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Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Degree. Yes. Employable? Not quite
Rajesh Kalra is a journalist for almost three decades and has also tried his hands at entrepreneurship in between. Although he has written on several subjects, he has a weakness for IT, telecommunications, sports and developmental issues. He is an avid sportsman, a trained high-altitude mountaineer, a passionate mountain biker and a marathoner. He is on the PM's Olympic Task Force and a member of the All India Council of Sports. His blog, Random Access, will cover issues that take into account these varied interests. Follow @rajeshkalra on Twitter LESS ... MORE A post by a LinkedIn user, Sanket S, has been doing the rounds, almost going viral: He recently hired three graduates from top-tier private Indian institutions—specialising in business, food, and hospitality. Each had spent Rs 40–50 lakh on their education. All three were excellent at making PowerPoint presentations—something even AI can now do. But when it came to core, real-world skills, they fell dramatically short. The MBA graduate didn't understand P&L or cash flow. The hotel management graduate had never seen a food processing line. None of them understood precision fermentation—a core capability in modern food-tech. Let's not act surprised. This isn't new. This problem has been festering for decades. I had once written a piece where I described India's talent output as 'Educated Unemployables.' That unfortunate phrase continues to define our system. Degrees, yes. Skills, no. From schools to engineering colleges to competitive exams, the rot is wide and systemic. What Sanket experienced is just the tip of a very large iceberg. Degrees ≠ Knowledge Think back to the IT boom of the 1990s and 2000s. Hundreds of computer training institutes sprang up overnight. Families broke FDs and took loans to enroll their children, hoping they'd become coders and land jobs abroad. But what did most students actually learnt? Basic computer literacy — Word processors and spreadsheets — while believing they were mastering programming. Even respected engineering colleges weren't spared. A decade ago, an IT honcho interviewed Computer Science graduates from a prominent REC in North India. None could answer basic questions. One student finally admitted: 'We have no faculty. No real tests. Everyone is promoted at the end of the year.' Officially, we produce X number of engineers. But what do those numbers even mean? They just add up to the statistics that show this many computer graduates produced by the country. And the rot doesn't start in college. It starts much earlier, in school. In the name of progressive policy, we decided not to fail any child till Class 8. In practice, this has been disastrous. Students who can't cope with Class 5 content are pushed up to Class 8. When higher-level academic rigour begins, the foundation is too weak. They're set up to fail quietly — or worse, coast through the system without ever knowing what they missed. Of course, then there is the great scam involving several exams for jobs except, perhaps those conducted by the UPSC. The way the system is gamed, is well, systemic. Even competitive exams — supposedly sacrosanct — have been compromised. The process looks secure: A sealed question paper packet from a bank locker Invigilators, videography, independent observers Surprise checks by flying squads And yet: Over 50% of candidates in some centres are impersonators with fake IDs. Some already know the questions — in the right sequence — before the exam begins. In extreme cases, teachers dictate answers to paid candidates. The flying squad? Often tipped off well in advance. When results come out, the best scores go to those who paid for their place. The sincere, hardworking candidates — the ones who actually deserve it — are shown the door. How do you fix a system where every layer — policy, teaching, exams, oversight — can be manipulated? Yes, we can frame bulletproof policies. But unless they're implemented with integrity, we're just papering over deep cracks. India aspires to be a global leader. But how will that happen if our talent supply chain is fundamentally broken? Worse still, our youth — the supposed beneficiaries of this system — are being consumed by distractions. TikTok, reels, addictive apps. The ability to focus, reflect, grasp depth? Rapidly vanishing. And yet, society seems eerily comfortable with this decline. We're not just facing a crisis of education. We're looking at a future where mediocrity wears the mask of merit. Where shortcuts triumph over substance. Where effort is no longer rewarded — and that should scare us all. We're not staring at a crisis. We're already in it. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
Time of India
