PM Modi’s reforms are absolutely inspirational: Phil Baty

New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) Acknowledging the efforts of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre for improving the quality of education in India along with establishing the country’s stature as a rising superpower on the world stage, Phil Baty, the Chief Global Affairs Officer at the Times Higher Education, has said that “India needs an education system that matches its growth as a rising economy”.

The Times Education is the most comprehensive and the most balanced evaluation system for Global Research University in the world.

In an exclusive interview with IANS, Baty said, “I think PM Modi’s reforms are absolutely inspirational in their scale and boldness… We see a nation that is desperately in need of education, with a large youth population requiring access to it. The efforts to improve access to education, grow inclusion in higher education, and simultaneously enhance quality are commendable…”

Asked about the Indian universities finding a place in the Times Higher Education, he added: “We see India’s rising participation … Indian universities have the desire and hunger to enter the world stage.”

He added: “Perhaps the heart of the next stage is internationalisation. I sense that Indian universities are more attractive globally… They can attract and retain more talent. They are not losing as much talent. But now the rest of the world is looking towards India. The universities in the UK and Australia… all want to see what is happening here. They want to enter the Indian market and want to join and collaborate under the National Education Policy (NEP) reforms that have allowed them to… they want a piece of the action to be a part of the revolution in education.”

“I think, for me, there is a real clarity of mission: India is a rising world superpower and needs an education system to match its economic growth. Its modernisation has been extraordinary, so aligning the education system with this remarkable development is crucial. Additionally, ensuring that the education system contributes to further development, modernisation, and economic growth has been the most exciting aspect for me…”

Asked about how has education and the entire education system evolved in the last 10 years under PM Modi’s government at the helm in India, Baty said: “I think we see dramatic increases in the number of people who can access higher education go to university for the first time which is vital for the health of the nation’s economy and democracy. But we are also seeing the quality improving with research capacity… India’s quality of research is going up and the quantity as well. The amazing ability to marry great scale and great size but also protect quality also is quite remarkable.”

Asked about India’s stature rising as a global superpower, Baty said: “It’s just because of consistent leadership we have seen across India.”

–IANS

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