Advancing technology in Assam’s education sector

Bijendra Gogoi

On the world map, Israel appears as a small nation. In terms of land area, Assam is nearly three times larger than Israel, and its population is almost four times higher. Yet, Israel stands as one of the most powerful nations globally, both economically and militarily. Around 60 per cent of its land is desert, and most of its available water is saline. From a conventional perspective, the country’s natural conditions are hardly conducive to agriculture. Nevertheless, Israel not only fulfils the food requirements of its own population but also exports a wide range of high-value agricultural produce across the world.

Former President Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan once said, “The end product of education should be a free creative man, who can battle against historical circumstances and nature’s adversities.” This statement aptly applies to Israel’s human resource development. The people of Israel have courageously accepted and overcome the challenges posed by both nature and circumstances. The drip irrigation technology introduced by Israel has now been adopted by many countries around the world. Israel has also established one of the world’s largest desalination plants to purify saline seawater. Nearly 90 per cent of its wastewater is recycled and reused in agriculture. Israeli farmers use artificial intelligence, drones and satellite-based data to increase crop yields. Through climate-controlled greenhouses, Israel has managed to produce vegetables, fruits and flowers throughout the year even in desert conditions. India, too, has adopted several of these technologies. A Centre of Excellence for Vegetables – Protected Cultivation has been set up at Khetri near Guwahati, using such technology to promote excellence in the agricultural sector. Supported by technological innovation, Israel continues to stride forward on the global stage despite being surrounded by hostile nations.

Israel’s success demonstrates that with the proper use of technology, the impossible can be made possible. Today, information technology has become synonymous with life itself. In every sphere of work, technological knowledge has become indispensable. With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence and automation, significant changes are occurring across all sectors, a transformation that will only deepen in the coming decades. To keep pace with time, not only the younger generation but everyone must become well-acquainted with emerging technologies.

Against this backdrop, a transformative institution is being established in Assam today, heralding a glorious new chapter in the state’s history. On 20 September 1942, during the Quit India Movement, Kanaklata Barua led a procession to hoist the national flag at Gohpur Police Station and was martyred by British bullets while fighting for India’s freedom. In her memory, the foundation of Swahid Kanaklata Barua State University has been laid at Gohpur. Though it may appear at first glance to be just another higher education institution, the university is in fact unique and unprecedented in many ways.

Swahid Kanaklata Barua State University is being established to impart education through contemporary, technology-based curricula. Its core objective is to provide modern, technology-driven vocational education and training. Currently, none of Assam’s existing state universities, central universities, IIT, IIIT, NIT, CIT, NID or even the upcoming Assam Skill University offer such integrated technology-orientated vocational education and training. For the first time in India, a university dedicated to technology-based education is being established in Assam.

In this era of technological transformation, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 places special emphasis on integrating technology into education. The policy envisions making both school and higher education more holistic, flexible, multidisciplinary and aligned with 21st-century needs, thereby transforming India into a global knowledge superpower. Its aim is to nurture each student’s unique potential. In harmony with NEP 2020, this university seeks to integrate the study of arts, science, humanities and technology to develop students into versatile, creative citizens capable of logical reasoning, problem-solving and innovation. It will focus on skill development through skilling, reskilling, upskilling and cross-skilling initiatives to prepare learners for the new kinds of jobs emerging in the modern economy, while also emphasizing sustainable development.

By integrating technology at every level of education, the university will promote entrepreneurship and start-ups. Specialised training will be offered in fields such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, cybersecurity, blockchain, drone and navigation technology, GIS, image processing, quantum computing, brain-computer interface, augmented and virtual reality, animation and graphics, Internet of Things (IoT), smart cities and smart environments.

Spread over 731 bighas of land, the university will be developed in three phases. The first phase will include the School of Basic Sciences, the School of Engineering and the School of Humanities and Social Sciences; the second will establish the School of Technology and Computing; and the third will introduce the School of Agriculture and Biodiversity. The university will offer doctoral programmes across disciplines, along with undergraduate courses like B. Tech and B. Sc and postgraduate programmes such as M. Tech, M. Sc, MBA and MA. Integrated programmes like B. Tech–Ph.D., B. Tech–M. Tech, M. Tech–Ph.D., M.Sc.–Ph.D. and B.Sc.–M.Sc. will also be introduced. Online diploma and certificate courses will be available, and special training programmes will be designed for industries of the fourth and future generations. Partnerships will be developed with various industries for implementing advanced technology curricula.

The university will be developed as a leading centre of academic excellence, research and innovation suited to the needs of the modern era. With collaboration from the European Union and Germany’s Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training, it aims to build human resource capacity in technology-based vocational education and training in Assam. In leading industrial nations, school-leaving youth undergo advanced technology-orientated vocational education both at industrial enterprises and vocational institutions, functioning simultaneously as trainees and employees. Swahid Kanaklata Barua State University seeks to establish similar partnerships with multiple industries to implement such advanced, technology-driven vocational programmes.

Through international collaborations, the university will offer students globally benchmarked, technology-based vocational education and training, enabling them to become highly sought-after professionals in the fields of fifth-generation industrial technology and academia or to launch their own start-ups. It has already initiated collaborations with institutions in Germany and Norway. Supported by such global partnerships and advanced technological expertise, the university aims to establish cutting-edge research and skill-development laboratories, industry-focused labs, smart workshops and classrooms to equip students for gainful employment in modern industries.

We now live in a technology-driven world where the tools we use for communication, daily tasks and everyday life are evolving at a rapid pace. This transformation is reshaping both our surroundings and our personal lives. To adapt and thrive in this changing environment, one must acquire new knowledge and skills in emerging technologies. In this context, Swahid Kanaklata Barua State University, through its technology-based education and training, holds the promise of making a far-reaching contribution to Assam’s educational landscape by creating a pool of highly skilled, future-ready human resources.