Education Leaders | Top Interviews

India enjoys a tremendous demographic advantage by having one of the world's youngest populations.

The attention in India's education policy has further shifted towards not only enabling the students to grasp large, scale ideas in theory but also to implement those ideas as their actions.

Talking at the ThinkEdu Conclave 2026, former chairman of UGC, Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, stated that changes in India's educational system are necessary to prepare the succeeding generation.

During a session on 'Dreamers and Doers: The Next Gen Student', where author Shankkar Aiyar was the moderator and former chief secretary of Tamil Nadu Girija Vaidyanathan was among the panelists, Prof Kumar talked about the future of education, interdisciplinary study, and the concept of being able to study from anywhere.

Q: India has the world's youngest population. How can the education system prepare students for the future?

Prof Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar:

The key to India's development is its young population, and we will be able to benefit from this demographic dividend only if our students are ready to convert their ambitions into real actions. Our education system must identify and nurture both dreamers and doers. We should set up scenes for our students to think out of the box, innovate and solve the world problems through applying their knowledge.

Q: You mentioned old educational models. Which lessons can India get from them at present?

Prof Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar:

As a matter of fact, the educational system during the Madras Presidency era almost 200 years ago, was very socially inclusive, accessible and there was a high demand for its quality. There were a lot of things in that model from which we can learn now as well. Our traditional knowledge systems also focused on comprehensive learning. Works such as Thirukkural talk about the knowledge which changes the character and gives rise to good deeds.

In the present day context, we should not simply adhere to the inflexible Western paradigms. Rather, India should bring back and modify its own educational methods, especially those involving cross, disciplinary learning.

Q: How does current education policy support this shift?

Prof Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar: National Education Policy 2020 advocates a lot for multidisciplinary education. It is one of its features that it offers students the freedom to learn not only one subject area but a few different ones also.

Such an approach will have a step wise effect i.e. students develop broader thinking and diverse skill development along with acquiring knowledge while eventually becoming a team of thinkers and problem solvers.

Q: What advice would you give to the next generation of students?

Prof Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar:

Students must not hesitate to dream, but they should also be prepared to work towards turning those dreams into reality. Education should not only deliver degrees—it must empower students to innovate, build, and contribute meaningfully to society.

For more than three decades, environmentalist Jadav Payeng has been quietly transforming a barren sandbar along the Brahmaputra River in Assam into a thriving ecosystem. Today, the once lifeless land has grown into the sprawling Molai Forest, a 550-hectare forest rich in biodiversity. In this interview, the Padma Shri awardee speaks about his journey, the inspiration behind planting thousands of trees, and why environmental conservation must begin with young people.

Q: Your friends moved to cities, but you chose to stay back on a river island. Why?

Jadav Payeng: I grew up close to nature in the Mising tribal community, where forests and rivers are part of everyday life. While many of my friends moved to cities for careers, I felt a deeper connection with the land. Planting trees gave me purpose. Over time, the forest became my home and my life’s work.

Q: What inspired you to start planting trees on the sandbar?

Payeng: In 1979, after a severe flood along the Brahmaputra, I saw hundreds of snakes lying dead on a treeless sandbar. They died because there was no shade to protect them from the heat. That sight disturbed me deeply. I decided to plant bamboo saplings so that animals and birds could survive in the future.

Q: How did the forest gradually grow over the years?

Payeng: I initially worked in a social forestry project in Aruna Chapori near Kokilamukh. When the project ended after five years, others left, but I stayed behind and continued planting trees alone. Slowly, bamboo, arjuna, silk cotton and other native species began to grow, and the barren land gradually turned into a dense forest.

Q: How large is the forest today and what wildlife does it support?

Payeng: The forest, now known as Molai Forest, spreads across nearly 550 hectares. It is home to deer, rabbits, monkeys, birds and vultures. Even elephants and rhinos visit the forest. Every year, herds of elephants come and sometimes stay for months.

Q: What is Molai Forest 2.0 and how is your family involved?

