Newer technologies like Internet, Telematics, e-Commerce, and biotechnology are impacting education. The change in technology scenario in the field of IT, Biotechnology etc. is increasing at a faster rate. The challenges emanating from updating and restructuring of our education system, endogenous as well as exogenous, to achieve and excel international standards have obvious implications for updating the educational curricula and syllabi. Our education can no longer afford to remain a sleeping titan. To meet the demands of the ever progressing and changing job market, it is necessary to update and modernize the curricula & syllabi of Higher/Collegiate Education at regular intervals.

The syllabus should be made relevant by infusing productivity and through diversification as well as innovation. With these objectives in mind, the Directorate of Education (University & Higher Education), Govt. of Manipur and Thambal Marik College, Oinam jointly organized a one-day District Level workshop on "Infusing Productivity in Curriculum and Syllabus of Higher Education" at Thambal Marik College, Oinam on the 5th March, 2005 at 10 a.m. Shri P. Sharatchandra, IAS, Commissioner (Higher & Technical Education). Govt. of Manipur and Shri O. Megho Singh, Chairman, Thambal Marik College, Oinam graced the occasion as Chief Guest and President respectively. Smt N. Swarnalata Devi, Principal delivered the Welcome Address, myself delivered the key-note address and Dr Kh. Menjor Singh, OSD, University & Higher Education Department, Govt. of Manipur presented the Vote of Thanks. The Chief Guest of the function, Shri P. Sharat Chandra, IAS inaugurated the Computer Science Department of the College, which was financed by Dr T Meinya, MP under his MP's Local Area Development Fund.

The resource persons were (1) Shri BK Patnaik, Dy Director (Retd) of SCERT-Orissa, Bhubaneshwar (2) Dr E Bijoykumar Singh, Professor, Economics Dept., M.U, Canchipur, (3) Dr L Leiren Singh, Head of Dept (Education), Manipur University and (4) Prof. VB Shastry, Professor in Education (Retd), Bhubaneshwar, Orissa. About 200 delegates attended the workshop.

The Commissioner of Higher & Technical Education was worried about the students of Manipur, who belong to the creamy layer of the society and migrating to outside the states for study and better job opportunity, thereby causing Manipur poorer day-by-day. He suggested reversing it by providing quality and productive education in this state. He asserted that dissatisfaction in the society due to low productivity in various fields gets reflected in social disorder and social protest. This situation negatively influences the educational climate of the state. He reassured that adequate funds will be arranged to upgrade the colleges to provide quality productive education. He mentioned that the Government of Manipur has priorities in development of Tourism in the state. As the state is encircled by states like Nagaland, requires Inner Line Permit. For foreigners the problems are more complicated due to necessity of Remote Area Payment at Delhi. So, tourism development is affected due to these restrictions & limitations. Infrastructural and Industrial development with foreign investment are not boosted due to such restrictive policies. He stressed the extraordinary importance of infusing productivity in Higher Education in Manipur. This is the first district level workshop organized in Higher Education to be organized in other districts also. Finally, a state level workshop will be organized at Imphal. The recommendations of these workshops will be compiled to submit a proposal to the Government to frame a new Higher Education Policy. He congratulated the Thambal Marik College authorities for organizing the first district level workshop that is path breaking and pioneering.

The first session of the workshop was chaired by Shri P. Sharat Chandra, IAS, Commissioner (H.T.E). Shri BK Patnaik, Dy Director (Retd) of SCERT-Orissa, Bhubaneshwar defined the concept of productivity as capacity to perform better in a comparative way. …..The Institutions, its personnel or students are the major players to generate productivity and external market forces have taken into consideration for making higher education productive. As a product cannot be sold without quality and the customer will change its preference to consume it and unproductive students will be discarded everywhere in the job market….. For bringing productivity in different disciplines, research has to be taken up on certain important areas like supply and demand, embrace each sector of higher education, update curriculum by curricula of other states and other countries, modality of working out linkages between education and industry.

In the same session, Prof. E. Bijoykumar Singh, Professor of Economics Dept, Manipur University stated that education should imbue people with the knowledge, the sense of purpose and the confidence essential for building a dynamic, vibrant and cohesive nation capable of providing its people with the wherewithal for creating better, fuller and more meaningful life. Stating an extract of Kothari Commission report as "The destiny of India is now being shaped in her class rooms …In a world based on science and technology; it is education that determines the level of prosperity, welfare and security of the people. On the quality and number of persons coming out of our schools and colleges will depend our success in the great enterprise of national reconstruction…" he reiterated that the higher education system should be related to the life, needs and aspirations of the people and thereby making it a powerful tool of social, economic and cultural transformation necessary for the realization of national goal. The status of higher education is one of the indicators of the country’s future. Emphasis would be laid on the relevance of the curriculum, vocationalisation and networking on the use of IT. The focus will also be on distance education, convergence of formal, non-formal, distance and IT education institutions, increased private participation in the management of colleges and deemed to be universities, research in frontier areas of knowledge and meeting challenges in the area of internationalization of Indian education.

