It is true that India produces the largest number of computer science and technology graduates annually in the world, however, some of the latest studies show that most of those graduates have mediocre skills, or it can be said they are unsuitable for the jobs. A study, led by Prashant Loyalka of Stanford University in 2019, confirmed that although India produces the world’s largest number of CS graduates each year, followed by China and Russia, the CS graduates in the US are much more proficient. [Reference Link]

So what goes missing in the Indian students, or to be more precise- in the Indian education system? Technology is unceasingly changing and updating at a brisk pace in today’s world! A technology much in trend for one month may be superseded in the next month. To cope up with the expeditiously changing landscape of computer technology, it has become critical for individuals to learn the latest technology concepts.

There is a lack in India’s current curriculum which is quite theoretical in its approach, thereby demanding a paradigm shift. And what better than to include the stakeholders from academia as well as industry experts for recommending model CSE curriculum for the country. One of the reasons for the poor quality of education in the Indian institutes is the lack of faculty’s intensive training. To bring that shift in the curriculum for up skilling students to prepare them for their professional career, it has become eminent for the academicians that besides updating, there should also be a simultaneous re-training of the faculty through sustainable T3 (Train The Teachers) programs for the smooth implementation of the changes designed.

Leveraging the current scenario of the education system due to the COVID-19 pandemic i.e. virtual teaching and learning, Prof. Pankaj Jalote (Founding Director and Distinguished Professor, IIIT-Delhi) in collaboration with some of the senior faculty from top institutions in India proposed to start an Online Program in Computer Science Education. Prof. Jalote says “For improving CS teaching in colleges and other institutions in the country, we need to improve the capability of teachers in important topics of CS. The goal is to improve the teaching capability of teachers in a particular topic by providing a deeper understanding of concepts.” This ambitious and novel program will be taught online over duration of about 12 to 15 weeks, and has officially received a nod from the senate and board of the institute. More details about the program can be found here.

Another important aspect is the modification of the CS curriculum. The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has nominated Prof. Pankaj Jalote to chair the committee that will tailor the CS curriculum recommendations for the country. The committee plans to take inputs from industry experts on effective changes in the existing curriculum. There is also a plan to take feedback from colleges/universities faculty on challenges they are facing, and explore ways to address them. For a promising evolution of CS education, the same committee of experts designing the curriculum for AICTE will also be involved in training the teachers on how to effectively teach the updated program. Prof. Pankaj Jalote has also been co-opted in the steering committee of the ACM/IEEE joint task force for recommendations for CS202x, which will help enrich both ACM and AICTE exercises.

With Prof. Jalote’s involvement in recommending committees at both national and international level, there is hope and opportunity of information flow wherein inputs from the global exercise can be implemented in the Indian curriculum as well. This will aid in filling the gap which could be seen in the previous Indian CS curriculums. Prof. Jalote’s profound knowledge, years of experience and expertise, ensures that there will be promising and bankable changes with his role as a catalyst.