Union Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar has highlighted that India’s next phase of growth and progress will be propelled by a strong focus on education, technology, and innovation. He emphasized that “all transformations truly begin in our schools” and that “the foundation of Viksit Bharat (Developed India) lies within our classrooms,” urging school boards nationwide to swiftly implement necessary reforms.
Mr. Kumar shared these crucial insights during his valedictory address at the 54th annual conference of the Council of Boards of School Education (COBSE). This important event was hosted by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) at their center on Friday.
Stressing the urgency of the moment, he warned that India’s “window of opportunity” is closing fast. “India is young today, but we will age soon. This is our decisive window of opportunity – if we miss it, the cost will be generational,” he stated, urging school boards to adopt speed and vision in their educational strategies to achieve a ‘Developed India’.
Acknowledging the vastness of India’s school education system, which caters to approximately 240 million students, Mr. Kumar called for a thorough collective review by all school boards to ensure meaningful outcomes. He further insisted that assessment methodologies must be updated to meet global standards.
The Secretary also spoke about the profound importance of learning in one’s mother tongue and embracing trans-languaging. He urged a “rethink” of the prevailing “fascination for instructional language” and encouraged boards to champion multilingualism, which he believes is vital to “preserve the soul of Indian education”.
Echoing this sentiment, Telangana’s Principal Secretary for Education, Yogita Rana, underscored the need to shift from rote memorization to a more reflective learning approach. She asserted that “we must move from recall to thinking” and that “assessment should function as a feedback engine, rather than merely a post-mortem report.”
Ms. Rana also showcased Telangana’s pioneering efforts in education, including the implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-enabled classrooms, achieving 90% student attendance through innovative face-recognition systems, and fostering global partnerships for foundational literacy. She highlighted successful teacher exchange programs with Japan and Finland, the establishment of the Telangana Skill University, and the impactful school breakfast scheme.
G. Immanuel, chairperson of CISCE, called upon educators to abandon outdated teaching methods. He stated, “We still teach as we did decades ago. NEP 2020 (National Education Policy 2020) grants us the freedom to innovate – only through innovation can teaching and learning truly flourish and become effective.”
The three-day conference, which brought together over 70 school boards from both India and internationally, concluded with a unanimous commitment to cultivating an Indian education system that is both “globally competitive yet deeply rooted in its civilizational ethos.”