Page 12 - EW April 2025

Mailbox

P. Gopala Krishnan’s suggestions made some important announce-
for schools and educators to design ments for the education and skilling
holistic, climate-conscious curricu- sectors. For instance, the PM Intern-
lums that encourage collaboration, ship Scheme offers youth practical
innovation, and environmental skills through industry collaboration
stewardship. while The Skilling for AI Readiness
Chitra Hegde (SOAR) Program aims to integrate
MANGALURU AI literacy into vocational training
from class VI. Moreover, the estab-
lishment of five National Centres of
Must-read analysis Excellence will equip our youth with
YOUR ANALYSIS in ‘Union Budget skills for ‘Make for India, Make for
2025-26: Half prescription for Viksit the World’ manufacturing.
Bharat’ (EW March) is stinging V. Prasad Rao
criticism of the persistent neglect of MUMBAI
developing ‘soft infrastructure’, i.e,
MARCH 2025 education, without which India’s
vision of becoming Viksit Bharat is Praise of chess
likely to prove a mirage. I LOVED reading about four-year-
Awake dormant power Your unprecedented schema to old Bengal chess prodigy Anish
YOUR COVER story ‘25 million raise an additional Rs.8.65 lakh Sarkar (EW February) in your ‘Young
gifted children: Urgent! Enable crore for investment in education Achievers’ column. At his age, the
India’s real demographic dividend and health is especially laudable. It’s only kings and queens I ever knew
now’ (EW March) is insightful and a must-read for politicians, policy- were fictional characters from story
thought-provoking. It provides a makers and educators invested in the books. Times have truly changed!
fresh perspective and solutions for nation’s economic growth. I am a parenting consultant and
India to unlock the dormant power Dinakar K. would highly recommend introduc-
of its large number of gifted children. DELHI ing chess to children at youngest age.
You are right in stressing the There is enough research to suggest
urgency of overhauling the current that apart from developing cogni-
education system to identify, nur- Pictures speak volumes tive skills, chess also develops social
ture, and invest in gifted children, YOUR PICTORIAL Essay (EW skills —4 such as learning fair play,
and ensure their potential is not March) reflects EducationWorld’s self-respect and respect for others,
stifled because of confused thinking focused mission to encourage and understanding differing perspectives,
about equality and inclusion. felicitate pre-primary education. and developing empathy.
In the hypercompetitive new The pictures speak volumes. As Jaya Menon
world, we have to optimally utilise a retired teacher, I was delighted to HYDERABAD
the advantage of our large number of witness the huge community of edu-
gifted children to emerge as ‘Viksit cators who attended your preschool
Bharat’. awards function. Bad taste remarks
Deepak Maity Keep up the good work! I AM A regular reader of EW. Re
KOLKATA Maria Selvi on EMAIL your March issue, I am appalled by
your choice of phrases and adjec-
tives. Referring to India as a “medio-
Design net-zero education Laudable initiatives cre nation” whose “economy is in the
THE TEACHER-2-TEACHER es- I AGREE with your Special Report doldrums” is in bad taste, especially
say pitching for including net-zero (EW March) that the BJP/NDA gov- at a time when the world is look-
education in K-12 curriculums (EW ernment deserves praise for reducing ing to India as an emerging global
March) was overdue. Young learn- the fiscal deficit and focusing on in- economic power.
ers must be empowered with the vestment in infrastructure develop- In fact, India’s economy with an
knowledge and skills to confront the ment. However, I don’t subscribe to annual GDP growth rate of 6.2 per-
challenges of climate change and your assertion that the Union Budget cent, is in far better shape than any
environmental degradation without 2025-26 has completely missed the country in the West.
further delay. mark in education. Sarika Bagchi
I particularly liked the author For your information, the budget KOLKATA

12 EDUCATIONWORLD APRIL 2025