Pune: Maharashtra Governor Introduces Dr Ashwin Fernandes’ Book At Symbiosis
Pune, 9th February 2023: On Thursday, 9th February 2023, the book written by Dr Ashwin Fernandes – India’s Knowledge Supremacy: The New Dawn – was released at the hands of Bhagat Singh Koshyari, the Governor of Maharashtra, during a ceremony organized by Symbiosis International (Deemed University) at Symbiosis Vishwabhavan Auditorium, Senapati Bapat Road, Pune. “Ancient universities such as Takshashila and Nalanda once attracted students from around the world and helped develop some of the brightest minds. However, invasions, annexation, loot, and colonisation had a significant impact on India’s knowledge capital. The alterations in teachings buried the original and enriched the Indian educational system. Although we gained independence from British rule in 1947, we continued to uphold English education until the game-changing National Education Policy of 2020 was released,” said Dr Ashwin Fernandes, Regional Director for QS Quacquarelli Symonds in Middle East, Africa & South Asia and CEO for QS IGAUGE Rating System.
The book showcases the rich Indian education legacy and changing trends in the newly emerging India. The book delves deep into the evolution of higher education in India throughout history.
Speaking at the occasion Dr Fernandes notes that in recent years, the Indian government, under the dynamic leadership of Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has taken significant initiatives to improve the education system and make it more progressive.
Despite its rich history of education, India’s higher education system has traditionally been rigid and fragmented, with students often required to conform to strict disciplinary structures. Additionally, there has been a lack of emphasis on research at universities and colleges, coupled with a shortage of competitive peer-reviewed research funding across disciplines. This has resulted in a poor representation of Indian institutions in global rankings, with not a single Indian university currently ranked in the top 100 of any reputable world university ranking.
Bhagat Singh Koshyari, in his speech, said that in our country the quality of universities is evaluated by NAAC. We have always been curious about universities like Harvard, Cambridge etc. but once upon a time India was known in the world for its “Knowledge”. Swami Vivekananda and Aravind have proved that their knowledge was supreme.
If we continue to only glorify our history and admire others, we will perish. We have to change the character of colleges, and universities to move forward. Giving importance to the mother tongue is a basic aspect of national education policy. Mughals, British, Dutch, and Portuguese could not finish our culture, knowledge, and tradition. If we set a goal and work hard towards it then we can succeed. Koshyari further said that we must have faith in our principles.
Dr Vidya Yeravdekar, Principal Director, Symbiosis and Pro-Chancellor, Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Dr Rajani Gupte, Vice-Chancellor, Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Dr Bhama Venkataramani, Dean, Academics & Administration, Symbiosis International (Deemed University) were the other dignitaries present for the function.