Payeng: My daughter Munmuni is now leading the next phase of the project. Through Molai Forest 2.0, we are restoring eroded river islands along the Brahmaputra. So far, more than a million saplings have been planted to protect the fragile river ecosystem.

Q: You received the Padma Shri in 2015. What does the recognition mean to you?

Payeng: Awards are encouraging, but they are not my real motivation. The greatest reward is seeing trees grow and wildlife return to the land. That gives me happiness.

Q: What message would you like to share with young people?

Payeng: If every child plants and nurtures just two trees, the planet can become greener. Environmental protection begins with small actions.

No rule forces a girl to choose beauty.
No order stops her from choosing coding.
Yet by Class 9, many already know what they are “supposed” to pick.

The education policy promises skills. The classroom reveals expectations. On paper, it is about employability. On the ground, it is becoming a social experiment.

In classrooms across Madhya Pradesh, the vocational choice is not made in a single moment — it is shaped by marks, distance, confidence, money and family advice. When students explain their decisions in their own words, a pattern emerges: subjects are being selected less by interest and more by practicality.

For some girls, the decision begins with academics.

“We have many subjects to choose but our school is providing only IT and beauty. I will be able to score more marks in beauty compared to IT so I chose beauty and wellness”- Kritika Bansal

“My home is nearby so I do not get bus services. I need to cover the distance by walking. If I take tough subject, I will not be able to score good marks so I chose beauty,”- Jyoti Uikey

Others describe how confidence and familiarity influence their choice.

“My father told what will I do studying IT, like other girls if I take up beauty or stitching then I can get help if I do not understand the subject,” Simran Prajapati

For some students, the classroom is directly linked to income.

“I am already a mehendi artist and run a small venture besides studies. Here in MP we wear mehendi in every festival. People from every religion wear mehendi. So I keep getting calls and support my family this way. Our school will give me a certificate and I don’t need to do an additional beauty course to open a salon, which is my dream”-Saadia Akhtar

"We are receiving hands-on training about products and how to handle customers. Besides, we are also learning how to grow a skill into a business at a very young age." - Monika Chacko, class 12

Meanwhile, students who opt for IT often see it as long-term mobility.

“In the IT course we are learning basic computer skills and handling applications. We will graduate to using AI once we complete these. It's interesting to come to school and have our sir who explains us whenever there is any doubt.” - Pallav Mahovia, Class 12

“I have not chosen beauty courses. I am more interested in computers. I like using different applications and learning AI. In future I will make software that helps a larger section of farmers in Madhya Pradesh.” -Pooja Soni

“Plumbing and masonry are skills that will not fetch me good money if I ever take it forward. My father works on a farm and while helping my father I can learn the craft as a plumber. But learning IT in school as a subject will help me to take it forward later on in life and get me good money for the future. So my parents wanted me to take up an IT course. ”- Mahadeo Masure

Economic reality shapes choices as well.

“I need to help my family and most of the time I miss school. So I wanted to take up an easy subject that I already know. Hence I took plumbing and not IT. In this subject I can get help from my cousins as they are plumbers”- Gaurav Ahirwar

Together, these voices suggest vocational education is not merely offering options. Students are weighing effort, accessibility and earning potential. The subjects differ, but the reasoning is similar: choose what feels manageable today and useful tomorrow.

The Policy Behind the Classrooms

A quiet shift is underway in 324 Sandipani Vidyalayas across the state. From the new academic session, government schools have introduced Beauty and Wellness courses alongside Information Technology under an expanded vocational education drive beginning in Class 9.

The syllabus has been developed by Pandit Sundarlal Sharma Vocational Institute and offered from Classes 9 to 12 as part of 56 vocational programmes intended to integrate job-oriented skills with regular academics.

At Sandipani Vidyalaya, Bilkisganj, early enrolment data offers a snapshot: 40 students in Beauty and Wellness and 49 in IT. Officials say students are free to choose, and vocational subjects carry examination marks reflected in report cards.

"There are about 40 students enrolled in Beauty courses and 49 in IT. We have beauty and wellness courses for girls from class 9-12 who get trained by industry professionals. In 2026 we had our first batch of students enrolled from class 12 who are currently undertaking the IT and beauty training courses. The syllabus is decided by the government," said the principal.

