Murli Manohar Joshi, a Padma Vibhushan awardee and former Minister of Human Resource Development, emphasized that the Indian education system aims to harmonise material, intellectual and spiritual development. Speaking at the 21st FICCI Higher Education Summit in New Delhi on October 8, Joshi highlighted the system’s commitment to creating a balanced world for all aspects of human growth.
The summit, which ran for two days at Bharat Mandapam, carried the theme “Higher Education for a New World Order: Reform, Resilience and Relevance.” Joshi urged that legitimate student demands be heard with sympathy rather than met with force, noting that a baton‑based approach offers no lasting solution. He criticised the current trend of student protests for lacking constructive dialogue.
During the event, Joshi also unveiled a report titled “From AI Adoption to Readiness – Preparing Indian Higher Education for the AI‑era,” underscoring the need for institutions to adapt to rapid technological change. Symbiosis University chancellor Vidya Yeravdekar stressed that higher education must prepare students for a technology‑driven future, while FICCI Secretary General Anant Swarup warned that artificial intelligence is reshaping graduate expectations faster than traditional curricula can respond.
Padmakumar Nair, vice chancellor of Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, called for universities to balance compassion with excellence. He argued that institutions should pursue an uncompromising standard of quality while treating people with ruthless compassion, a dual aspiration he said is essential for modern higher education.
