Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said the Delhi government’s Business Blasters programme should also be implemented in universities and colleges so that students’ entrepreneurial ideas do not hit a roadblock after they finish school. Under the Business Blasters programme, students of classes 11 and 12 are given Rs 2,000 as seed money to develop business ideas.
Kejriwal was speaking at the 14th convocation of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU). Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, who is the chancellor of the university, joined the event virtually.
Noting that the state of education in the country has not seen any significant changes since the days the British ruled over India, Kejriwal said they had developed a certain degree-oriented model of education, “which I do not mean to dismiss”. “However, in today’s day and age, after earning one’s degree, a young graduate steps out into the market of jobs, only to wander and stumble in search of suitable employment,” he said.
Stressing that in Delhi, the education sector has undergone a great deal of reform and improvement, the chief minister said the children of a rickshaw puller, a judge, an IAS officer are studying under the same roof in Delhi government schools. “After having transformed the schools and the infrastructure, we are now working on the content, on what is being taught to students in these schools… a silent revolution is taking place in Delhi’s education sector,” he said.
The mindset of students is being changed and they are being motivated to grow into the idea of not just seeking jobs but also giving jobs, he said. “In Delhi government schools, a total of 3 lakh students study in classes 11 and 12. These 3 lakh students were given Rs 2,000 each which amounts to a total of 60 crore. Using this seed money, students came up with 52,000 business ideas,” Kejriwal said.
“Today, V C Professor Dr Mahesh Verma as well as Deputy Chief Minister Shri Manish Sisodia are present with us on stage. I request them to initiate the Business Blasters programme in universities and colleges as well. “While these students of classes 11 and 12 are exploring business ideas now, they are likely to join colleges after finishing school, after which the university education will weigh down on them, often posing obstacles in their entrepreneurial path. However, if the same programme is started at the university level, a student will be prepared before earning his college degree,” he said.
The chief minister said the current education system is very impersonal in nature. A teacher walks into a classroom, lectures students, finishes the course, students appear for exams, earn their degrees, and that is it. “I believe that each student deserves personal attention… no student should be left behind whether they want to start a business, get a job, or study more. While knowledge is a goal in itself, one has to have the means to run their household… There is little to no effort in the direction of preparing our students for this in universities. I believe that this target-oriented approach in education is the need of the hour,” he said.
Kejriwal also spoke about the Delhi government’s scheme for doorstep delivery of services. “Our government systems are running since the time of the British and they were designed by them to trouble us. But we changed the system. Just like you can get pizza over a phone call, government services also come to your doorstep,” he said.
A total of 53,692 degrees, including 205 PhDs, were awarded at the convocation. GGSIPU vice-chancellor Mahesh Verma said the university is adopting the National Education Policy, 2020. He thanked Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia for allocating Rs 20 crore for the university in the 2022-23 budget.
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