Education Leaders | Top Interviews

To understand why allied healthcare is emerging as one of India’s most future-ready career pathways, Edinbox team spoke with Dr. Prithvi Amonkar, who explains how rising disease burdens, an ageing population, and global healthcare demand have placed Allied Healthcare Programs (AHPs) at the centre of India’s healthcare transformation.

Healthcare in India is continuously on the rise, with constant innovations and upgradation, with an attempt to provide effective ,affordable and quality treatment and for this to be a success the role of AHP : allied health professionals is crucial. "The AHP varies from radiographers, blood lab technicians,nurses, physiotherapists, dieticians, speech therapists and many more vast branches that contribute directly or indirectly to the success of medical science. Not everyone can be doctors , and society does require as much of AHP for smooth and effective functioning who ultimately serve as the backbone," said Dr. Amonkar

There is a growing demand for AHP now with major strides in the medical field, and growing number of doctors. The population of india is also on the rise and also the ratio of the elderly that would require more intense healthcare. Also new illnesses, chronic disease , epidemics have brought an increased demand for AHP. Not everywhere are doctors required to deal with the patients, most of them can be taken care of by the health professionals. AHP play an important role in diagnosis by conducting medical lab and diagnostic tests and radiodiagnosis. They are instrumental in patient care assistance, medication management and later palliative care. Also faculties like physiotherapists, speech therapists help in providing support to patients with injuries or disabilities either congenital or due to accident . 

Dr. Amonkar who was  recognised as one of the 30 brands of Goa 2022 said, "In cases where AHP are involved the recovery of the patient is swift with a better quality of life. AHP helps in the progress and in the prevention of future complications that may arise . And in the interiors of our country they help in providing support.Allied healthcare offers various careers which are at par with Mbbs in which there are never ending opportunities."

"A healthcare professional can opt for a job in a multispeciality hospital, make his own startup , collaborate with doctors and other health professionals, online consultations, develop franchisees, the list is endless. Most of the jobs are more paying and less responsibilities ,compared to the stress undergone by doctors.  Opportunities are not limited to your state , or country but there is a global demand for health care professionals with proper certifications , experience," he added.

As India’s preschool industry balloons into a high-return franchise market, legal experts are raising alarm over the blurring lines between education, commerce, and trust law. Practicing advocate at District Judges' Court, Adv. Abhisek Chowdhury speaks to Edinbox about how early education has quietly turned into one of India’s most profitable business models,and why the legal grey zone is widening.

Also Read: Pre-Schooling in India at the Crossroads: Business, Regulation and the Homeschooling Question

Q: Preschools today are being marketed like franchise businesses. What has changed?

Chowdhury: The shift began when large chains realised that preschooling sits outside the Right to Education Act. Unlike K–12 schools, preschools are not legally required to operate as non-profit institutions. This opened the door for aggressive franchising. Today, the pitch is simple—invest ₹8–10 lakh and earn up to ₹40 lakh a year. It attracts investors, not necessarily educators.

Behind the colourful classrooms is a full-fledged commercial ecosystem—branding fees, royalty, training charges, curriculum kits, even mandatory purchase of uniforms. The pedagogy is often a tiny part of what franchisees actually pay for.

Q: Many of these chains operate under trusts or societies. Isn’t that contradictory?

Chowdhury: This is where the legal tension lies. A trust cannot “declare profits,” but it can create a surplus—and that surplus can be routed through consultancy, management fees, curriculum development, rent, or outsourced services.

Often, the trust and the private company offering these services share the same promoters. So money moves legally, but the spirit of charitable activity is compromised. As I often say, “It’s not technically illegal. But when a trust functions like a corporate chain, the spirit of the law is being defeated.”

Also Read: Directorate Of Education to enforce age 6 eligibility to enter Class 1

Q: Franchise owners claim they are misled by promises of high ROI. Is that common?

Chowdhury: Very common. People join thinking it’s an assured-return business. Then reality hits—royalties, mandatory upgrades, marketing contributions. Many franchisees tell me the chain earns more than they do.

The success of a preschool today depends heavily on location. In lower or middle-income neighbourhoods, the model collapses. Preschool has become a luxury product, not an educational necessity.

Q: What does this mean for parents?

