Education Views | Insightful Perspectives and Analysis - Edinbox

It is an age in which artificial intelligence can produce beautiful images with very little to work with. Ethical issues of copying art are also more pertinent than ever before. AI software has made it extremely simple for users to replicate the work of great masters without permission, and this raises issues of ownership, attribution, and artistic integrity.

A very good example of this is the phenomenon of producing "Ghibli-style" artwork using AI models. Studio Ghibli, founded by visionary director Hayao Miyazaki, is famous for its hand-drawn, radically unique animation style. Miyazaki and his team have been working day and night for decades to perfect their craft, imbuing it with cultural sensitivity and emotional resonance. When AI can replicate this special style so readily without permission, even credit, it takes away the decades of labor spent in making such masterpieces.

Forbes writer Paul Tassi aptly described AI-generated Ghibli-style art as “creatively and morally horrifying.” The act of feeding an AI model with Ghibli’s essence and churning out instant replicas is more than just an artistic shortcut—it’s a fundamental disregard for artistic labor. Unlike traditional inspiration, where artists study and reinterpret a style in their unique way, AI models directly extract patterns from existing works, blurring the line between homage and outright theft.

Where Do We Draw the Line?

Plagiarism has been a curse of creative industries for a long time, but AI is different. Traditional plagiarism used to be overt copying of music, designs, or writing and would typically result in legal proceedings. With AI, however, the plagiarism is concealed and harder to track. AI algorithms that generate "new" art are typically trained with data banks of previously created work—often without the explicit permission of the original artists. Which is tantamount to AI replicating the work of an artist and not replicating a specific piece of work, thus making legal and ethical accountability vague.

Artists and designers believe that AI art is devaluing the creative process. While human creatives spend years learning, AI produces art in seconds. That convenience is two-edged: it brings art to more people, but at the possible expense of diluting genuine creativity.

Respecting Creativity in the Age of AI

While AI can be a phenomenal instrument for creative art, it must be utilized responsibly. And rather than copying work directly by an artist, AI users should strive to create creative works that are based on inspiration, not on taking it. There must be transparency, permission, and proper credits.

Art is not aesthetics; it is toil, commitment, and sense. If AI art bypasses these essentials, then it is not an innovation but a theft of the very essence of creativity.

As there exists a world with technological revolutions, geopolitical realignments, and economic revolutions that are shaping the global context, education's relevance has never been so significant. The Indian government has been actively restructuring the education system to align with evolving global patterns so that students and professionals remain competitive in an increasingly evolving world.

Aligning with Technological Developments

The rapid rate of development of artificial intelligence, automation, and digital technologies has necessitated a shift in educational priorities. The Centre has launched a number of programs, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 being one such initiative that places emphasis on skill-building, coding, and digital literacy from a young age. Programs such as the PM e-Vidya and SWAYAM provide access to online studies, creating the urban-rural divide and enabling even access to learning.

Industry-Oriented Curricula

Those days are over when rote learning was enough to achieve academic and professional success. The government has also been engaging in partnerships with industries in framing skill-based curricula, infusing vocational training in general education. Educational institutions are now providing multidisciplinary courses which infuse traditional subjects with contemporary skills, including data science, cybersecurity, and entrepreneurship, to turn students into more marketable products in the global job market.

Emphasis on Research and Innovation

India has been building a culture of research and innovation through various initiatives such as Atal Innovation Mission and increased funding for higher education institutions. Building research parks and incubation centers within universities is aimed at bridging the gap between industry and academia, encouraging students to develop solutions to real-world problems.

International Collaborations

To make India competitive globally, India has been enhancing global partnerships in education. International collaborations with foreign universities, student exchange programs, and double-degree courses have become the norm of the day. The Study in India program has also gone a long way in positioning foreign nations as a center for low-cost and quality education.

Emphasis on Lifelong Learning

With the fast pace of skill obsolescence, lifelong learning has become an essential aspect of professional growth. The Centre has launched several upskilling and reskilling programs, such as Skill India and Digital India, to make professionals competitive in their respective domains. Certification courses on new subjects through online portals ensure continuous learning beyond the conventional classroom.

