Prof.(Dr. ) Muddu Vinay is the Pro Vice Chancellor of Presidency University, Bangalore, One of the leading Private Universities of the Country today. In this candid interview, we asked for his opinions on the state of education in India, what roadmap Indian institutions should follow for the upliftment of education and alleviation of unemployment, and about his own upbringing and educational journey. We spoke at length about News Education Policy also. Excerpts from the interaction on New Education Policy and Higher Education in India.
How do you rate National Education Policy 2020 and other changes that have been made for higher education in recent years?
I would say that the policy is really ambitious. However, it is filled with a ton of challenges. As education has been revamped after 34 years, there are a lot of gaps that need to be filled. This policy talks about education of children even before they attend formal schooling. Moreover, it provides total freedom to the student to choose whatever he wants for his education. It is split into three stages. Additionally, the entire school structure is being revamped from senior secondary. The National Education Policy 2020 also challenges higher education provided by the top universities of the country. I think NEP will bring the desired changes in the higher education sector of the country.
How is Presidency University Bangalore different from other private universities in India?
Presidency University, Bangalore was established in 2013. Across Karnataka, our institution has 8 schools and 2 colleges. The colleges are among the top 10 in Bangalore. Since the commencement of classes in 2015, it has become one of the fastest growing colleges in the country. Our students are provided with the latest technology tools needed not only for their courses but also for the overall development of their comfort with technology.
Prof (Dr.) Muddu Vinay being felicitated at a function
Every year lakhs of engineering students are graduating. However, do you think that enough employment opportunities are available for everyone? What special care are you taking for placements of your students?
Employment opportunities are definitely not available for every engineering graduate of the country. As a result, unemployment of engineers in courses other than Computer Science Engineering, for instance in Electrical and Civil Engineering has increased drastically all over India.
To mitigate this adverse situation as much as possible, we have set up a separate Placement Cell for easing the process of job search for our students. We have even tied up with companies to directly set up Centres of Excellence for teaching the latest technology to our students.
How can Universities help students to increase their employability through skill development?
Universities must keep in mind to fuse learning with continuous hands-on development. Along with that, students must polish their soft skills and work on their personality. When it comes to our college, we have skill development courses embedded into our curriculums. This enables our students to be placed really well. For this we must also show our gratitude to the UGC and AICTE.
To promote Research and Innovation, what special arrangements should Universities make?
Institutions in our country are unfortunately lagging behind. That is why they are being tied with a lot of gaps. On the contrary, top universities are doing exceptional work. As disappointing as it is, there is no Research and Innovation in Tier 2 and Tier 3 institutions. The government needs to put its focus on these institutions. My suggestion to the Chairmen of these institutions is to strictly adhere to the guidelines that the UGC has come out with.
Online Education: Prof Muddu Vinay addressing the audience in a higher education seminar
Where do you see higher education in the next 10 years in India?
I strongly believe that if every institution implements the National Education Policy 2020, we will definitely be Number 1 in the entire world.
As an educational leader, do you think should foreign universities be allowed to open campuses in India?
Yes, definitely. In 2009, 5 international universities came here for dual degree programmes to combine their form of education with ours. International education will unquestionably augment the standard of education in our universities. Also, it will help millions of students who have ambition to go abroad and study but cannot afford to spend the hefty tuition fees of foreign universities. They can avail world class education right in their country.
If that were to happen, would private and government universities in India be impacted negatively?
I don’t believe they will be impacted at all. It will only impact them positively as their standard of education will shoot up exponentially.
Tell us something about your childhood and your journey in education & academia.
I come from the city of Hyderabad. In my childhood, I attended a small Pathak school in the colony. I always wanted to become a teacher right from childhood days. I wanted to achieve the highest feat a teacher can. I went on to study Mathematics and Statistics at Osmania University, where I completed my Bachelors, Masters and PhD.
I had been associated with the Presidency Group of Institutions for 8 years as the Director – Principal, Presidency College. In 2018, I was appointed as Vice Chancellor in ICFAI University, Dehradun for 1 term. After that, I moved to Presidency University, Bangalore as the Pro Vice Chancellor.
Prof Muddu Vinay always believes in motivating young students to achieve their goals
What would be your suggestion to young teachers and education leaders across India?
Whenever I meet an academic, I tell them to never compromise on quality. I encourage them to make their students’ lives enjoyable by implementing different methods of teaching. Every faculty member should be well versed with research as that enables their students to get more knowledge.
