Education Leaders | Top Interviews

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.

This is 18-year-old Rajit Gupta. He has scored 332 marks to become one of the top rankers in JEE Advanced. According to him, ‘the sooner the better.’ He started preparing for entrance exams from Class 6. However, there is one hiccup. He didn’t decide on what he wants to become until he was in Class 9.

He began his teaching career coaching class 6 for one subject and one foundation.

“Starting preparation for JEE from a younger age turned out to be beneficial for me, helping me lay a strong foundation. First, my parents were also expecting me to pursue medicine, and I was myself not very sure of what I wanted to pursue in life. These additional classes gave me direction, and I was able to know what I wanted to pursue in Class 9 itself,” he told Times Now Digital.

The mother of Rajit Gupta is a topper of her university, and currently, she is a professor of Home Science at “JDB College.” The father of Rajit Gupta is a Sub-Divisional Engineer. He is an alumnus of “National Institute of Technology Allahabad.” Since his family never faced pressure to live up to his levels, his parents were his biggest supporters in his life. His parents guided him in each step of his way. Since school days, he used to be a bright student, always topping his class. He scored a perfect 100 in Mathematics in his CBSE Class 10 Boards, did exceedingly well in Science, and finished with a overall percentage of 96.8%. 

He used to be consistently ranked in the top 1 percentile in all his previous Boards, which motivated him to choose extremely challenging disciplines like Medicine and/or IIT Entrance Exams, but he has “Rajit’s preparation is based on a unique strategy,” says JEE Topper Rajit Gupta. “Rajit has never adhered to a strict study time-table, as this would impose a nervous strain on the brain,” says the topper. He used to study only when his brain is prepared to absorb the learnings. The strategy of his prep is to move on to the next subject only after clearing away all doubts of the earlier subject. Mock tests have been taken periodically by the topper to assess his prep-level. “My aim is to do B Tech in Computer Science from IIT Bombay,” says JEE Topper Rajit Gupta in an exclusive interview after his performance in JEE Main Entrance Test Results were declared. “

At present, I am neither thinking of which IIT I have to join nor which branch I have to prefer, since I have to strictly prepare for JEE Advanced at present. At present, I do not even know that whether I shall appear for the Exam to be held in April of the second session or not, since all I have now is to prepare for JEE Advanced,” adds Rajit Gupta. After his performance in his Boards and then in AIEEE and of course his performance in this year's JEE Mains, his 11-year-old sister has joined a Coaching Institution.

An Exclusive Interaction with Dr. Mukesh Kumar

Dr. Mukesh Kumar is an immensely respected figure in Indian journalism and media education. A nearly four-decade-long career has placed his mark across print, television, and digital media. An anchor, columnist, author of repute, poet, academician, and expert in digital media, his contribution to Indian journalism stands both extensive and influential.

Currently, Dr. Kumar serves as the Editor of Satyahindi.com whose YouTube channel has more than 3.2 million subscribers. His day-to-day show as well as popular programmes Taana-Baana and Sach Ka Saamna arebeing run with a great national following. Previously, he has served as the Dean and Professor at Lovely Professional University, SGT University, and Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication.

Dr. Kumar's contribution to the opening of about six flagship news channels has been immense, namely News Express, Sahara Samay, S1, VOI, Maurya TV among others. Several programmes Subah Savere, Filhaal, Kahi Unkahi, Aapki Baithak anchoring on Doordarshan and Rajneeti: Khel Satta Ka, Shatranj Ke Khiladi, Baat Bolegi on private channels as anchor give him widespread recognition. He was also the Editorial Chief of Doordarshan's first national weekly magazine Parkh.

An acclaimed writer, Dr. Kumar has penned 14 books and was associated with several documentaries and telefilms. The collection of his poetry, Sadho Jag Baurana, received critical acclaim. A vast experience in media, literature, and education makes him an inspiring voice for the next generation of journalists.

In this interview with EdInbox, Dr. Mukesh Kumar talks candidly about the changing media landscape, the crisis in journalism, corporate control, fake news, and democratic media futures.

How did your journey in journalism begin? What were the early challenges?

After finishing my Master’s in Science, the inevitable question would be—what next? At that time, a city-based newspaper Dainik Samay was searching for trainee journalists. I had already been writing and engaging with magazines by then, and hence, journalism sounded like an extension of the things I was enjoying doing.

Within three months, one of my teachers advised me to formally study journalism. That led me to Sagar University, where I signed up for a course in journalism. Soon after, I received an offer to work as a part-time correspondent with the Deshbandhu newspaper group, and I began reporting alongside my studies. That is how my journey started.