Challenges and the Road Ahead

Despite all these efforts, still many problems remain. Accessibility of quality education in rural and distant areas, affordability, and the mindset shift towards learning through skills are some areas which need to be worked upon. But with constant policy shifts and investment in education infrastructure, India is well on its way to keep leading education across the world.

In a world that is ever-changing, it is not just a necessity but a national priority that education remains relevant. The government's drive, coupled with the private sector and international cooperation, will be the driving force in creating a future-proof workforce that can easily comprehend the intricacies of the global stage.

Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD) prohibited protests in its admin block, which has sparked a storm of indignation among students, especially the All India Students' Association (AISA). The move came at a moment when campus tensions are running high following AISA's protest last week against the suspension of a student.

University Declares Administrative Zone a No-Protest Zone

A university administration notice on Wednesday established the new restrictions, stating protests would no longer be allowed from Gate No. 1 to the Dara Shikoh Library on the Kashmere Gate campus. The reasons for the decision, the administration reaffirmed the requirement of a "peaceful and orderly environment," and issued the administrative area as a no-protest area.

While the university has reserved a particular space for protest assembly, prior approval by the Proctor's office is now mandatory for all demonstrations, further straining administrative control on campus demonstrations.

AISA Condemns the Decision as an Attack on Student Rights

Acting fast to the ban, AISA released a statement condemning it as a well-crafted assault on democratic rights of students. "First, they banned a student. Now, they have banned students from gathering. The entire campus has been barricaded, movement has been halted, and the administration has now banned protests outside the Vice Chancellor's office," the statement said.

The Suspension That Sparked the Storm

The stir at AUD recently is due to the suspension of a student from the Global Studies department. The student, who is an AISA member, broke the institution's code of conduct when they used the official university mail system to send "derogatory and disrespectful language" to Vice Chancellor Anu Singh Lather on January 28, as per the university's proctorial board.

After a disciplinary hearing, the committee held the student culpable and handed down a suspension order on March 21, excluding them from campus for winter semester 2025.

Procedural Failures and Political Targeting Allegations

AISA has been highly critical of the ruling as having procedural flaws in the disciplinary process. The organization contends that:

Less than 12 hours' notice was provided to the student prior to the hearing.The complainant's identity was not revealed.The disciplining panel comprised only men except for a virtual woman.

As an added incitement of the outrage, AISA asserts that one panel member asked the student's religion while debating the demolition of Babri Masjid—a move which they interpret as an act at intimidation and political targeting of the student.

Timing of Suspension Under Scrutiny

The timing of the disciplinary action has also been questioned. AISA contends that the delay in suspending the student is a sign of politically driven crackdown and not an even-handed application of university policy. The student body continues to demand the reversal of the suspension, vowing to ignore the new protest bans despite warnings from the administration.

A Broader Trend in Campus Politics?

The events at AUD are symptomatic of larger tensions on Indian campuses, as student activism is being increasingly countered with administrative and state intervention. Silencing of protests and disciplinary action against student leaders has consequences for shrinking democratic spaces on campuses.

With AISA's movement building, the future of this confrontation will define not only AUD's campus policies but also the larger dynamics of student activism in India.

DMK MP Kanimozhi’s revelation that Tamil Nadu’s Kendriya Vidyalayas lack permanent Tamil teachers while Hindi and Sanskrit appointments flourish is more than just an administrative oversight—it is a glaring example of how language politics continues to dominate the education system.

The statistics shown—86 permanent Hindi teachers and 65 Sanskrit ones, but not a single one for Tamil—show a stark contrast in language inequity. It evokes some fundamental questions regarding the policy of the Union Government concerning regional languages. If one of India's six classical languages, and a language of deep historical and cultural richness, Tamil has no representation of its own in its nation in a centrally governed system of education, what does it convey to the people of Tamil Nadu?

Kanimozhi's stand against the BJP regime is targeting the very core of an age-old problem—whether India's multi-linguality is progressively eroded in favor of a Hindi-imperializing strategy. Although Hindi or Sanskrit is not prescribed by the Indian Constitution as the "national" language, such policy measures as these are indicative of an unspoken inclination that invigorates regional displeasure.

The lack of permanent Tamil teachers in central schools is more than an issue of administration or recruitment; it is proof of a global effort at language imposition. If federalism and inclusion are the underlying principles of our democracy, why should Tamil Nadu, with its unique linguistic and cultural identity, constantly have to struggle to maintain its language rights within national institutions?

