With the advent of the knowledge age, education systems globally are being reviewed and redesigned. In India too, the psyche, market, language, dress, culture, food habits, family system and even the educational traditions have been influenced by globalization. At this juncture when value systems are crumbling, new jobs are emerging and service sector is booming, it is appropriate to critically look at the existing system to align it with the emerging needs. This book is an honest and impartial effort to probe into all aspects of the Indian education system and synthesize them into a holistic treatise under four sections. Section One establishes relevance vis-à-vis a vibrant democracy, changing expectations, spiritual traditions, gender equality and the media. Section Two presents a critical appraisal of teacher education, experiments and innovations from a futuristic perspective. Section Three deals with vocational education and training. Finally, the last section answers the question ‘How should it be done?’.
The book follows experiential, realistic, analytical and futuristic approaches. The language used is simple and the presentation is clear and concise. It will be useful to those engaged in planning, research and executing educational programmes. Furthermore, it will be a valuable addition to libraries of teacher education institutions, university departments, R&D institutions, schools and colleges.
The author’s rich and varied experience is reflected in the authentic and up-to-date content of the book. Students of Education and Teacher Education (B.Ed., M.Ed., B.Sc.-B.Ed., and B.A.-B.Ed.) will find the book refreshing and enriching. It will also be immensely useful to the teacher educators and researchers.
Prof. (Dr.) M. Sen Gupta has a distinguished career spanning more than five decades. He served at the National Council of Educational Research and Training, New Delhi and Regional Institutes of Education at Ajmer and Bhopal in various capacities. He also served as Director of KIIT College of Education, Gurugram. His responsibilities included teaching, conducting and guiding research, developing textbooks and instructional materials, as well as training principals, teachers and teacher educators. Dr. Sen Gupta has been Academic Editor of ERIC Journals and has also guided many Ph.D. scholars.Being an ITEC Expert to Mauritius, a Fulbright scholar in the USA and a Commonwealth Fellow at Bristol University, UK, he has undertaken consultancy projects at national and international levels. As NAAC Peer Team Expert and Foreign Expert to Nepal, he has visited several schools, colleges and teacher education institutions. Dr. Sen Gupta is the recipient of four national-level awards from ministries and reputable organizations such as the NCERT, Ministry of Railways and Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. A nominated member in University Boards, NIOS and other prestigious committees, Dr. Sen Gupta has expertise in teacher education, vocational education and educational research. He has written several books, nearly 200 articles, research articles, reports and chapters in reputable books and conducted national and international seminars and conferences.
