Education Minister Pradhan urges PhD research to focus on national missions and industry needs

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Jan 14 emphasized the need to realign India’s higher education and research priorities, urging PhD programs to focus on national challenges, industry requirements, and practical problem-solving rather than solely on citations and academic output.

He also indicated that the government is preparing a major curriculum update incorporating the latest technologies.

“Product-oriented PhDs and industry-linked PhDs are the priority of the day. Our researchers must work on problems relevant to the country and its development,” Pradhan said.

Speaking at the Pongal celebrations on the IIT Madras campus, the minister, dressed in traditional Tamil attire, called Tamil civilization great, participated in the pongal pot boiling ceremony, and distributed gifts to institute staff.

Pradhan highlighted that discussions with the governing councils of NITs and IISERs the previous day led to three key decisions aimed at transforming the education ecosystem.

One major decision is to prioritize the mother tongue as the medium of instruction from school to higher research, intended to enhance learning outcomes and inclusivity.

Pointing to the government’s focus on artificial intelligence, Pradhan said India will host the AI Impact Summit next month in New Delhi.

He highlighted that India, already a global leader in digital public infrastructure such as UPI, is preparing to integrate AI across sectors, including education, agriculture, healthcare, logistics, and manufacturing.

Referring to IIT Madras, he added that the Centre of Excellence for AI in Education, approved by the Union government last year, has been established at the institute as a national hub for AI-driven educational initiatives.