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The rural-urban divide in India is not as wide as it used to be a decade earlier. The state and union governments, industrial bodies and most importantly, social entrepreneurs have been doing commendable work at the grassroots level. The rapidly growing urbanisation and penetration of technology are playing a crucial role in rural development. Unfortunately, the transition is slow. There is a lot to be done to improve the quality of rural life.

"Gone are the days when students searched tutors based on word of mouth. As technology thrives, students can now experience the luxury of finding the right tutors from anywhere underneath the sky. Such is the advantage of the digital platform GuruQ as it integrates education and technology to connect students and tutors," says founder of GuruQ, Minal Anand. The organisation aims to help students connect with the right tutor across the country.

The post graduation experience for a student has been roughly the same for the past two to three decades. All students have to do is find a college, decide on a specialisation, attend lectures, work on projects, get the grades, graduate, and start a career. For years, B-schools have built a pathway to a job. However, as costs continue to rise, and the percentage of graduates finding a stable job plunges, the value of real college education is often called into question by students as well as the industry.

Teachers are the most significant influence in a student's learning journey. To produce good students, it is vital for an institute to have good teachers, those who are constantly learning, and enhancing their teaching skills. Like any high performing organisation, institutes must invest back into their resources by investing time and money in the development of their teachers. As teachers learn and enhance their skills, they are more likely to be engaged in their jobs, engage better in the classroom. 

The first five years of a child’s life are the most important wherein their brain develops faster than at any other time in his life. A child’s early experiences – the things he sees, hears, touches, smells and tastes – stimulates his brain, creating millions of connections. This is when the foundations for learning, health and behaviour throughout life are laid down. However, a significant challenge is the lack of awareness of the benefits of a structured preschooling experience. Back in the day, most parents were comfortable sending their child to the nearest preschool, purely due to the lack of awareness on the merits of early childhood education.

“If you want to teach English literacy, the medium of instruction in your school is English. If you want to skill students with the capacity for creativity to the same level, the medium of instruction in the school needs to be creative.” – Ken Robinson

The purpose of education is to ensure the flourishing of the individuals characterised by the 'goodness' of character and 'goodness' of intellect, Aristotle said. Unfortunately, character building has taken a back seat. Compelled by the overall eco-system,the entire focus seems to be on maximising the academic performance. The race for college admissions in a fiercely competitive environment and shrinking job opportunities have left very little room for the students to pair their passion and interest with the need to build a strong character. The reality of life skills, critical thinking, the appetite for risk and adaption to a multicultural environment being among the top hiring characteristics, has not deterred the race for a high academic score. Ron Miller, one of today's significant thinkers on holistic education, puts it succinctly, "Education today, is not a collaborative art of mentoring and nurturing the young, but a frenzied scramble to succeed according to some external measure of success.”The significant challenges in the education system occur on account of the following: