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Indian Higher Education:

  • Writer: Dr Sp Mishra
    Dr Sp Mishra
  • 11 minutes ago
  • 5 min read

Insights from Professor B.J. Rao on the Present and Future (ICC Blog # 118)


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In a captivating episode of the India Career Centre Podcast, I had a deep conversation with Professor B.J. Rao, the current Vice Chancellor of the University of Hyderabad. As an esteemed academician with a storied career spanning institutions like the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore, Yale University, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) Mumbai, and IISER Tirupati, Professor Rao shares his personal journey, philosophical insights, and visionary thoughts on India's higher education landscape. Drawing from the enlightening discussion, this blog post explores key themes, weaving in direct quotes to capture the essence of his wisdom.


From Humble Beginnings to Academic Eminence: Professor Rao's Journey

Professor Rao's story is one of resilience and passion for learning. Born in the small town of Mahbubnagar near Hyderabad, he credits his early exposure to books and ideas as the spark that ignited his intellectual curiosity. "I come from very, very simple beginnings... Our only big goal was to capture as much good, quality education as possible. Because we all had realised that education is finally the fulcrum through which we will pivot in this world," he reflects.

His academic path took him from Nizam College and Osmania University to a PhD at IISc Bangalore, followed by groundbreaking research at Yale on DNA recombination. Returning to India, he contributed significantly at TIFR and IISER Tirupati, emphasising a "system-centric" approach, which is reflected in his idea quoted here: "I exist for a process, I do not exist for myself. I exist for a process and I try to contribute as much as possible to the process without expecting any returns for myself."


This philosophy, rooted in ancient wisdom like "Dharmo Rakshati Rakshitah" (The one who protects Dharma will be protected by Dharma), underscores his commitment to giving back to the system that educated him through public funds.


Bridging Science and Philosophy: A Dual Pursuit

A unique aspect of Professor Rao's worldview is the seamless integration of scientific inquiry with inner exploration. Influenced by thinkers like Shankara, Vivekananda, Freud, Osho, and Ramana Maharshi, he pursued genetics while delving into existential questions. "I made a dichotomy in my own mind. One is that there is what is called the method of science... And there is another construct within you. I wanted to understand both simultaneously, not one over the other," he explains.


He views creation and creator as one: "The moment you realise this, I think the perspective of oneself in relation to the rest of the world changes dramatically. You only become a process; you lose your own inner ego." This duality fuels his administrative style, applying scientific rationality to solve problems: "I use scientific approaches to address even in administrative problems because at the end of it, a problem does require an analytical approach to solve it."


The Case for Basic Sciences in a Tech-Driven World

In an era dominated by engineering and AI pursuits, Professor Rao advocates strongly for foundational sciences. At IISER Tirupati, he taught large classes, inspiring students with profound questions like biological uniqueness: "Each of you is so unique a person like you never happened in the past and will never happen in the future... How does biology manage to produce such unique happenings?"


He urges young students and parents to prioritise basic sciences: "The student should start studying basic sciences first because basic science will allow you to understand the construct in a foundational way. Once you understand the construct, then you can make engineering out of it. From basic sciences, one can become an engineer, not the other way."


Challenges in Indian Higher Education: From Regulation to Teacher Preparedness

Professor Rao doesn't shy away from critiquing the system. He highlights issues like over-regulation by bodies like the UGC, which he sees as a "one-size-fits-all" approach. UGC is using a single shoe that is trying to fit all the different higher educational institutions. This, he thinks, is a construct design problem.


On the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, he praises its focus on multidisciplinary learning and outcomes but notes a key bottleneck: "The real bottleneck in this transformative NEP 2020 process is that we do not have NEP 2020-ready teachers... The teacher has become a bottleneck, a rate-limiting step."


He also questions the NIRF ranking system, borrowed from Western models: "We need a method which is much more optimistic... This is the problem, actually. We need a system where the bottom (institute), if (they) are performing well, we should say well, .... That delta change we should be able to capture."


Discipline and commitment are lacking compared to Western systems: "The level of professional commitment people show there at all levels from janitor to the dean. It's amazing... I think we should improve because if you want to really become highly developed nation, we need to show lot of work commitment."


The Future: AI, Digital Disruption, and Spiritual Awakening

Looking ahead, Professor Rao envisions a radical shift driven by AI and digital tools. "Self-learning is much better than learning from a bad teacher... (the government) needs to develop digital technologies in local languages so that students can self-learn," he asserts, likening it to India's UPI revolution in education.


He predicts physical universities may lose relevance: "It's going to be a different virtual world where learners will learn what they want using digital and virtual tools. This reality is going to come... Certainly in 15 years."


Yet, this technological surge will spark deeper spirituality: "In this high technology-driven area, I am tending to become more spiritual, not less spiritual... Human mind... is likely to become much more creative when technology overpowers the human being."


On unique Indian contributions, he highlights "Drashta" (witness) and "Bhakti" (devotion): "These are the two major discoveries in (the) Indian knowledge system... Bhakti of the type that India has produced. It's a very, very different emotion that India has produced.... compared to the western world"


Book Recommendations and an Optimistic Vision

Professor Rao shares influential reads: Yoga Vasistha by Swami Venkatesananda, Who Am I? by Ramana Maharshi, Richard Feynman's Physics Series, Osho's speeches, and Jiddu Krishnamurti's writings.


In closing, he offers optimism: "I think these are exciting times for anybody who wants to learn and do good to the system... We are going through friction points now, but once you go through this conduit, I think there will be liberation, there will be more opportunities."


Professor Rao's insights remind us that education is not just about degrees but igniting curiosity, embracing change, and pursuing inner truth. As India navigates its higher education future, his words serve as a beacon for students, educators, and policymakers alike. For the full podcast, check out the episode on YouTube.


You can listen to the full conversation or watch it on YouTube.

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