof. Shukla:

Technical skills have a limited shelf life. The most important skill is the ability to continuously learn, adapt, and reinvent oneself. Flexibility, communication, teamwork, and the ability to work through change without panic will define success in the future.

How important are industry partnerships in engineering education today?

Prof. Shukla:

Industry engagement is critical. It keeps curricula relevant, ensures research focuses on real-world problems, and gives innovation practical impact. Strong industry partnerships don’t just prepare students for today’s jobs—they equip them for the challenges of tomorrow.

In an era where breaking news is measured in seconds, TRPs dictate newsroom priorities, and artificial intelligence is reshaping content creation, journalism stands at a critical crossroads. Speed has never been faster, but trust has never been more fragile. EdInbox Communication’s Pooja Khanna engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Dr Tabish Hussain, Editor at Zee Salaam TV, to unpack the evolving challenges facing Indian media. Drawing from over two decades of experience, Dr Hussain reflects on how mindset, not just technology, has transformed journalism, why credibility remains the industry’s most valuable currency, and how ethical reporting must anchor newsrooms amid digital disruption. This conversation is especially relevant for students and young media professionals, reminding them that while credibility takes years to build, it can be lost in minutes and that the future of journalism depends not on platforms or algorithms, but on principles, courage and conscience.

Q.1- Dr.Tabish having witnessed Indian journalism evolve over two decades, what do you think has changed the most technology or mindset?

Technology has changed rapidly but the real shift has been in mindset. Earlier, journalism was about patience verifying facts, building sources and understanding context. Today speed often dictates decisions. The challenge is to ensure the technology empowers journalism not to weaken its ethics. 

Q.2 - We often hear about the breaking news culture. Do you feel speed has compromised credibility

Ans- Speed is not the enemy, lack of responsibility is. Breaking news should not mean breaking trust. Media houses must remember that credibility ,once lost is almost impossible to regain.

Q.3- As an editor, how do you balance TRP pressure with editorial integrity?

Ans- An editor’s real test begins under pressure. TRP’s matter ,but they should never dictate truth. Editorial independence is non negotiable. If media becomes purely market driven it stops being journalism and becomes entertainment.

Q.4- Digital and Social Media have democratized voices. Is that a strength or a threat?

Ans- Both. It is empowering because more voices are heard, but dangerous because misinformation spreads easily. This is where professional journalism must act as a filter not a megaphone.

Q.5- How do you see the role of AI and technology in Indian newsrooms?

Ans- AI can assist in data analysis ,archiving and research but editorial judgement must remain human. Journalism is about empathy ethics and lived realities things machines cannot replicate.

Q.6-From Edinbox’s Student audience perspective what skills should aspiring journalists focus on today?

Ans- Storytelling. verification adaptability and emotional intelligence. A degree alone is not enough. Students must learn how to think about questions and unlearn when needed. 

Q.7- Language media is growing rapidly. How important ate platforms like Zee Salaam in today’s media eco system.

Ans- Extremely important. Language media connects directly with people’s realities. It humanizes news and brings authenticity that often gets lost in elite narratives.

Q.8 Do you feel Indian youth is consuming news emotionally or consciously?

Ans- Mostly emotionally and this is understandable. But media literacy must be encouraged. Youth should be taught how to question narratives, news does not mean that you have to consume the way it has been shown.

Q.9- What ethical boundaries should India media never cross?

Ans- Never compromise facts, never exploit fear and never dehumanize subjects for rating. Journalism is called the fourth pillar of society. Journalism is meant to serve society not to divide it.

Q.10- Finally, what message would you like to give to young storytellers reading Edinbox.

Ans- Journalism is not a short cut to fame. Nowadays social media is flaunting and getting fame overnight. But that is not the real face of the media. It is a long journey of responsibility. If your intent is honest your voice will eventually be heard.

The future of media depends not on platforms, but on principals. Conversations like these remind us that journalism is still rooted in values courage and conscience.

As AI continues to rapidly change classrooms, assessment methods, and career paths, engineering indents across India need to urgently re-invent their teaching and student evaluation methods. In a 1, 1 meeting, Prof. Sandeep K. Shukla, Director of the International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIIT, H), shares his understanding about how AI is breaking the norms of engineering education, why the traditional assessment model is getting strained, and how institutes have to evolve through research, led learning, cybersecurity projects like Vyuha Labs, and deeper industry collaboration to be able to survive in an unstable technological future.

1. How is artificial intelligence reshaping engineering education and assessment today?

Prof. Sandeep K. Shukla: AI, most notably generative and agentic tools, has altered the process of learning and output of work by students drastically. Code, essays, or structured answers can now be written with the help of AI in a very easy way. Educators' real challenge is to find out if students have not only comprehended the concepts but also that they are able to apply them in real, world situations. Hence, worldwide, traditional assessment models have been put under great pressure, including in India, and therefore, institutions are rethinking not only the design of the curriculum but also the evaluation methods.

2.How should Indian engineering colleges adapt their curriculum and assessment in the AI era?

Prof. Shukla: There are a few institutions that are trying out a method where AI is used in exams and assignments along with students submitting prompts and focusing on questions that require conceptual clarity and creative application. We do not have a single solution yet, but the way is clearly indicated, going beyond rote learning to experiential, hands, on and concept, driven education. In the future, AI will be a great tool for personalised learning and adaptive assessments. Curricula will have to be updated continuously as AI progresses.

3.With the launch of Vyuha Labs, how is IIIT, H contributing to national cybersecurity efforts?

