By Prof. Sanjay Gupta, PhD, Vice-Chancellor, World University of Design
Union Budget 2021-22 is the most anticipated event that every sector has its eyes on. While the pandemic staggered the economic growth of the country in the year 2020, it taught lessons in its own unique way – the biggest take-home being the need to be self-reliant. To achieve self-reliance the upcoming budget needs to invest more in make-in-India as also Design-in-India besides ensuring that both gets supported by a renewed emphasis on education, vocational training and infrastructures of universities.
The past year has highlighted the value of digitization and remote work environment. Schools and colleges have been no exception. It thus makes it evident that there will be high expectations from the government to provide a strengthened internet groundwork and even tougher data protection as more and more educational institutes will look at the medium to reach out to students, to teach and to help students get past their curriculum; thereby requiring students’ information to be critically guarded.
At the same time, as a Design-oriented institution, World University of Design hopes to see improved grants from the government in the field of education especially design education. Design assists innovation – the most powerful engine of economic growth, the future of a new-age India. The notion of “Atmanirbharta” or self-reliance would totally lie on the shoulders of the youth who would need to be equipped with not just better educational 4.0 but also with design thinking to enable innovation across diversified sectors & products. Design is an important as well as much sought out aspect in the current scenario owing to the shifting consumer trends from mere functionality to aesthetics and user-friendliness of products. It is natural at the moment to expect more measures to be taken in the upcoming fiscal in the domains of innovation, research, and technology – all of them benefit the basic infrastructure of an autonomous nation not depending upon imports from vigorously growing manufacturing giants like China and smaller ones like Vietnam, Myanmar, etc.
At WUD we also believe that whilst causing a major alteration in way of life in 2020 the pandemic brought the focus squarely on digitization in a game changing way. Businesses transformed, moved to e-platforms, and in so doing changed consumer behavior altogether. In the post-pandemic era, many businesses are expected to thrive on virtual platforms making returns on investment much larger, customers will continue receiving merchandise on their doorstep making their lives convenient while buying the best in quality and variety from a centralized global market. This said the situation would need a dramatically good number of creative thinkers working on online apps compatible with various OS and robust customer service and logistics systems to provide top-class services – leading to a flux in the need of D-School graduates. The era, if well tapped could be seen as an opportunity to take India a notch above other developing nations, by making use of fresh innovative minds to invent something revolutionary; next by generating employment for the executing team members, marketing team ending into a long and comprehensive chain supplying to the end consumer.
As a University that is home to over 700 students and 40 resident faculty members, World University of Design seeks information in the union budget announcement about a safe, well networked and efficient vaccination programme for students. It is a necessity to provide the Covid19 vaccine to pupils across the country so that physical classes could be restored. While distant learning has been a great way of teaching all along the past one year and as an institute, WUD never ceased its proceedings in teaching its students, it is mandatory for students of a Design Institute to practically be present, learn while doing, from each other, and be exposed to new ideas and techniques.
We are certain that the Narendra Modi government will do justice to its own motto and strengthen the connection between its ideals and the strengthening of the nation via its students.
