Re-educating the educators
There is a dire aspect to education in India which has arisen from many class-conscious ethnic decisions over a long period. Annual school achievement data shows few children benefit from their secondary years in school. And the OECD's PISA test, open to all 15-year olds, was taken by some pupils in India in 2009 who only achieved 72nd rank of 74 globally represented nations. But the Ministry now considers this international comparison might boost re-educating the educators, and to change curricula to meet modern needs: India will enter the 2021 PISA test (the application process takes three years). Before then we hope India can transform the education system by a value-driven and emotional process, which needs to be implemented strategically through a behavioural change process. The best way could be using the strategies of the Swachh Bharat Mission (‘Make India Clean'— the globes' largest behaviour change programme) transplanting its notions to the education sector by asking ‘product champions' to drive the reforms.
Clean opportunities
It is not a digression to comment on the Swachh Bharat Mission developed after Mr Modi promised to promote good sanitation following the 2011 census that indicated 70 percent of the population had no access to a private toilet and defecated unsafely outside. There are huge business opportunities in the total water sanitisation process (clean water delivery and treatment of dirty water, as well as providing safe toilets) and immense benefits to be gained by raising hygiene to cut illness for Indians as well as tourists. The World Bank estimates diarrheal diseases costs India 6.4 percent of its gross domestic product. So - to business - the $20m ‘Clean India' aims to construct 111 million latrines in five years: it has initiated an 81 percent jump in sales of concrete building materials and 48 percent increase in bathroom and sanitaryware sales.
Skilling young Indians
Returning to education - as it is central to all global understanding - we note poor initial teaching standards invalidates the oft-quoted demographic dividend of India with its young workforce. But as many young people (both boys and girls) cannot read, write or calculate adequately they will not contribute fully in the work-place that demands people operated high-tech equipment and who must join ‘nemawashi-like' problem-solving discussions using critical thinking skills. This is not only an Indian issue only, as globally there is a severe lack of international-standard culturally-aware managers, and especially managers with specific skills, like developing AI systems (it is thought only 10,000 expert staff exist).
Reforms that work
It is thus helpful to note "India's strong reform agenda to improve the business climate for small and medium enterprises" is bearing fruit - being reflected in the government's strong commitment to broaden the business reforms agenda at the state and at the district level. Further, opined Junaid Ahmad, Indian World Bank Country Director there is the need to reform the judicial processes, making them speedier in bringing justice to the fore, to be in-line with international business reforms. The economic liberalisation in India is built upon reforms having the goal of making the economy more market- and service-oriented and expanding the role of private and foreign investment. Yet for a democratic country like India with such a diverse population, implementation of a pan-India reform becomes a tough task owing to the varied political, economic and social situations.
Reform is delayed by nationalism and populism that affects many in India through its inter-regional rivalry. Populism revolves around a ‘powerless-powerful' dimension where populists claim to represent ‘the people against the current elite' that does not represent them, but they offer outcomes that are not sustainable. Often these are posited against foreign conspiracies which in an age of globalization seems plausible as things going on thousands of miles elsewhere in the global economy can have major impact at home.
Way ahead
Indian businesses at home or overseas are supported today by strong Indian managers who understand the need for globalisation as well as modernisation. They are aided by government reforms, especially in education, that develop an understanding among the people that ‘Digital India' through the democratisation of Aadhar, digital money, and a desire to be democratic will ensure India rises up the global competitiveness indices.
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