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Top 13 BCA Project Ideas & Topics For Students in 2024

Updated on 29 September, 2023

41.27K+ views
• 10 min read
Pavan Vadapalli

Pavan Vadapalli

BCA Project Ideas & Topics

As a Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) student, one of the essential aspects of the curriculum is completing a project that showcases their expertise and knowledge in the field of computer science. The BCA final year project topics enable students to apply their theoretical knowledge to practical use and demonstrate their creativity and problem-solving skills.

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This article will explore the top 13 project ideas for BCA students. However, if you are a BCA fresher, these can also be an exceptional starting point to enhance your skills. 

How to Choose a Project Topic in Computer Science?

Choosing a major project for BCA final year is a critical decision that can influence your academic and professional journey. Whether you’re a student working on a class project, a researcher exploring new avenues, or a developer building a portfolio, selecting the right topic is essential for success. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you make an informed decision.

  • Identify Your Interests and Strengths

Start by assessing your interests and strengths. What areas of computer science fascinate you the most? Are you more inclined towards software development, artificial intelligence, data science, cybersecurity, networking, or something else? Consider your existing knowledge and skills – tackling a topic you’re comfortable with can boost your confidence and productivity.

  • Narrow Down the Scope

Computer science is vast, so narrowing your focus is important. Instead of choosing a broad topic like “machine learning,” consider a specific subtopic, such as “image classification using convolutional neural networks.” A narrower scope allows you to delve deeper into the subject and produce a more impactful project.

  • Stay Updated with Trends

Keep yourself informed about the latest trends and advancements in computer science. Follow conferences, journals, and online communities to discover emerging technologies and research areas. Projects related to current trends showcase your relevance and provide opportunities for collaboration and networking.

  • Research Existing Work

Before finalizing BCA project topics, research existing projects and literature. This helps you understand what has already been done, identify gaps in knowledge, and refine your project idea. Building upon existing work with innovative twists can lead to unique and valuable contributions.

  • Consider Practicality

While ambitious projects are exciting, ensure they are feasible given your available resources – time, expertise, and tools. A practical project that you can complete successfully is more valuable than an overly ambitious one left incomplete.

  • Address Real-World Problems

Solving real-world problems adds a sense of purpose to your project. Consider how your project can address challenges in sectors like healthcare, education, environment, or business. Projects with practical applications tend to be more impactful and attractive to potential employers or collaborators.

  • Consult with Professors or Mentors

If you’re a student, consult your professors or mentors for guidance. They can provide insights into relevant research areas, suggest potential project topics, and help you refine your ideas. Their experience can help you avoid common pitfalls and ensure your project is on the right track.

  • Balance Challenge and Familiarity

While you should choose a topic that challenges you, don’t go too far beyond your comfort zone. Striking a balance between learning something new and leveraging your existing skills ensures you can progress steadily without getting overwhelmed.

  • Brainstorm and Evaluate

Brainstorm a list of potential project topics. For each idea, evaluate its significance, feasibility, potential impact, and personal interest. Create a matrix or scoring system to compare and rank these ideas objectively.

  • Plan for Long-Term Engagement

Consider how your project can lead to future opportunities. Will it open doors for further research, career growth, or skill development? A project with the potential for long-term engagement can be more rewarding in the grand scheme.

  • Stay Adaptable

As you dive into your chosen project, be open to adjustments. Your initial plan may evolve as you gain deeper insights into the topic. Flexibility is key to accommodating unexpected challenges and opportunities.

Selecting a project topic in computer science needs careful consideration of the learner’s interests, skills, practicality, relevance, and long-term goals. It’s a decision that can shape your academic and professional trajectory, so invest time in researching, brainstorming, and consulting with mentors. Remember that choosing a topic is as important as the topic itself, as it sets the stage for a successful and fulfilling project experience.

Top BCA Projects for Final Year and Beginners

Web Development

Web development is essential in today’s digital age, as the internet has become the primary mode of communication, information sharing, and commerce. With the rise of e-commerce and online marketplaces, web development has become a lucrative field with ample job opportunities.

As a result of this, doing a project in the field of web development opens students up to varied career opportunities. Here are some of the ideas you can explore in the field of web development: 

1. E-Commerce Website

By developing an e-commerce website, students can learn how to create an online store and implement various features such as shopping carts, payment gateways, and order tracking systems. E-commerce is a rapidly growing field with increasing demand, and developing an e-commerce website can provide students with practical experience and a valuable skill set. An example of an e-commerce website is Amazon, one of the world’s largest online marketplaces.

