Q: Your motto is उद्यम: कार्य साधक: To develop core competency in the pharmaceutical sector and contribute in building leaders. What are the challenges you face in achieving this motto?
RKG: I don’t think I faced a big challenge. There were only some shortcomings. We want additional land now the way with which we are expanding. This is one challenge but it will come through.
Another challenge common for most educational institutions is the faculty. Getting faculty and recruiting them is a big challenge. Without faculty and their expertise, you cannot move ahead. I would like to mention here that 4 of our faculties have featured in the top 2% of the scientists in the searches by Oxford University.
Q: DPSRU is the first Pharmacy University in India and third in the world. What steps are you taking or planning to take to make it a world-class University in Rankings?
RKG: The age of the university matters. If you see the world's top-ranking universities, they are pretty old. Still, this is not the limiting criterion. Still, a few parameters are very strict, no.1 is infrastructure, budget, third is faculty, fourth is research. Research environment and research funding, the government is doing very well. Thanks to both the central and state government. I must thank the vision given to us by our former President APJ Abdul Kalam. When he was the president, he brought out various programs such as the INSPIRE fellowship, which boost the research.
Q: India has different categories of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). In your opinion what should be the main focus areas for the different types of HEIs while implementing NEP 2020? Any specific measure, you think the Union Govt should take, which will be helpful in accelerating the NEP implementation in the country?
RKG: For me, the challenge of faculty is immense. Education is heavily regulated in India.
Q: Has this problem not been solved in the NEP? What is your suggestion to Higher Education sector stakeholders for smooth and effective implementation of NEP 2020?
RKG: The very proposal to have one regulatory body is itself a good thing. However, councils should not dictate, they should give guidelines.
Q: What are the major challenges in NEP implementation? And how these challenges could be addressed?
RKG: When I was involved with framing the Gujarat model, we suggested there should be a multidisciplinary approach. Say if I’m a student of sciences, I want to learn philosophy, how it will be done, that is, a transdisciplinary approach. One good feature about NEP is the multidisciplinary approach, core electives, open electives.
Prior to that, the main problem is IT. Now online education has come. Several programs such as MOOC or Swayam by GC and AICTE have now been used. That is a good thing. But skills cannot be taught online. You cannot teach how to treat a patient online. Professional education has suffered a lot , including pharmacy, Secondly, every state has been instructed to bypass and get away with examinations, but the two years gap that has occurred, how to bridge that.
Q: NEP 2020 Document also highlights the linkage of this policy to UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In your views, how NEP 2020 implementation can be helpful in realizing UN SDGs?
RKG: Well we were just going through the sustainable aspect, they have put it nicely but sometimes I feel they have taken components from NEP, and vice versa. If these policies are taken in the right spirit, it will be through.
Q. During the Covid19, the use of Technology has increased. How Technology can play its role in implementing NEP2020 and make Indian Education world class in quality?
RKG: Every challenge brings opportunity. With online classes, it’s proven that technology has a big role to play, but it should not be restrictive. I still remember a joke that instead of a signal, put all the police constables to generate more employment, their technology is required. But everywhere technology cannot be used, where human power is required, it must be used.
Q: How do you see the future of the Medical and Pharma Education domain in 2022 and beyond post Covid situation?
RKG: Covid 19 has made good changes with respect to hygiene, cleanliness. As far as education is concerned, the pharma and medical device industry has a bright future. Because in Covid, it was clear that practice of medicine is necessary. Many countries were more concerned about non communicable diseases, now they will also pay attention to the communicable diseases.
One problem was that the medical facility and infrastructure was not sufficient. Even in European countries, America and India it was widely inadequate. Still we are talking about giving AIIMS to one state, etc.
Q. So, do you think more focus is needed in creating health infrastructure?
RKG: In the pharma industry, you will find manufacturing any capsules, etc requires sterilization while in the medical industry, if surgery has to be done, the patient has to start with antibiotics before surgery, which means they are confident that the patient might get an infection before surgery. It’s a big change. So that itself speaks if care is taken. Also, during covid period, there was an oxygen problem that was faced. During 2003, I faced 10 ICU beds and only 2 ventilators. If another patient is waiting, we have to allow him to die. So, it's not covid situation only, hospitals were not that well equipped. If you say 10 beds, is there a regulatory agency that checks that there are 10 ventilators also. I’m still curious to know. I may be wrong about it. Covid has definitely taught that.
Q. So what is your suggestion to the government, what changes, and policies they should make to improve the health infrastructure?
RKG: Increasing the number of hospitals is necessary. The government hospitals have now started working in this direction.
Q. Govt. hospitals are now moving in PPP mode. Your comment?
RKG: Good move, but we must ensure these things are not repeated. Like a short supply of oxygen.
Q. Recently, we saw an issue, in the southern state of Karnataka, and the issue was, whether Muslim women should be allowed to wear hijab in educational institutions or not. What is your opinion?
RKG: See, we respect all religions. So it’s not good to give calls like that. This is my personal view
Q: We have lost almost two years due to Covid19. From the students to Educational institutions and the whole fraternity have suffered. How can this loss be recovered now?
RKG: For the two-year loss due to Covid, there have to be some bridge courses or bridge modules to be developed by each institution to fill up the gap created by these two years. For example, after 1st year to 3rd year, there’s a gap of 1 year, there must be a limitation for the medical student that he could not be taught certain aspects properly, I’m not saying every practical needs to be taught, but there should be some practicals. Like in pharmacy, we have something like formulation, physical pharmacy is there in the first year. Now in the first year, those students were not taught this, now they have come to the third year, so to revive that devise module so that gap is covered. So, that one should not take it for granted.
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BY ONKARESHWAR PANDEY
DR (MRS) PANKAJ MITTAL, Secy Gen, Association of Indian Universities (AIU) - https://bit.ly/34GAQSD
JIM VARGHESE AM, Chancellor, Torrens University, Australia - https://bit.ly/3KdITGg
Prof. Ramesh K Goyal, Vice Chancellor, DPSRU, New Delhi - https://bit.ly/3MkGlqM
PROF. BHIMARAYA METRI, Director, IIM, Nagpur - https://cutt.ly/OPbrQP1
PROF. DR.PRAHLAD RAI SODANI, President of IIHMR University, Jaipur, Rajasthan - https://bit.ly/34JHszD
SHRI MANOJ K BHARTI, ADDL. SECY. (AD) MEA - https://bit.ly/3oXwzB6
RAJIV RANJAN MISHRA, DG and Puskal Upadhyay, former Director (Finance), NMCG - https://bit.ly/3gWrEvL
DR. ALOK MISHRA, JS, Evaluation, AIU by Onkareshwar Pandey - https://bit.ly/3v5sJd7
DR. BINDESHWAR PATHAK: India’s Living Legend and Golden Signature - https://bit.ly/3sUmFkZ
DR. KAMLA DUTT: Who Doesn’t Accept the Pseudo-Classification of Pravasi Sahitya - https://bit.ly/3JE4feM
VAISHALI K. SHAH: Spreading Hindu Vedic Knowledge & Culture in the World- https://cutt.ly/rPbtvLr
ICONIC INDIAN-ZULU PRINCE RAMLUTCHMAN - https://cutt.ly/6PbtHju
India’s Pathways to Adaptation and Resilience - https://bit.ly/3MhKGeu