Prof. Shukla: Cybercrime has been one of the main causes of anxiety in India and the situation is getting worse every year. Fraud based on social engineering is particularly problematic. Vyuha Labs is committed to investigating various areas of cybercrime to better understand the criminals' tactics and techniques. These crimes are hard for law enforcement to solve since perpetrators successfully hide their traces in an ocean of data, while victims have a hard time explaining targeted and complicated attacks they experienced recently. The Cybercrime Navigator is a tool that helps law enforcement create a map of a crime based on victims' stories. Data analytics also gives the police a better overview of crime trends and hotspots. In addition to that, the lab is working on technology to transcribe calls to the cybercrime helpline in different languages, and it also converts digital evidence into texts for easy analysis. Furthermore, the lab is engaged in law enforcement training and development of native forensic tools to keep pace with criminals and countermeasures in the cybersecurity domain.

4.How does IIIT-H balance cutting-edge research with teaching and student outcomes?

Prof. Shukla: IIIT-H is organised around research labs rather than traditional departments. Faculty integrate active research directly into teaching, and students are associated with research or translational centres from their second year. This early exposure leads to strong research output, innovation, IP creation and global academic competitiveness.

1. What skills must students develop to succeed in a rapidly changing technology landscape? Prof. Shukla: Technical skills are only relevant for a certain period of time. The most important skill is the ability to keep learning, adapting and changing oneself. Resilience, communication, teamwork and the ability to deal with change without getting nervous are the most important skills for a future of success.
2. How important are industry partnerships in engineering education today?

Prof. Shukla: Industry engagement is critical. It helps shape relevant curricula, ensures research addresses real-world problems, and enables innovation with practical impact. Strong industry links help institutions prepare students for today’s jobs while equipping them for tomorrow’s challenges.

Globally, allied dental professionals—dental hygienists, assistants, and laboratory technicians form the backbone of modern dental practice. In India, however, their presence remains largely theoretical. In an interview with Edinbox, Dr Monalisa Ghosh, an Oral Medicine and Radiology specialist with expertise in CBCT and advanced dental diagnostics, speaks about allied healthcare in dentistry

1. How critical is the role of allied health care professionals such as dental hygienists, lab technicians and dental assistants in improving patient outcomes in modern dental practice?

If you google this topic, there will be search results showing a myriad of possibilities like educating patients, applying fluorides, taking X-rays etc. such is not the case in India. these

classifications work in foreign settings mostly, here everything is done by the dentists themselves.

Yes, we do have an “assistant” per se, but that person isn’t a qualified dental hygienist. Anyone

with some education can be taught to do the job.

Dental technicians on the other hand play a major role in dentistry. All work related to prosthesis

such as dentures, crowns, habit breaking appliances (anything related to laboratory-based activity) is done by them. They are professionals and patient satisfaction largely depends on the quality of work done by the technicians.

I hope as times are changing, the awareness regarding dental health is on the increase and this

will result in more scope for the allied health professionals in dentistry. With an increase in the patient base, dentists will be able to afford qualified dental assistants / hygienists resulting in an overall better experience for the patient and less workload for the doctor. A win-win situation.

2. With India facing a shortage of trained healthcare workers, how do you see allied healthcare professionals bridging the gap between demand and quality oral healthcare delivery?

Again, as a dentist working for the past 5 years in personal clinics, dental chains and colleges,

I have not seen a professional dental hygienist in action. There are nursing staff in hospital set ups or random people employed as assistants who do majority of the work like sterilizing the

instruments, arranging them as per need, taking an xray, holding the suction, retracting the cheek while the doctor operates on the patient. Honestly, just unpaid labour! So, I don’t see any direct contribution of the allied healthcare professionals in the treatment of a dental patient. Again, on paper these titles sound good, promising but it's purely co-incidental in reality in our country as of now.

3. Do you feel allied healthcare courses receive adequate recognition and regulation compared to mainstream medical and dental degrees? What reforms are urgently needed?

No, most of us in the dental community aren’t aware that there are courses for the said

profession. I remember a twin sister of one of my batchmates doing a course as a dental

technician and we felt sorry for the poor girl thinking what a waste of time that is and how unfair it's going to be for her. The next time I came across this term was during my community posting where we were required to learn the definitions and difference between a dental hygienist and a dental assistant. So, one can only infer what recognition there is for our allied health professionals with regards to dental practice. Even the technicians who work for us locally aren't qualified, most of them have learnt the craft through the years and now have their own labs.

The entire dental community doesn’t get its due recognition. There is no strict regulation regarding licensing or prices. Quack practices are in abundance. No govt jobs available. For context, the rural hospital my husband works in has twenty MOs (medical officers) posted while there’s just 1 dentist. When there is negligence at the highest level, what can we expect of the common people?

Some 800 dental surgeons pass out from our state every year. What are they going to do after?

Most of them set up their private clinics, those with lesser resources join other clinics at a nominal wage. In such cases, how do we expect hiring of dental hygienists or assistants? Those jobs are done by a fresh pass out.

About the Expert

Dr Monalisa Ghosh is an oral medicine and radiology specialist with over eight years of academic and clinical experience in dentistry. She holds a Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) in Oral Medicine and Radiology from Vinoba Bhave University and a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) from the West Bengal University of Health Sciences.

Currently, Dr Ghosh runs Doctors Dental Clinic in Bandel, West Bengal, and also practices at New Life Line Dental Clinic in Dumdum. She is actively involved in CBCT and digital X-ray reporting for Dant Aarogyashala in Bihar, bringing advanced diagnostic precision to patient care. Previously, she served as a Senior Lecturer at Hazaribagh College of Dental Sciences and Hospital, where she combined clinical practice with academic mentoring.

A recipient of the Best Scientific Paper Award at the National Convention 2018 in Vijayawada, Dr Ghosh has chaired scientific sessions at national conferences and has multiple publications to her credit, including research articles and academic books in oral medicine, endodontics and diagnostic imaging. Her professional interests include CBCT-based diagnosis, oral lesion management and forensic dental studies.