He added, “There is a free choice given to all the boys and girls for picking their vocational subject. IT courses are getting filled easily by both boys and girls. There are very few girls taking interest in IT while a major chunk is opting for beauty and wellness.”

A Question Beyond Numbers

The programme includes courses in agriculture, plumbing, retail, electronics and more, and certifications are awarded after examinations. The state describes it as skill integration.

Yet experts warn about unintended messaging.

Former NCPCR chairperson Shanta Sinha said, “The proposal to introduce courses such as beautician training in Classes 9 to 12 is deeply troubling. It evokes an earlier era when “Home Science”, with its modules on cooking, laundry, stitching, and domestic accounting was offered to girls in high school, ostensibly to “prepare” them to become good wives. That model of education was withdrawn as being discriminatory and was confining girls. “

She added, “The introduction of gender-coded vocational options today is no different in its underlying logic. It reinforces the stereotype that girls are naturally suited for appearance-based, care-oriented, or domestic roles, while boys are expected to pursue technology, engineering, and higher-paying professional pathways.”

The classrooms show no formal barriers.
Yet choices are clustering.

Not because students lack freedom —
but because freedom operates within familiarity, family advice and survival logic.

In these schools, vocational education is doing more than teaching skills.
It is revealing how aspirations are formed long before careers begin.

According to UNICEF India representative Cynthia McCaffrey, climate change has forced one out of seven children to stay out of school in 2024. During the Mumbai Climate Week, Jennifer healthy, Climate and Environment in our Global Context, Program Officer of the UN Children's Fund India Country Office, held a conversation with The Indian Express about the adverse effects of climate change on children's health, the Government's mitigating actions, and climate finance.

India is 26th on the Children's Climate Risk Index. Besides working with the Government of India, how are you cooperating with the state governments to make schools and educational institutions more climateresilient, especially given air pollution and heatwaves?

Our report shows that globally there are one billion children living in areas that are climate extremely high, risk areas, and India is no exception here as we are talking about children from India too. As a result, climate change is impacting education, it's interrupting learning, and one in seven children in 2024 were out of school because of a climate incident. In addition to this, climate change is also impacting nutrition and health, so we're working with the government as they're looking to cut across all sectors, and one of the things we want to be careful about is that it's not just addressing climate on education, but it's about looking at the child at the centre of everything, and making sure that we think through nutrition. If a child is poorly nourished, that will affect their learning as well, so we want to solve the problem of nutrition as well as keep schools open. If we keep schools open and we stop the floods, but we haven't been able to stop the droughts and the floods that impact the food system, then a child will be poorly nourished and still won't be able to learn. As a result, we are working with several ministries, including health, education, women and child development, and not just the environment.

How is climate change uniquely affecting children in India compared to other regions around the globe?

I think part of the issue here is that the climate doesn't have any borders. So the climate change that's happening around the world is having a similar impact on children in India. So one is that it's important that the Governments that are accountable anywhere in the world are continuing to build those protective systems, as well as those systems that promote the future and well-being of children, including in India. But I think the challenge of climate mitigation requires the world to continue to come together, because climate adversaries don't stop at a border. Food systems are being shifted or interrupted. And so the ability to have reliable, healthy food is therefore impacting a child's diet. And we're seeing that in India. So India is, like many countries around the world, dealing with the triple burden of nutrition. Malnutrition, so you're looking at the malnutrition. You're looking at increased micronutrient deficiencies because the diet is being impacted by climate.

What are the most critical, immediate gaps in child protection that you see in rural, vulnerable communities owing to climate change?

When children are out of school for extended periods, that leads to child labour. Maybe they have to go to work. It exacerbates and may lead to child marriage. So those are issues that can be definitely contributed to by adverse climate conditions when creating long-term interruptions forcing people out of school. And those would be the issues to look at: child protection, keeping children in school, and all of the issues that might kick a child out of school, including climate. Therefore, a primary way to counter this challenge is to maintain a strong nutrition system to ensure that the child is healthy to learn in school, and at the same time making sure that there is no interruption in their livelihood forcing them out of school.