Chowdhury: Parents now experience preschool admissions the way one shops for premium consumer brands. Fees rival primary schools, often without transparency on teacher salaries or curriculum quality. Many parents tell me, “It feels like corporate pricing for a trust-run school.”

This is deeply problematic because early childhood education is foundational. When it becomes exclusive, we risk widening inequality at the earliest stage of learning.

Q: What regulatory changes do you think are needed?

Chowdhury: India urgently needs:

• Clear licensing standards for preschools
• Transparency rules for trusts running franchises
• Monitoring of fee structures and mandatory purchases
• Minimum qualification and wage norms for teachers
• A national curriculum framework for early years

Right now, preschools exist in a regulatory vacuum, and business interests flourish in that space.

Q: Are we reaching a tipping point?

Chowdhury: Absolutely. Without oversight, the system will keep drifting into a profit-first model—leaving children, our most vulnerable citizens, as mere customers in a franchise economy. Early education must be treated as a public good, not an investment product.

With more AI-generated content, deepfakes, and an ever-changing information ecosystem, the newsroom is being taken to task over and over again on the very basics. A profession uniquely anchored on eyewitness accounts and editorial judgment now faces unprecedented technological disruptions. Central to all this disruptive transformation is one irrevocable question: how do journalists safeguard truth when technology convincingly concocts it?

In a conversation with the EdInbox team, long-time media educator and researcher Dr. Shashi Pandey reflects upon these shifting realities-from newsrooms to academic institutions across the country. A clear understanding of practice and pedagogy makes him reflect on the changing face of the role of the journalist, the future of media education, and the growing pressures facing India's regional media landscape.

This opinion by Dr. Pandey warns and teaches all at the same time, underlining one simple fact: while the tools might change, that moral core of journalism does not. During this phase of algorithmic chaos, misinforming, and speed-driven publishing, his perspective brings to the consciousness of young journalists the mission of the profession that has never altered-to verify and question-serving the public with integrity.

For the media students of today, who have to negotiate an increasingly complex digital world, his words are less a piece of advice but rather a framework for ethical survival.

Q.1 After over two decades in newsrooms and academia, how do you view the role of a journalist in the time of AI-driven content and deepfakes?

From years of work in newsrooms and academia, I am consistently convinced that, yes, in a deep fakes-AI-generated content world, journalists will be ever more indispensable. Uppermost would be the use of credibility and verification in a manipulated image world. Digital forensics, metadata analysis, and AI-detection tools would have to combine with old-fashioned reporter checking. Ethical clarity on fairness, timely error correction, and transparency about human and AI inputs is necessary. In spite of changed technology, accurate and verified information with great vigilance remains the first imperative of journalism.

Q.2 Most of the students today prefer digital platforms rather than traditional print. How does media education adapt itself to prepare students for a multimedia first industry?

To this end, a more digital-first approach to media education would comprise digital storytelling, video production, data journalism, and analytics of social media. Learners would want to engage their audience, fact-check information, and platform-specific content strategies. Teaching models themselves would focus more on practical labs, newsroom simulations, and group and tool-based learning. Indeed, this is an assurance that the students turn out work-ready, adaptable, and successful professionals across a multitude of digital platforms.

Q.3 In your opinion, considering the shrinking newsroom and growing demand for hyper-local, what do you think are some of the real challenges regional media face today?

Today's regional media is in a constant fight for survival-as newsrooms shrink, finance is insecure, and the demand keeps growing for faster hyperlocal pieces of news. With fewer reporters, accuracy and depth are difficult to ensure in the reports. There is so much competition from these rapidly moving digital platforms that regional outlets struggle hard to handle linguistic diversity and local sensitivities. They are relevant only when field reporting is enhanced, investments are made in digital skills, and the development of long-term revenue models keeps the wheels of high-quality regional journalism in motion. 

Q.4 Having worked on outreach and community-based initiatives with NAAC, how would you like to train students in this programme to get stories of social relevance? 

Field trips, community-based reporting, and collaborative projects teach students of journalism to tell stories with social impact. Through NAAC-style outreach, students experience outreach to diverse groups to identify real needs within the communities and directly work on some local issues. They learn responsible journalism in producing stories that amplify the voices of the most marginalized and build a high potential for social impact through practical training in ethical fieldwork, ground reporting, and solution-oriented storytelling.

 Q.5 Any advice which you could give to young media graduates who want to uphold ethics and credibility when, more often than not, speed overtakes accuracy? 

Young graduates working in media outlets should put more emphasis on accuracy rather than speed: verify the sources, recheck all the facts, and refuse to publish information that is not verified. Critical ethical standards will be followed: reports need to be transparent, and mistakes are quickly acknowledged. It requires critical thinking, patience, and digital verification skills. Credibility in an instant-update, competitive news cycle will always be there for the journalist maintaining honesty, fairness, and responsibility.

In this special interview with Edinbox, we speak with Prof. KG Suresh,currently serving as the Director of the India Habitat Centre, India’s leading cultural and intellectual hub in the heart of New Delhi, he continues to shape conversations on governance, media literacy, education reforms, and the Indian Knowledge System. Through this interaction, Edinbox explores his vision for the future of education, the role of institutions in nurturing critical thinking, and how India’s intellectual heritage can inform global learning frameworks.

Q: You have closely observed India’s higher education ecosystem for decades. How do you describe its current phase?

India’s education system is at a clear crossroads. On the one hand, it has expanded dramatically in terms of numbers—more universities, more colleges, more enrolment. On the other hand, the challenge of quality, relevance and affordability remains unresolved. We are witnessing a transition from information-based learning to application-oriented learning, but the shift is slower than required by industry and society.

Also Read: “Indian Knowledge Systems is a politically charged subject” — An Interview with Bratya Basu

Q: Why is it important for today’s education system?

For too long, our education system has been disconnected from its own roots. The Indian Knowledge System is not just about ancient texts; it is about holistic understanding — of ecology, society, ethics, mathematics, medicine, linguistics and sustainability. Integrating IKS is not about turning back the clock; it is about reclaiming wisdom that is highly relevant to current global challenges such as climate change, mental health and sustainable living.

Q: How can institutions bring IKS into mainstream higher education?

It should not be reduced to a ceremonial chapter in a syllabus. IKS must be embedded across disciplines. For example, environmental studies can draw from traditional water conservation practices; management education can study ancient governance models; journalism can explore indigenous communication traditions. This integration creates confident learners who understand both global frameworks and local realities.

Q: Why is it important for today’s education system?

For too long, our education system has been disconnected from its own roots. The Indian Knowledge System is not just about ancient texts; it is about holistic understanding — of ecology, society, ethics, mathematics, medicine, linguistics and sustainability. Integrating IKS is not about turning back the clock; it is about reclaiming wisdom that is highly relevant to current global challenges such as climate change, mental health and sustainable living.

Q: How can institutions bring IKS into mainstream higher education?

It should not be reduced to a ceremonial chapter in a syllabus. IKS must be embedded across disciplines. For example, environmental studies can draw from traditional water conservation practices; management education can study ancient governance models; journalism can explore indigenous communication traditions. This integration creates confident learners who understand both global frameworks and local realities.

Also Read: Ancient Wisdom for Modern India: Key Insights from Prof. A.M. Sreedharan on Indian Knowledge Systems

Q: There is often talk about “employability gaps” among graduates. Where do you think the problem lies?

The gap arises because our curriculum still focuses too much on theoretical delivery and too little on experiential learning. Students are not exposed to realistic problem-solving situations. Education must move from rote to reasoning, from memorisation to mastery. Internships, fieldwork, and interdisciplinary exposure should be central, not peripheral.

Q: How important is media education in this digital age?

Media education is more important than ever because we are living in an age of information overload and misinformation. Journalism schools today must not only teach reporting and editing but also digital ethics, data literacy, fact-checking, and media law. Students must understand that media is not just a profession; it is a social responsibility.

Q: What changes would you like to see in journalism and mass communication institutes?

Institutes must move beyond legacy syllabi. Courses must integrate AI, data analytics, multimedia storytelling, mobile journalism, and community reporting. At the same time, the ethical foundations of journalism—truth, fairness, accountability—must be protected fiercely. Technology should strengthen journalism, not dilute it.

Q: How do you see the role of NEP 2020 in reshaping higher education?

The National Education Policy is visionary. Its focus on flexibility, multidisciplinary learning and regional languages is very important. However, policy is only as effective as its implementation. Universities must be empowered and trained to interpret and implement the policy wisely, not mechanically.

Q: Finally, what advice would you give to young educators and students?