With a career spanning almost four decades, what are the major changes you have seen in the media?

These changes have been mammoth in nature-so far-reaching that several books can be written about them. It is sufficient to say here that broadly speaking, the character of media itself has changed.

Earlier, public interest-oriented journalism was dominant. A journalist without social commitment was not considered a journalist at all. Today, the word sarokar has almost become an abusive term in media organisations. Managements want journalists who help expand their business. Media houses have become market-driven and target group-oriented.

Besides, the media have completely aligned themselves to the power axis. News, journalistic freedom, society, and democracy are a thing of no consequence to them. They would seek to legitimize every incorrect act of the powers that be—partly by choice, partly for fear. The space for honest journalism has shrunk drastically.

The second big change is technology. When we began, there were only a few newspapers and one TV channel-Doordarshan. Today, India has close to 900 television channels, of them around 350 are news channels. The internet and mobile phones have made media omnipresent. Media consumption has increased manifold.

Yet, journalistic quality has fallen sharply-to the extent that ethical codes of journalism are routinely violated.

You've worked in both TV and digital; what do you see as the biggest difference?

Whereas television cannot travel with you, digital media does in the form of your mobile phone. You are always connected and see anything at any time. Visuals and videos rule our world now. Much more is being consumed by watching rather than reading.

How has increasing commercialisation affected journalistic quality?

The economic liberalisation saw unregulated expansion of the market, which had a direct impact on the content of media. The content has become shallow and sensationalist. The institution of an editor has been dismantled and replaced by management control. Ownership by corporations has given the reins of media to big capital, and there is a nexus between corporations and political power.

As a result, the media has turned anti-democratic and anti-people, promoting hate, violence, and divisive agendas.

Public interest vs TRP—what is to be the priority of a journalist?

Regarding mainstream media, the control that a journalist has is pretty minimal. The owners and the ruling power have much to say. Limited room for manoeuvre, but not enough to challenge corporate exploitation or political corruption.

But all that has changed with alternative and independent media opening new windows-where journalists are speaking freely and trying out new formats. Ultimately, it's a call the journalists have to take. Mainstream, of course, is TRP-driven.

What do you think about government-media relationships?

The media and government are no longer separate. The media is a tool for propaganda. When I say "pro-power," I mean the ruling class: the government, corporations, elite classes, and dominant castes.

How has the editor's job changed today?

In "godi media," there are no editors, only managers. Their task is to manage the channel for the powers that be and the owners. In the independent media, editors still have a meaningful and responsible role to play.

Allegations of bias against the media—how well grounded are they?

They are perfectly legitimate. The whole country—and the world—knows that. Credibility of the media has collapsed. People in general now consume them as entertainment or as a means of manipulation of opinion.

How much destruction has fake news actually caused since the era of social media?

And enormous damage is being caused-a lot more with deepfakes. The problem generally is that people cannot differentiate between what is true and what is a lie. In India, media literacy is close to zero. Most people in India do not know how to verify news or critically consume media content.

How can credible content be produced in the middle of all the fake news and propaganda?

It is already being done-by following basic journalistic principles: rigorous fact-checking, reliable sourcing, and patience. The real question is whether journalists have the commitment and discipline required.

What should the media's role be in strengthening democracy today?

The media is said to be the fourth pillar of democracy, but it has been reduced to the same pitiable condition as the other three. It has failed in holding power accountable and instead has surrendered itself.

How might the media balance public interest and power? 

Balance is not an obsession. Report objectively, people-centric. Cover the stories of the poor, the marginalised, Dalits, Adivasis, the excluded. You don't have to be "balanced" sounding. Your YouTube shows are extremely popular. How does audience support motivate you? My effort has always been to serve serious content in an entertaining manner. 

Some days it clicks, some days it doesn't. I never take stress over TRP or viewership. Keeping focused on work--that is my core philosophy.

Addressing the HT Future Ed Conclave, Dr VS Kanchana Bhaaskaran, Vice Chancellor of Vellore Institute of Technology, made a strong case for the urgent need to reimagine university education, as the new technology-led future requires industry needs to drive curriculum design. An interaction with her underlined rapid technological disruptions, an increasing skill gap, and changing needs of industry push universities to rethink their role in the innovation ecosystem of India.

Dr Bhaaskaran said universities can no longer afford to function in isolation from industry. “We are witnessing rapid technological disruptions and severe skill gaps. Universities must be spurring nodes in the national innovation and industrial ecosystem,” she said, adding that higher education must move away from rigid structures towards flexible, learner-centric models.

