Collaboration and innovation take center stage at G20 education meeting in Amritsar

The Ministry of Education hosted the 2nd Education Working Group (EdWG) meeting in Amritsar, Punjab from 15th-17th March, 2023. G20 member countries, guest countries, and invited organizations (OECD, UNESCO & UNICEF) participated in the event comprising a seminar, exhibitions and working group meetings.
The two-day meeting provided a platform to continue the work initiated during the 1st Education Working Group that took place in Chennai (February 2023). In this second encounter, the delegates discussed and deliberated on the following four priority areas:

1 - Ensuring Foundational Literacy and Numeracy: This priority area focuses on improving literacy and numeracy skills among students, especially in the context of blended learning.

2 - Making Tech-enabled Learning More Inclusive, Qualitative, and Collabora- tive: This priority area aims to explore ways of using technology to enhance the quality of education and ensure that it is inclusive and collaborative at all levels.

3 - Building Capacities, Promoting Lifelong Learning in the Context of Future of Work: This priority area focuses on building the capacity of students and workers to adapt to the changing demands of the labour market through lifelong learning.

4 - Strengthening Research, Promoting Innovation through Richer Collabora- tion and Partnerships: This priority area aims to promote collaboration and part- nerships among countries and organizations to enhance research and innovation in the education sector.


The event put collaboration, research, and innovation at the centre of the discus- sions. IIT Ropar organised the key seminar on 'Strengthening Research and Pro- moting Innovation through richer Collaboration'. The seminar began with a pre- sentation from Prof. Govindan Rangarajan, Director IISc Bengaluru on 'Research Initiatives in G20 countries'. The seminar also included two Panel Discussions, one on 'Research in Emerging and Disruptive Technologies, Industry 4.0' and the other on 'Research in Sustainable Development Goals'. The panel discussions saw participation from France, the United Kingdom, Australia, India, Oman, South Africa, UNICEF, China, and UAE.

A multimedia exhibition was also organized on the side-lines of the seminar, which provided a physical format to the participating countries along with industry and academia to present the best practices in research, innovation, collaboration, and partnership. The exhibition had more than 90 stalls with key participation from UAE, China, and Saudi Arabia, NSDC, NCERT, National Book Trust, Indian Knowledge Systems Division (IKS), and several start-up initiatives. The exhibition was also open to local institutions, students, academicians, and researchers. The outcomes of the 2nd Education Working Group meeting were essential to draft the final declaration document to be shared at the concluding Ministerial Meeting. The document will become a guideline for the development of numerous educational and employment opportunities. The G20 EdWG meetings also gave participating countries and organizations the opportunity to strengthen educational cooperation and discuss new collaboration opportunities.

India's Education System: Striving for Excellence Amidst Challenges

The Indian education system has made significant strides in innovation, research, and technology in recent years. Some of the biggest achievements in these areas include:

• Government initiatives: The Indian education system has embraced digital technology, with initiatives such as Digital India, SWAYAM, and ePathshala, which have made learning more accessible and convenient for students. The Indian government has also introduced innovative teacher training programs such as the National Initiative for School Heads and Teachers Holistic Advance- ment (NISHTHA) and the Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP).


• Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs): India has the world's second-largest market for MOOCs, with over 9.5 million users as of 2021. The NEP 2020 aims to pro- mote online and digital education and increase the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in higher education to 50% by 2035.


• IITs and IIMS: The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMS) are globally renowned institutions for research and innova- tion. The NEP 2020 aims to establish more such institutions in the country and abroad-


• Research and Development: According to the World Intellectual Property Orga- nization (WIPO), India ranks third globally in the number of patents filed in the field of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.


• Start-ups: India has emerged as the world's third-largest start-up ecosystem, with over 50,000 start-ups as of 2021. The NEP 2020 aims to promote entrepreneur- ship and innovation among students and encourage start-up incubation centers in higher education institutions.

Undoubtedly, India has the potential to become a global education leader with a focus on innovation, research, and technology. However, to ensure its pre-emi- nence in the provision of quality education some areas require further attention:

• Literacy Rates: According to the latest data from UNESCO, the literacy rate in India is 77.7%, which is lower than the average for other G20 countries. While this number has been steadily improving over the years, it still raises concerns about the ability of the education system to equip students with basic reading and writ- ing skills that are essential for the 21st century.


• Learning Outcomes: According to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2019, only 16.2% of children in Grade 1 in rural India can read Grade 1 level text, and only 27.2% of Grade 3 children in rural India can do basic division.


• Skill Development: According to the Global Skill Gap Report 2020, India ranks 67th out of 144 countries in terms of its ability to develop and retain talent.

Overall, while the Indian education system has made a towering progress in recent years, there is still a need for significant reform and improvements to ensure that it is fit for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. None- theless, the cutting-edge approach of India's National Education Policy 2020 paired with the diversity, affordability and emphasis on science and technology of the country's education is a successful formula that India ought to promote and disseminate during the G20 EDWG.