Education policies must encourage diversity, and not push regional languages to the periphery. The Union Government is responsible, not only to Tamil Nadu, but to all Indians who aspire for an egalitarian education system.

The educational system of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir is facing serious challenges. The government schools in the area are weighed down with old syllabi and system inefficiencies, which have led to growing numbers of parents looking for private schools as the only acceptable option for good quality education for their children. But in place of a genuine alternative, the private schooling system has resulted in an exploitative trend whereby accessibility and affordability are crying issues.

Falling Standards in Government Schools

Government schools in PoJK have been suffering from systematic neglect, infrastructure shortages, and long-term underfunding. The curriculum is still archaic, not teaching students contemporary skills or readying them to cope with competitive educational and professional environments. Additionally, teacher absenteeism, political meddling, and poor supervision have also contributed to the decline of the sector. Despite assurances by the government to revamp the education sector, little has been done, and the learning environment is still not favorable for the students.

All the schools lack well-qualified teachers, decrepit buildings, and inadequate learning materials. Failing any sincere attempt at a solution, the schools continue losing face, forcing desperate parents to resort to private schools despite the financial struggle.

Exploitation in Private Schools

Although private schools first came across as a respite forailing government schools, their quick commercialization has led to children and parents being exploited by them. Undue fees, secret charges, and justifiable increase in fees are the order of the day now, rendering quality education a luxury and not a right.

Most private schools are unregulated and driven by profit margins more than pedagogy. The instructors are usually overworked and underpaid, and the quality of instruction suffers. Coercive tactics such as retention of students' records against non-payment of fees, economic extortion of parents, are also followed in certain schools.

Insufficient data presented by the state has allowed private institutions to go unaccounted for. With increasing demands for reform, governments have failed to institute regulatory systems that ensure quality and affordability.

The Consequences for Students

The implications of this education crisis are serious. As government schools are not delivering even minimum standards of education and private schools are becoming exorbitant, a high percentage of students in PoJK are now facing academic deprivation. The majority of families, being incapable of meeting the expenses of private schooling, are compelled to withdraw children out of formal education altogether, thus contributing to child labor and illiteracy.

Additionally, students in PoJK are being denied the right to compete with their peers elsewhere. Lack of quality education is not just an educational problem but a socioeconomic one that threatens the future of the young generation.

The Need for Immediate Reforms

Educating the PoJK crisis calls for a multi-faceted approach. Reform in government schools must be the highest priority of the government by way of new curricula, better teacher training programs, and proper infrastructure. Concurrently, strict regulation of private schools must be done so as not to leave space for exploitative behavior and fee disclosure.

The establishment of scholarship programs and scholarship schemes for economically disadvantaged students can also close the gap between accessibility and quality education. Additionally, promoting community-based educational schemes can act as an auxiliary support system for disadvantaged students.

Unless drastic action is initiated, the learning gap in PoJK will further increase, and a whole generation will be at risk of being left behind. The time for reforms is now—before the harm is done irretrievably.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has just announced the dates for the 2025 board exams, and the students have a mixed reaction. Some students welcome that the exams start later than usual, while others worry about the reduced amount of time remaining for preparation.

The CBSE board examinations for 2025 will start on February 15, 2025, and end on April 10, 2025. The exam schedule for this year has been rescheduled to suit the upcoming assembly elections. However, the shorter period for preparation has made some students nervous and stressed.

"I'm glad the exams are coming a little late, but then again, I'm also scared about less preparation time," noted Ria, a Class 12 student. "I would have appreciated the CBSE allowing us a better preparation time. The shortness of the preparation time is going to be problematic for us," added Rohan, a Class 10 student.

In spite of the fear, the CBSE has reassured students that the exam dates have been fixed so that the students will have enough time to prepare. The board has also announced that it will offer extra help to students in the form of extra study materials and counseling sessions.

While a section of students welcome the additional help, others are doubtful. "I do not know how much additional study materials and counseling will benefit. We require additional time to prepare, not additional resources," stated a Class 12 student who preferred not to be named. 

CBSE's decision to postpone the exams might have its advantages and disadvantages, but it is certainly beyond doubt that students will have to make the best of it and make the most of the time at hand.