2. Content Management System

A content management system (CMS) is a software application that enables users to create, manage, and publish digital content, such as websites, blogs, and social media posts. By developing a CMS, students can learn how to build a customisable and scalable platform that allows content creators to collaborate and publish content efficiently. 

3. Web Application

Developing a web application requires knowledge of programming languages, frameworks, and web development tools. By building a web application, students can learn how to develop robust and scalable software solutions that can be accessed from anywhere. 

4. Responsive Website

A responsive website is a website that can adapt its layout and content based on the device’s screen size, such as desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Developing a responsive website requires knowledge of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and various front-end frameworks. With the increasing use of mobile devices to access the internet, responsive website development is a critical skill for web developers. Candidates can seek inspiration for their responsive website from one such leading example, which is Airbnb.

5. Social Network Website

A social network website is a platform that allows users to connect and communicate with each other through various features such as messaging, profile pages, and news feeds. By developing a social network website, students can learn how to create a scalable and interactive platform that allows users to share information and engage with each other. With a wide range of people using social media platforms as a medium to connect with their loved ones, creative projects on social media websites can be an excellent project for BCA final year candidates. 

Mobile App Development

Mobile app development is a rapidly growing field as smartphones and tablets have become ubiquitous, and people increasingly use mobile apps for various tasks such as communication, entertainment, and productivity. 

Here are some of the project ideas and topics that you can explore in the domain of mobile app development: 

6. Android App Development

Android is the most popular mobile operating system, with a market share of over 70%. Developing Android apps requires knowledge of Java, Android SDK, and various development tools. By developing Android apps, students can learn how to create robust and scalable apps that can be distributed through the Google Play Store. 

7. iOS App Development

iOS is the second most popular mobile operating system, with a market share of around 28%. Developing iOS apps requires knowledge of Swift, iOS SDK, and various development tools. By developing iOS apps, students can learn how to create highly valued apps for the iPhone and iPad.

Data Science and Analytics

Data science and analytics involve extracting, processing, and analysing data to gain insights and make informed decisions. With the rise of big data and the increasing importance of data-driven decision-making, data science and analytics have become essential fields in various industries, including finance, healthcare, and marketing.

Some of the most sought-after BCA final year project topics that you can explore in the field of data science and analytics include: 

8. Data Visualisation

Data visualisation is data representation in graphical or visual formats such as charts, graphs, and maps. Developing data visualisation skills enables students to present complex data in an easy-to-understand and visually appealing manner. By working on data visualisation projects, students can explore the implementation of various data modelling and visualisation tools for effective representation. A COVID-19 dashboard is an example of an efficient data visualisation project which provides real-time data on the spread of the virus.

9. Machine Learning

By approaching ML projects, students can navigate how to develop predictive models for diverse applications such as image recognition, natural language processing, and recommendation systems. Machine learning is a highly sought-after skill in the market, with various job opportunities available. Hence, working on an ML project, such as creating a recommendation system used by Netflix to suggest movies and TV shows to users, can offer an edge to your candidature. 

10. Data Mining

Data mining is widely implemented in various industries, such as finance, healthcare, and marketing, to gain insights and make informed decisions. Working on data mining projects such as those implemented in Blockchain, your candidature would be able to exhibit your knowledge of in-demand data mining expertise.

11. Natural Language Processing

Natural language processing (NLP) involves the development of algorithms and models that can understand and analyse human language. Students can learn how to develop chatbots, language translators, and sentiment analysis tools by developing NLP projects. The best NLP project for BCA final year candidates can work on may include creating a chatbot. 

Software Development

The field of software development can be seen as evergreen – in the sense that there will always be good job opportunities for skilled software developers. With that in mind, here are some of the project ideas that you can explore if you’re willing to work in the field of software development: 

12. Desktop Application

Aspirants can work on creating user-friendly and functional software solutions for various applications such as productivity tools, entertainment, and education. Examples may include spreadsheets, project management tools, etc. 

13. Game Development

Game development is one of the most engaging BCA final year project topics, which enables learners to explore the tech as well as the creative part of working on a project. Building interactive computer games eligible to run on gaming consoles, computers, mobile phones, or other smart devices can be an excellent method to flaunt your development skills.

Importance of BCA project ideas and topics

Working on developing BCA projects under any of the mentioned domains enables candidates to gain practical experience and valuable skills that are highly sought after in the job market.

