Knowledge Professionals and the Indian KPO Market: Indian Academia

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1.2.1 The Indian Education System

The Indian system of education, which encourages higher education and specialization, is the main platform through which India can produce skilled knowledge workers suitable for the KPO market. A great emphasis is placed on studying mathematics and science, resulting in a large number of science and engineering graduates.

According to the University Grants Commission (UGC) 1, the higher education system of India has experienced a 14-fold increase in the number of universities and a 33-fold increase in the number of colleges in the past five decades. Currently, there are 329 universities and 203 state universities. The Indian Higher Education System comprises of 18 central universities, 90 deemed universities, 5 institutions established under state legislation acts and 13 institutes of national importance established by central legislation.

Although a huge number of students graduate annually in India this does not necessarily translate into candidates with quality skill sets needed for the KPO sector. One or all of these factors, such as the lack of trained faculty, poor infrastructure, outdated curriculum and the increasing influence of bureaucratic bottlenecks, have quite often led to a poor quality of education.

Moreover, technical institutes have not shown an interest in the researching of pedagogic processes that can help in creating an effective education system. The teaching system is more theoretical than experimental and provides very little scope for the practical application of knowledge.

The Indian education system needs to expose students to industry and practical application

Mr. Charles Amos, Head – HR, Marketics20, has stated that the education system in India should be modified to expose students to industry situations. Simulation exercises and case studies could be introduced to increase the level of applicability. Apart from theoretical knowledge, students should be given training to help them increase their problem-solving, analytical and decision-making skills, which are an essential prerequisite in the industry.

Though KPO work demands professionals with advanced degrees, not all graduates will be suitable as this industry requires that they have the inclination and determination to hone their skills further in some specialized field.

Graduates are usually considered only for those KPO jobs where the skill set could be learnt, such as 3D modeling in Engineering R&D, secondary and primary research, whereas a few high-end processes such as Pharma R&D and Healthcare services require professionals specialized in the particular field.

An ideal candidate for high-end KPO work would be a professional who has a concrete foundation in the specific domain, industry exposure that enables applicability of theoretical knowledge and business sense to service the dynamic nature of KPO processes.

The Technical Education System in India

The ambit of technical education covers courses and programs in various fields such as engineering, technology, management, architecture, town planning, pharmacy, applied arts and crafts. The Ministry of Human Resource Development is in charge of defining the policies under which these institutions run and has the authority to grant them permission to operate. The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) is the statutory body for planning and coordinated development of the technical education system.

The various organizations and institutions offering technical education at the central level are:

• The 7 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), which are institutions of national importance
• The 6 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs)
• The 5 deemed-to-be universities, namely the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, the Indian School of Mines (ISM), Dhanbad, the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), New Delhi, the Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management (IIITM), Gwalior, and the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Allahabad
• The 18 National Institutes of Technology (NITs)
• Other technical institutes in the Central Sector, such as the National Institute of Foundry and Forge Technology (NIFFT), Ranchi, the National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE), Mumbai, the Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology (SLIET), Longowal, and the North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology (NERIST), Itanagar
• The 4 National Institutes of Technical Teachers Training and Research (NITTTRs)

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