Building Confidence Among Students is the Need of the Hour: Eminent Scientist Padma Vibhushan Dr. Raghunath Mashelkar

Shikshan Prasarak Mandali organizes ‘Co-Creation for Building the Future’ program

Pune: Today’s education system faces three crucial challenges — the right to education, access to quality education, and delivering education through the right methods. In the era of Google, a major question before us is how to shape the new generation of teachers. Teachers must evolve beyond being mere providers of information and become mentors who guide students. In the context of startup culture, the country’s real challenge is not a budget deficit but a deficit of trust. This trust must be nurtured not only in society but also within families. Building self-confidence among students is extremely important, and fostering trust in the younger generation is the need of the hour, said eminent scientist Padma Vibhushan Dr. Raghunath Mashelkar.

Shikshan Prasarak Mandali organized a leadership development program based on the theme ‘Co-Creation for Building the Future’ at the institution’s Lady Ramabai Hall. Dr. Raghunath Mashelkar guided the audience on the role of leadership and the need for innovation in changing times. A question-and-answer session followed his lecture. Present on the occasion were Shikshan Prasarak Mandali President Adv. Sadanand Phadke, Vice President Gajendra Pawar, Governing Council Chairman Sudhir Kalakar, among others.

Following this, Sudhir Kalakar, Gajendra Pawar, and Adv. Sadanand Phadke addressed the audience on challenges and opportunities in education, management, and leadership development. Dr. Uday Salunkhe delivered a lecture on ‘Creating an Exponential Future and the Role of a Progressive Vision.’ Dr. Prashant Durafe provided insights into opportunities in innovation and incubation. Heads of various institutions also shared their perspectives during the program. Sudhir Kalakar spoke on ‘The Road Ahead,’ while Parag Thakur delivered the concluding remarks. The program was compered by Shikshan Prasarak Mandali Secretary Rama Kulkarni.

Dr. Mashelkar said that there is an urgent need to reform the current education system to equip students with future-ready skills. He emphasized that teachers should move away from the traditional teacher-centric approach and adopt a student-centric model of education. Teachers, he said, should transition from being “presenters” to “facilitators.” He also stressed the importance of personalized education tailored to the needs of individual students rather than a one-size-fits-all system.

He further stated that leadership today must not merely bring incremental improvements but should drive revolutionary change. The hallmarks of innovative leadership, he said, are the ability to identify opportunities within challenges, believe in bold ideas, and set ambitious goals.

Reflecting on the transformation taking place in the education system, he highlighted the need to move from passivity to active learning, from rote memorization to deep understanding, and from dependency to self-reliance. He noted that for the nation’s progress, it is essential to strengthen the relationship between education, research, and innovation. In today’s era, education based solely on memorization is no longer sufficient.

Developing skills such as complex problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, and emotional intelligence among students is absolutely essential, he added.