Prof. Bijoykumar suggested few main steps for infusing productivity in curriculum and syllabus in higher education as below:

1. The opportunity provided by fast evolving teaching and learning technology should be fully availed of. It may imply a hike in capital expenditure possibly at the cost of in-optimal use of human resources in the short run. IT can impart substantial flexibility in the learning and teaching process.

2. We need a permanent body, which will look continuously into the evolution of knowledge with a view to incorporate them in the curriculum and syllabus. This body should also monitor the opportunities emerging in the economy

3. The feedback from the students should be taken at regular intervals.

4. Educational CD’s can be developed for widespread use in higher education containing the syllabus.

5. Every institution of higher learning should be put under the scanner of National Assessment and Accreditation council to have an idea of its quality in a manner as transparent as possible.

6. Active involvement of parents and the public can be an effective tool for enhancement of quality.

7. Productivity of curriculum cannot be enhanced without support from the teaching community.

8. The best management practices should be introduced in higher education to ensure relevance and cost effectiveness in a sustained manner.

The evening session of the workshop was chaired by Prof. N. Loken Singh, Director, CDC, Manipur University. Dr. L. Leiren Singh, Head of Department (Education), Manipur University referred the Education Commission Report 1964-66, which states that most important and urgent reform needed in Education is to transform it, to endeavor to relate it to the life, needs and aspirations of the people and thereby make it a powerful instrument of social, economic and cultural transformation necessary for the realization of national goals. For this purpose, education should be developed so as to increase productivity, achieve social and national integration, accelerate the process of modernization and cultivate social, moral and spiritual values. He stressed that the conventional teaching methods may not be suitable for effective skill development among the students. Hence, the teacher needs to develop certain specific skills to enable him/her to contribute to the process of skill building among students of higher education. He said, “Now, we are in the age of tremendous expansion of Information & Communication Technology (ICT). A separate satellite channel known as EDUSAT had also launched having immense impact on the concerns of productivity in the curriculum of higher education. Hence, we need proper vision and mission for focusing productivity in the syllabi and curricula of higher education. The whole program should be taken up with a missionary zeal. Work culture and professional ethics of the teachers will play a significant role in achieving this mission in the 21st century.

Dr. V. B. Shastry, retired Principal of Radhanath I.A.S.E, Cuttack and Director of Adult and Extension Education (Retd), Utkal University described the meaning of the theme of the workshop as, "Post-secondary education (Higher Education) must be permeated or steeped with training to improve the performance in one’s job (productivity) through an educational plan (curriculum) of action along with a descriptive outline of compulsory course requirement (syllabus) to attain better results." He stressed that the critical role of Higher Education, vis-à-vis service sector can never be neglected. The performance parameters of productive higher education are greater involvement, higher success, better employability and recognition of quality by the society.

Japan has rich tradition of high quality productivity. The universities of technology do provide education for it. But the "in-house quality productivity-oriented education" provided by the internationally reputed countries has a greater role and importance. Education for Productivity is a mandate voluntarily accepted by the Japanese industrial houses for their own progress, competition and survival. Demands from the private sector have increased during the period and university graduates have to be prepared and oriented to meet them. The need to accommodate an increasing number of graduates in the private sector, as apposed to the private sector (which has always been the major employer of University graduates in the past) has led the Universities to redesign their course offerings. Graduates are not only equipped with skills in management and the ability to apply computer science and other tools in commerce and industry, but also are able to play an entrepreneurial role in creating employment, especially in private sector."

In the context of Manipur he mentioned, "Manipur has exhibited its excellence in dance, drama, music, folk art, literature, and culture. Now, the challenges of 21st century are beckoning it to rediscover the true implication of "Learning: The Treasure Within" which was a classical age-old ideal of this illustrious State. Manipur welcomes the light of sunrise earliest in India, everyday. May the higher education system of Manipur State spread relevant productivity-oriented pragmatic knowledge through improved intellectual and insightful instructional initiatives. Let us fervently hope Manipur would be the torchbearer and pioneer in effectively infusing productivity into its higher education system; and be the pioneer in implementing the concepts of productivity, total quality management and recurrent education.

Giving an example of a poem written by the Manipuri Poet Saratchand Thiyam which says,

“In the modern times,

in the present day

at this time

at this moment

even the call (for productivity)

even its reply

must be manifested in you,

as you, only you

it is you, only you...”

Encouraged the college teachers to have total trust in the capability in transforming the entire Manipuri society for the better and brighter future.

There were many exchanges of views, queries and answers amongst the delegates and resource persons.

The workshop ended with a panel discussion with Prof. N. Loken Singh, Director, CDC, Manipur University, Prof. V.B. Shastry, retired Principal of Radhanath I.A.S.E, Cuttack and Director of Adult and Extension Education (Retd), Utkal University, Dr. Kh. Kunjo Singh, Head of Department (English), Manipur University and I as panelist. The panel suggested few recommendations of the proceedings of the workshop for submission to the Directorate of Education (University & Higher Education), Government of Manipur.

(Courtesy: The Sangai Express)