To educators, I would say — remain students for life. And to students, I would say — don’t chase degrees alone; chase purpose. Education should make you useful to society, not just eligible for a job.

To explore the minds shaping educational communication in India, Edinbox scribe Pooja Khanna spoke to Dr. Arunesh Kumar Dwivedi, a media professional turned academician with over 18 years of experience in journalism, broadcasting and education. Having worked with institutions like IIMC, Jamia Millia Islamia, Sharda University, and news networks such as Zee News, ETV and IBN7, Dr. Dwivedi brings a rare industry-academic perspective to India’s evolving learning ecosystem.

“NCERT uses a multi-layer model to reach every student – urban or rural”

According to Dr. Dwivedi, NCERT follows a multi-format, multi-platform strategy to reach students and teachers across the country.

“NCERT prints millions of affordable textbooks every year. These are distributed through regional centres and adopted by several state boards, ensuring a uniform standard of education,” he explains.

Speaking on Digitalization of NCERT from print he emphasized, "Digital platforms like e-Pathshala provide free e-books, videos and audio lessons, while DIKSHA offers QR-based learning resources in multiple languages. For students with limited internet access, the government relies on SWAYAM Prabha educational TV channels, All India Radio and community radio."

“These tools ensure that a child in a remote village has access to the same quality content as one in a metro city,” Dr. Dwivedi adds.

Educational Communication as Nation-Building

Speaking on the importance of educational communication, he says it is not just a profession but a responsibility towards the country.

“When we design learning material, we are shaping India’s future citizens. Educational communication builds scientific thinking, critical awareness and social values. It supports NEP 2020 and strengthens national development,” he says.

How EdTech Platforms Like Edinbox Can Complement NCERT

Dr. Dwivedi believes that platforms like Edinbox and NCERT can work together to modernise education.

“NCERT provides academic strength and Edinbox brings creative storytelling and digital reach. Together, they can train students in content creation, curriculum design and digital education,” he explains. He also highlights the importance of regional language content so that every student can see themselves represented in learning material.

Advice for Young Media and EdTech Professionals

To young aspirants, his message is clear: accuracy, ethics and inclusivity must come first.

“Education doesn’t need to go viral. It needs to go deep,” he says.

In an exclusive conversation with Edinbox Editorial Head Nibedita on the relevance and revival of the Indian Knowledge System (IKS), West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu reflected on how India’s ancient intellectual traditions can meaningfully shape modern education. 
According to him, the real challenge today is not a lack of knowledge, but a lack of structured integration. “We definitely need to understand modern science in global frameworks,” he said. “What we need is a balanced fusion where students can learn Newton and Aryabhata, molecular biology and Sushruta, governance and Kautilya, not as competing ideas but as complementary streams.” With a touch of humour, the minister added, “Had we paid attention in our classes, we would remember these names. We wouldn’t need a separate subject just to remind us.”

The minister also admitted that IKS has become a politically charged subject in recent years. However, he insisted that knowledge must rise above ideological divides. “A civilisation that produced breakthroughs centuries before the West deserves academic recognition,” he said. “But revival must be rigorous, research-driven, and historically accurate. Romanticism has no place in serious education reforms.” Basu advocated for peer-reviewed scholarship, multilingual translations of classical texts, and training teachers to avoid superficial or tokenistic implementation.

 “Universities must not treat IKS as a decorative elective. It should contribute to inquiry, innovation, and identity,” he noted, adding that Bengal with its legacy of reformers, scientists, and Renaissance thinkers has a natural advantage in leading this movement.
Basu also stressed that students respond positively when IKS is taught as applied knowledge. Examples like ancient water management models, musical mathematics, traditional architecture, early ecological wisdom, and logic systems enrich their understanding. “Education must give students confidence that India has been a contributor to global knowledge—not just a consumer.”

When asked about global perception, Basu believed that India has an opportunity to position itself as a knowledge leader again. “Countries are looking for diverse epistemologies. Yoga, Ayurveda, classical literature, they have already found global homes. Now it’s time for our scientific and philosophical heritage to receive international academic legitimacy.”

Closing the conversation, he underscored that the goal is not to look backward but to move forward with cultural self-assurance. “IKS is a reminder that our past is not a burden; it is an asset. If we integrate it wisely, we can build an education system that is modern, rooted, and globally respected.”