In recent years, we have been witnessing record-breaking heat levels coupled with heatwaves. So what impact do these have on a child's mental and physical health in the longer term?

So if, and again, you go back to the beginning of a child's life, extreme heat is impacting mothers' health while they're pregnant. Therefore, there is a need to make sure that we also identify how to protect the mother so that the child is born healthy. Low birth weight or early birth of children are some of the impacts that we are seeing globally. When a child is born, the first thousand days remain important. So it does have an impact if they're in extreme heat, or in a place where there's extreme heat, where the diet may be impacted. Therefore, stimulation during those first thousand days, which include the child being able to go out and play, is a major contributor to a child's brain development. And as you know, the first thousand days, a child's brain develops, it's 80 per cent of their brain. So being able to have that holistic approach to a safe place, which means safe from floods, safe from heat, is extremely important for a child's formative years.

Is climate financing adequately prioritising children's needs?

Unicef is not a financial expert, but we're trying to be at the table with those financing experts that come up with those instruments to say, think about the child. It will make your investment have a higher return, because if you invest in children, it's much more economical. It will have a much more lasting impact. We've looked at different financing instruments. We could help you figure out the ways that you could do that.

In India, standing where we are now, what do you think is required in education policies to raise climate awareness?

The Government of India is doing things in the right way by looking at both how you reach children. India has adopted an inclusive system through teachers and teen clubs. So I think one thing that becomes important is giving children access to both the facts and the learning about it, but also a very tangible approach in understanding the environment through green clubs. This would not just enable learning but also lead to brainstorming solutions together. Another aspect is to continue to share knowledge so that you've not only got literacy, but also climate literacy. That would result in a community level of understanding of climate adversities.

At a time when truth is increasingly contested and journalism finds itself entangled with power, writer and former journalist K.R. Meera issues a stark warning: information has been weaponised. Speaking at the 20th annual national meeting of the Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI), Meera reflected on the erosion of public trust, the moral collapse of media institutions, and the growing influence of PR-driven narratives. In this conversation, she speaks candidly about democracy under strain, the courage of women journalists, and why journalism today must reclaim its ethical spine

Q: You described today’s media environment as precarious. What worries you the most about journalism right now?

What worries me deeply is that information has been weaponised. We live in a time when truth is increasingly difficult to discern, not because facts don’t exist, but because narratives are manufactured to serve power. Journalism was meant to illuminate, but it is now often used to confuse, polarise, and manipulate.

Q: You said democracy is failing in many parts of the world. How is that linked to the media?

Democracy depends on trust—trust in institutions, trust in facts, trust in each other. Extreme polarisation has shattered that trust. When the media becomes partisan, PR-driven, or fear-based, it accelerates democratic decay. Journalism should challenge power, not amplify it unquestioningly.

Q: You made a striking statement that “journalism is meant for women.” What did you mean by that?

I meant that journalism requires courage, empathy, and moral clarity—qualities women reporters have consistently demonstrated. Women journalists often question authority without compromise and bring ethical depth to storytelling. That courage is essential today.

Q: You urged journalists to evaluate their work through a moral lens. What should that lens be?

Every journalist should ask: Does my work serve the poor or their predators? If reporting strengthens the powerful at the cost of the vulnerable, it has failed its purpose. Journalism cannot be value-neutral in an unjust society.

Q: You also spoke about social media’s role. How has it changed journalism?

Social media has created what I call a “cancer culture”—where speed overrides verification and PR narratives masquerade as news. It rewards outrage over insight and visibility over truth. This environment is deeply damaging to public discourse.

Q: During the panel discussion, filmmakers spoke about the cost women pay for speaking up. Does this mirror what happens in the media?

Absolutely. Whether in media or cinema, power structures remain punitive. Women who question them often lose work, credibility, or mental peace. Internal committees exist, but systems rarely care about justice—only damage control.

Q: Actor Rima Kallingal mentioned that systems don’t really care if women get justice. Do you agree?

