“India Must Move From Degree-Ready to Life-Ready Education”: Dr Sanku Bose, Vice-Chancellor, Sister Nivedita University

As India races toward becoming a global knowledge leader, its higher education system stands at a critical crossroads. Few voices articulate this transition as clearly as Dr Sanku Bose, Vice-Chancellor of Sister Nivedita University (SNU) and Group CEO of Techno India, one of the country’s largest education ecosystems. Known for his philosophy of Life-Ready Education and his focus on human-centric learning for Industry 5.0, Dr Bose has emerged as a leading thinker in reimagining how India must educate its next generation.

In this wide-ranging conversation with Edinbox Scribe Nibedita Speaks, Dr Bose explains why India must urgently shift its mindset, how SNU is being redesigned as a “Life-Ready Talent Factory,” and what legacy he hopes to build for India’s youth by 2035.

1. The single biggest mindset shift Indian higher education must adopt to match global standards

Dr Sanku Bose:
“The most important shift India needs is moving from degree-ready education to life-ready education. Around the world, universities are no longer judged by syllabus completion, exam cycles or rigid classroom delivery. They are evaluated by the life outcomes they create — confidence, creativity, employability, global exposure, and values.

In India, we must stop asking: ‘What have you studied?’
Instead, we must ask: ‘Are you life-ready?’

For this, I believe the C3P Framework must become the backbone of Indian higher education:

• Curiosity – courage to question and explore
  
  
• Creativity – ability to imagine possibilities and build solutions
  
  
• Compassion – ethics, empathy, and human sensitivity
  
  
• Purpose – clarity on why one wants to learn and contribute
  

If we embed these four competencies with the same seriousness we attach to degrees, India can not only match but surpass global benchmarks.”

2. Ensuring education remains purpose-driven and not just another business vertical

Dr Bose:
“In my dual role at SNU and Techno India, my foremost duty is to protect the sanctity of education. Degrees create qualifications. But purpose-driven education creates impact.

We evaluate every program and initiative through the C3P lens:

• Are we nurturing curiosity?
  
  
• Are we igniting creativity?
  
  
• Are we building compassion and ethics?
  
  
• Are we empowering purpose?
  

This keeps education rooted in service and social responsibility, not commercialization. When institutions lead with purpose, excellence naturally follows.”

3. Transforming SNU into a talent-generation hub for Industry 5.0

Dr Bose:
“Industry 5.0 is not about replacing humans with technology but amplifying human intelligence through technology. SNU is being reimagined around Life-Ready Skills + C3P Competencies.”

Key initiatives include:

• 1. Life-Ready Curriculum
  Programs integrate problem-solving, emotional intelligence, values and future skills.
• 2. School of Lifelong Learning (launching January 2026)
  Micro-credentials in AI tools, communication, digital skills, leadership, career readiness — before, during, and after the degree.
• 3. C3P Talent Development Framework
  Curiosity-driven exploration, creativity studios, compassion-driven community work, and purpose-driven career mapping.
• 4. Co-op & Industry Immersion
  Students spend 6–12 months in industry, earning credits and real-life competencies.
• 5. Deep Tech & High-Value Labs
  AR/VR Lab, VLSI Lab, iOS Lab, Salesforce Lab, Green DevOps and more — all designed for skill-building, not degree-building.

“SNU is no longer a degree factory. It is evolving into a Life-Ready, Future-Ready Talent Factory fully aligned with Industry 5.0.”

4. Aligning a large ecosystem like Techno India Group

Dr Bose:
“The challenge is not scale — it is synchronizing purpose. We apply a group-wide Life-Ready Learning Philosophy reinforced through the C3P Framework.”

The alignment strategy includes:

• Unified Vision: Curiosity, Creativity, Compassion, Purpose across all units
  
  
• Decentralized Innovation: Autonomy with shared principles
  
  
• Data-Driven Leadership: Dashboards, audits, KPIs, academic governance
  
  
• Cultural Alignment: Faculty development, leadership mentoring, values training
  
  

“No matter where a student enters the Techno India system, they experience the same ethos — Life-Ready + C3P education.”

5. Legacy for 2035: What today’s Indian students must urgently change

Dr Bose:
“My vision is to nurture a generation of Life-Ready Indians — confident, compassionate, globally competent. A generation that embodies C3P.”

But two mindset shifts are urgent:

• 1. From ‘Marks-Ready’ to ‘Life-Ready’
  Marks help you start a career. Life skills help you sustain it.
• 2. From ‘Job-Seeking’ to ‘Problem-Solving’
  Job-seekers compete. Problem-solvers lead.

“If India’s youth embrace Life-Ready learning and C3P values, then by 2035, India will not merely participate in the global knowledge economy —
India will shape it.”