Narayana Murthy, the founder of Infosys, stated that calling India a science-loving nation might be an exaggeration.
Addressing the media at a Pearson event that unveiled the 13th edition of ‘Conceptual Physics,’ a book by physicist Professor Paul G. Hewitt in India, the industry veteran explained, “We have not won many global awards in science and mathematics. I don’t claim we have some extra affinity for science. We still have not found a vaccine for dengue or chikungunya. These are diseases common in developing countries. If it were America or UK, they would have found a solution. Therefore, it is not proper for us to claim that we are a science-loving nation.”
Little headway in R&D
He added that the per capita spending on research in India is still one of the lowest among other countries. “The per capita research people compared with the US, UK, France and other nations are low. The use of R&D in Indian companies is also very low. If you look at the contribution of manufacturing to our GDP, it is not significant either,” he said.
Murthy explained, “These mistakes were committed a long time ago, probably in the 70’s, when India did not focus on manufacturing and instead, on establishing big things like steel plants. We should have started with making small things like screwdrivers and minor gadgets,” alluding to China.
He added that India had a long way to go. “We should be enthusiastic, work hard, become disciplined, and open our minds to what’s happening around the world. If we learn from those people, we will automatically improve.”
Rote learning
Murthy, commenting on the education system in India, said, “Aside from some exceptions, in India, we have focused by and large on rote learning which doesn’t help us relate what was learned in the class to think about real-world problems.”
He added that coaching classes are not the solution to help children learn better. “That notion is wrong. At the end of the day, coaching classes might introduce a certain discipline that every parent can provide at home. These classes do have somebody to guide you in that subject if you commit a mistake. The problem is most students don’t listen carefully; there may also be cases where parents are not as competent to help,” Murthy said, adding that if a student uses the time properly and listens to the teacher carefully, there may be little need for these classes.
Training for teacher
The industry veteran also addressed the need to create “extraordinary” teachers in India by training them. “My view continues to be that we can select a set of highly-competent retired teachers, both from India and abroad, particularly from the developed world, and invite them to come here and hold probably a year-long course on how to teach children Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics or STEM subjects.”
Murthy added that upon giving them suitable compensation, these teachers can also import skills like critical thinking, analytical questioning, problem recognition, and problem solving.
“If we can, let’s say, invite 8,000 retired teachers and each handles about 25 teachers, they can train around 2,00,000 teachers. In five years, we would have exceeded a million teachers. I have been suggesting this for the last 27 years, so this may be looked at by our political leaders,” he stated.
Pearson said the book ‘Conceptual Physics’, aligns with the shift in Indian higher education towards conceptual understanding rather than rote learning. With an increasing emphasis on STEM education in India, the book will help build a foundation for students pursuing science and engineering fields, the company said.
Pearson also said it is planning to bring more such internationally-acclaimed learning experiences to India. Currently, the company is evaluating several titles across various disciplines, particularly in STEM fields, management studies, and emerging technologies. It is also investing in developing India-specific content and collaborating with Indian authors and experts.