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Ceasefire after the upper hand: A strategic move, not a retreat
Rajesh Kalra is a journalist for almost three decades and has also tried his hands at entrepreneurship in between. Although he has written on several subjects, he has a weakness for IT, telecommunications, sports and developmental issues. He is an avid sportsman, a trained high-altitude mountaineer, a passionate mountain biker and a marathoner. He is on the PM's Olympic Task Force and a member of the All India Council of Sports. His blog, Random Access, will cover issues that take into account these varied interests. Follow @rajeshkalra on Twitter LESS ... MORE There's a palpable sense of disappointment among many Indians today, especially within strategic and nationalist circles, over India agreeing to a ceasefire with Pakistan. The prevailing sentiment is that India had the upper hand — Pakistan's air defences were effectively neutralised at key locations, major airbases suffered significant damage, and every Pakistani aerial, drone, and missile assault was successfully intercepted or neutralised. Their only 'success' was limited to indiscriminate cross-border shelling that tragically claimed innocent civilian lives. So the question being asked is — why agree to a ceasefire now? Why not press forward, or even reclaim POK? But here's what most people are missing: Pakistan is a failed state. It has nothing to lose. Its leaders have already looted the country and stashed their wealth abroad. Any escalation would only hurt India — the fastest-growing large global economy, a rising geopolitical force, and a nation with far more at stake in global stability, trade, and perception. It is important to know what really happened behind the scenes? A call from Pakistan's DGMO formally requested a ceasefire after India's strikes on their airbases. The United States played its part — IMF loans were being withheld until Pakistan agreed to compliance terms, creating immense financial pressure. India has kept the Indus Waters Treaty suspension in place. No data will be shared, and long-pending water projects on the three northern rivers will proceed without Pakistani input. No data will be shared, and long-pending water projects on the three northern rivers will proceed without Pakistani input. Perhaps most significantly, the US seems to have accepted India's change in its war doctrine — future terror attacks will now be treated as acts of war. And yet, the even bigger threat lies elsewhere. Beijing is watching closely — and may well be the invisible hand behind recent events. Its strategic interest in destabilising India is neither new nor subtle: China sees India as a long-term geopolitical rival. Apple's decision to manufacture all iPhones sold in the US in India from 2026 is a direct blow to China's tech dominance. A coordinated terror attack like the massacre in Pahalgam, followed by Pakistani provocations, conveniently serves China's interests. It portrays India as an unsafe investment destination. China treats Pakistan almost like a vassal state, and could very well be using it to test military technology in live conflict conditions. In that context, the ceasefire isn't weakness. It's strategy. It's about delivering a calibrated blow without derailing India's growth trajectory. It's about choosing the battlefield — not being dragged into one engineered by others. This is not the end of the story. It's a statement. India has changed the rules of engagement — militarily, diplomatically, and economically. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
Time of India
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Terror in Pahalgam: A grim reminder of what Kashmir stands to lose
Rajesh Kalra is a journalist for almost three decades and has also tried his hands at entrepreneurship in between. Although he has written on several subjects, he has a weakness for IT, telecommunications, sports and developmental issues. He is an avid sportsman, a trained high-altitude mountaineer, a passionate mountain biker and a marathoner. He is on the PM's Olympic Task Force and a member of the All India Council of Sports. His blog, Random Access, will cover issues that take into account these varied interests. Follow @rajeshkalra on Twitter LESS ... MORE A cowardly terror attack in Pahalgam has once again shaken Kashmir's fragile yet hard-earned calm. What was meant to be a serene vacation turned into horror as armed militants opened fire on a group of tourists, singling out people of a particular religion who are a minority in the state. Innocent lives were lost, and the message from the perpetrators was chillingly clear: to create fear, polarisation, and economic disruption. This heinous act comes at a time when Kashmir has been on the road to recovery and