Sadly, yes. Many systems are performative. They exist to signal reform, not to deliver it. That is why sustained pressure—from the media, from collectives, from public discourse—is crucial.

Q: Has anything changed at all?

Yes, the way these issues are reported has changed. Women journalists have played a huge role in that shift. Stories are no longer buried or sensationalised in the same way. That is progress, even if slow.

Q: What gives you hope in this difficult moment for the media?

Women in the media give me hope. So do young journalists who are still asking uncomfortable questions. As long as there are people willing to risk comfort for truth, journalism is not lost.

Q: What would you tell journalists at the start of their careers today?

Do not measure success by access or applause. Measure it by integrity. Journalism is not a profession to gain power—it is a responsibility to question it.

As Madhya Pradesh accelerates its push towards skill-based education and employability, government schools across the state are introducing vocational courses in Beauty and Wellness for girls and Information Technology (IT) for boys from the new academic session. Rolled out from Class 9 onwards, the initiative aims to bridge the gap between school education and job-ready skills, allowing students to earn academic credits while receiving industry-aligned vocational training.

Emerging as a regional hub for vocational education, Sandipani Vidyalaya, Bilkisganj, is setting a benchmark by successfully implementing the programme and attracting students from government schools within a five-kilometre radius. The school’s early adoption and structured delivery of skill-based courses have positioned it as a model government school under Madhya Pradesh’s education reforms, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas.

The initiative reflects the state government’s broader focus on integrating skill development into secondary education, reducing dropout rates, and improving employability outcomes for students from government schools. Courses in Beauty and Wellness and IT are designed to provide hands-on training, practical assessments, and certification, ensuring students graduate with both board-recognised marks and market-relevant skills.

In an interview with Pawan Sharma, the Principal of Sandipani Vidyalaya, Bilkisganj, explains how the vocational courses are being implemented at the school level, the growing demand among students, and how Sandipani Vidyalaya is outperforming neighbouring government schools by offering structured vocational pathways without compromising academic learning.

Q: What is the idea behind introducing Beauty and Wellness and IT courses in government schools?

Principal, Sandipani Vidyalaya, Bilkisganj: The main objective is to ensure that students do not see education as limited to textbooks alone. Through Beauty and Wellness courses for girls and IT courses for boys, the government wants students to start building practical, job-oriented skills from Class 9. This helps them become confident, self-reliant, and better prepared for future careers.

Q: How are these vocational courses structured within the school system?

Principal: These courses run alongside regular academic subjects. The curriculum has been developed by the Pandit Sundarlal Sharma Vocational Institute and is implemented by the School Education Department. Students can continue these vocational subjects from Classes 9 to 12 without compromising their core studies.

Q: Can you explain the duration and certification process of the Beauty and Wellness course?

Principal: The Beauty and Wellness programme is designed as a two-year vocational course, beginning in Class 9 and concluding in Class 10. At the end of the course, students appear for examinations, and successful candidates receive a government-recognised certificate. Currently, the programme is being introduced as a pilot project and will be expanded further based on student response.

Q: What kind of training do students receive under this initiative?

Principal: Students are trained by industry professionals, which makes the learning process very practical and relevant. In 2026, we enrolled our first batch of Class 12 students who are now undergoing IT and Beauty training. The syllabus and assessment pattern are decided by the government to maintain uniform standards.

Q: Are there other vocational options available for students?

Principal: Yes, government schools already offer courses in Banking and Financial Services, Healthcare, Physical Education and Sports, Travel and Tourism, Telecommunications, Food Preservation, and Agriculture. From the new session, Class 9 students can choose from Agriculture, Plumbing, Sewing Machine Operator, and Automotive trades. For Class 10, five trades—IT, Beauty and Wellness, Electronics and Hardware, Retail, and Security—are available.

Q: How are these courses evaluated academically?

Principal: Vocational subjects in Classes 9 and 10 carry 100 marks, including practical assessments. These marks are added to students’ report cards, ensuring that skill-based education receives the same academic importance as other subjects.