In Dr Bhaaskaran's view, the future university would have to provide multidisciplinary pathways, permit students to tailor learning journeys, and go for competency-based assessments. "Institutions must turn flexible and student-centric-learners may want to choose pathways across disciplines and be evaluated on skills, and not just examinations," she explained.

The VIT Vice Chancellor also spoke about the need for industry-designed education, and co-creation of dynamic curricula involving the industry. “Curricula should be revisited every year and reworked according to industry demand. Autonomous institutes should be able to do this; industry professionals should be part of the advisory boards.” She also said students should work on real-world technology problems for 50–60% of their academic time to bridge the gap between what they learn in class and what the industry is looking for.

Dr Bhaaskaran said VIT had already moving ahead by adopting innovative curriculum frameworks, comprising core subjects, professional core courses, electives, soft skills, and multidisciplinary options. “For countries like India, both quality and quantity consciousness is critical at scale. We need models that can deliver excellence while educating large numbers,” she said.

She presented a phased implementation roadmap supported by policy enablers. “The first phase comprises the upgrade of IT infrastructure, followed by comprehensive faculty training. The next phase introduces flexible curricula with active industry participation—from laboratories to classroom teaching,” she said, underscoring the importance of institutional readiness.

Q: How much does research and AI contribute to the reform of higher education?

Dr Bhaaskaran adds that research and innovation have broadened national impact, especially in new areas like artificial intelligence. “AI applications are now attempted in curriculum design, content creation, adaptive learning, and automated assessments. We see incentives for teaching innovations, mission-oriented research clusters, and industry-funded labs improving the student outcome,” she described. 

Sharing a real-life example, she said, “We developed a new lab at our institute and sent out a mail. Within 24 hours, over 1,000 students responded. That shows how eager students are for hands-on, industry-aligned training.” She emphasized that the ultimate aim should be to create a meeting point between industry and institutions.

Q: Are these reforms showing measurable outcomes?

The results, according to Dr Bhaaskaran, are already there to be seen. She quoted the student employability index, portfolio development, startups and incubation projects, patents, industry joint innovations, faculty industry sabbaticals, co-authored research publications, product releases, joint laboratories and centres of excellence as proof of success.

Q: How far do government initiatives facilitate this change?

She added that much of this growth has been enabled by government missions and initiatives, especially in domains such as AI, semiconductors, and CPS. “Institutions must align with student interest in these domains, which are already large industries and are growing rapidly,” she concluded, saying industry-focused curriculum reform was no longer optional but rather essential to the future of higher education in India.

In the state of Nagaland, the village of Pongo in the Longleng district has started a two-day long “Taro Festival” to make people aware of the climate-resilient vegetable taro, which had protected the place

In the small village of Nagaland’s Longleng district, there has been a massive effort to revive a traditional produce that has protected the inhabitants from famine. The Pongo Village has initiated the celebrations of the Two-Day Taro Festival, which the event organizers believe could become the model for the revival of agriculture by the community.

The event was organized on December 5 & 6 in connection with the 26th Hornbill Festival. Farmers, self-help groups, youth groups, and villagers assembled to display more than 10 varieties of taro, including Khedoong, which is known to be one of the popular locally grown varieties, appreciated for its taste, texture, and storage life.

In the opening ceremony of the event, the village head P Khangyong explained the significance of this vegetable to the history of all of them through this statement: “Our ancestors had overcome famine with the help of taro, and this incident has become an important folk lore of our village.” He recalled during his childhood days as quoted by India Today NE that “taro only used to be available to us.”

The event was mostly organized by the youths of the village in collaboration with the Department of Horticulture. It mostly targeted farmers as opposed to the other vendors. Along H. Phom, the convenor of the event stated that most of the funds were channeled to the farmers. "We emphasized the farmers' knowledge right from the beginning. The goal is to help the farmers understand that taro is an economic crop,"

The agriculture stalls featured produce of entrepreneurs and self-help groups. Farmers demonstrated the utilization of every aspect of the plant, right from leafy greens to the corms. Artisans in the villages further revealed the utilizations of different parts of the taro plant in the local black clay pottery.

The local MLA, A Pongshi Phom, who was present as a Chief Guest, motivated the youths to consider opportunities in Agriculture as well as Agri Tourism.

On the second day, technical sessions were held by ICAR regional centers on ways to improve taro production, value addition, and development of new varieties. A talk on the nutritional importance of the plant in countering climate change was also given by Maongsangla, a district agriculture officer. The ultimate plan is to improve market links and ensure scientific support and documentation of indigenous knowledge to revive taro farming in the region.