resurgence. Since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, which revoked the region's special status, the Valley has seen a remarkable turnaround—economically, socially, and in terms of security. This attack threatens to undo years of progress and reinforce damaging stereotypes, punishing the vast majority of peace-loving Kashmiris who have worked hard to rebuild their lives. Security personnel in the aftermath of terror attack in Pahalgam A tourism-driven economy, now wounded Tourism is the lifeline of Kashmir's economy. The years following Article 370's removal have seen a dramatic increase in tourist footfall. From just over 3.5 million visitors in 2020 (amid COVID restrictions), numbers jumped to 11.3 million in 2021, and hit an all-time high of 21.1 million tourists in 2023—the highest ever recorded in independent India. This surge has revitalized local businesses. Hotels, houseboats, taxi services, handicraft sellers, and tour guides across Kashmir have flourished. Revenue from tourism-related services now contributes around 8.5% of the region's Gross State Domestic Product, up from 7.8% just a few years ago. But all it takes is one incident to reverse this momentum. When terror strikes, tourists stay away. Cancellations begin immediately. Travel advisories are issued. Hotel bookings dry up. For a region that relies so heavily on visitor income, the losses are swift and devastating. A peaceful summer could have meant full bookings and booming business. Instead, Kashmir stares at empty shikaras and deserted markets once again. The economic cost of terror The tragedy isn't just human—it's economic. Pony-wallas in Pahalgam, who guide families through the meadows, may now struggle for riders. Shops that stocked up for the season could now struggle to break even. The ripple effect of one terror attack affects tens of thousands of livelihoods. This is the cruel irony: those few locals who assist terror outfits—by giving shelter, information, or moral support—are not aiding any noble cause. They are, in fact, destroying their own people's bread and butter. They hurt the very community they live among. Every bullet fired at a tourist is also fired at a guide's income, a student's chance to study in peace, a child's future in a better Kashmir. A region rebuilding, now at risk The progress since 2019 has been undeniable. Several new colleges and schools have opened across the Valley, while institutions like AIIMS Jammu, IIM Jammu's Srinagar campus, and new medical colleges have boosted access to higher education and healthcare. Infrastructure projects like the Chenab Railway Bridge and new tunnels have brought connectivity, economic opportunities, and hope. Chenab Railway Bridge Additionally, Indian Railways is all set to rollout Vande Bharat sleeper trains following completion of the strategic Kashmir railway link connecting Jammu & Kashmir to the rest of India, and finalizing the rolling stock procurement for the bullet train project. For the first time, foreign investment entered Kashmir, with global firms like Dubai's Emaar Group investing in malls and IT infrastructure. These are not just economic indicators; they are signals of renewed faith in Kashmir's potential. But terrorism tries to break that faith. This attack isn't just on innocent tourists—it's on the idea of a peaceful, modern, and thriving Kashmir. It aims to push the region back into the shadows, to scare away not just visitors, but investors, educators, and reformers. The perpetrators and their enablers This attack was not an isolated act of violence. It was part of a larger design fueled by state-sponsored terrorism from across the border, where certain elements have long used militancy in Kashmir as a tool to mask their own internal failures. Terror outfits, supported and armed from outside India, have made it their mission to destabilize any signs of peace in the Valley. Their few sympathizers within Kashmir must understand this: they are not fighting for a cause—they are sabotaging their own people. Every time they provide aid to these militants, they pull the region back from development, peace, and dignity. Defiance and resolve Yet, amid the grief, there is growing resolve. Local voices are condemning the attack unequivocally. The people of Kashmir want normalcy, not nostalgia for violence. They want jobs, schools, tourists, and businesses—not curfews, raids, and sirens. The government must respond not just with security operations but with a reaffirmation of development efforts. Continue building schools, opening industries, connecting the Valley to the world—because progress is the strongest reply to terror. Kashmir has seen enough setbacks. It deserves peace and prosperity now. And it deserves to see that no bullet, no cowardly act of terror, can halt its journey forward. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