It is worth noting that the market potential for these project ideas is vast, with various job opportunities available in various industries. Following the unprecedented growth of the computer science field worldwide, candidates with a BCA degree and a strong candidature are highly likely to get recruited by leading tech firms such as Accenture, Capgemini, Google, Deloitte and more!

Along with working on project topics for BCA final year and completing your bachelor’s in the domain, obtaining an MSc or an MBA in a specialised field can significantly strengthen your candidature, further enabling learners to acquire astonishing work opportunities.

You can also check out our free courses offered by upGrad in Management, Data Science, Machine Learning, Digital Marketing, and Technology. All of these courses have top-notch learning resources, weekly live lectures, industry assignments, and a certificate of course completion – all free of cost!

Conclusion

In conclusion, BCA 6th sem project topics provide students with a wealth of opportunities to gain in-demand skills and work experience for a deep understanding. These projects heavily contribute to elevating your chance of bagging lucrative industry opportunities as well as boosting your experience across domains. 

As a BCA final year student of a fresh graduate, if you’re aiming to obtain in-demand skills, upGrad’s Master’s in AI and ML Certification offered under Liverpool John Moores University can be an excellent addition to your career! 

The course enables learners to participate in learning a dynamic curriculum with topics such as NLP, AI Strategy, Exploratory Data Analytics, Data Lifecycle, and more, helping them become industry professionals in no time!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the significance of BCA project ideas for students?

BCA project ideas offer a platform for students to apply the knowledge they've gained in their coursework and develop practical skills that will prepare them for their future careers. These projects also allow students to showcase their creativity and innovation to potential employers.

2. How do I choose the right BCA project idea for myself?

When choosing a BCA project idea, it's essential to consider your interests, skills, and career goals. Look for a project idea that aligns with these factors and that you feel passionate about. You can also consider the market potential of the project and its relevance in today's industry.

3. What skills can I gain from working on a BCA project idea?

BCA project ideas offer a platform for students to gain practical skills in their field of study, such as programming, software development, data analysis, and mobile app development. By working on a project, students can also develop skills in project management, problem-solving, teamwork, and communication.

Did you find this article helpful?

Pavan Vadapalli

Director of Engineering @ upGrad. Motivated to leverage technology to solve problems. Seasoned leader for startups and fast moving orgs. Working on solving problems of scale and long term technology strategy.

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by Mayank Kumar

13 Jul'16
7 reasons to watch UpGrad Talks today

5.19K+

7 reasons to watch UpGrad Talks today

There is really no secret sauce for success. Provided you have had the opportunity to view the exclusive online tete-e-tete sessions brought to you by UpGrad Talks. With an amazing roster of world-class speakers, some from the top 1000 companies of India such as Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata Sky, Coca Cola, JP Morgan, JWT to start-up poster children such as RedBus, Snadeal, Ola & Zivame and many more, Upgrad Talks provides insights into their formulae for success. The talks also share deep learning from situations that didn’t work out and many valuable nuggets of honest, down-to-earth and practical advice from successful entrepreneurs, experts and industry leaders. While some lip service has been paid to new-age technologies and skill sets, and the evolution of industries because of these, a deeper understanding of what this signifies is missing. Upgrad Talks intends to fill this gap by bringing together thought-leaders from different walks of life and raising the level of discourse in this area, as they share their experiences. Here are the top reasons why you must visit talks.upgrad.com today and make it your daily source of insights and motivation: Get Inspired Inspiration can come from many different sources. You may get inspired when you see a problem that needs a solution, which you are able to ideate, or get inspired when you hear stories of adversity being overcome by sheer willpower. Rarely does the simple existence of wealth inspire us. It may motivate us to work harder, but inspiration stems from a deeper place that needs real stories. Upgrad Talks are stories from the folks who have lived these stories, first hand. Not only does hearing someone’s complete story of challenges, thought process and subsequent outcome inspire, it also gives birth to new ideas and provides impetus to grow in your own space.  Moreover, inspiration also stems from well-put statements such as, ‘attitude will sail you through,’ by Harit Nagpal, CEO of Tata Sky. A key benefit of listening to industry leaders is that it also inspires us to think. ‘What we think, we become,’ is a quote by Buddha that sums up this well. Go ahead, face challenges It does not matter if you are a startup or an established financial organization; challenges, big or small, exist in every level of most businesses. Challenges faced, strategized and overcome is the rite of passage for almost everyone. Not only do Upgrad Talks cover challenges faced by leading industry veterans, it also covers it from various stages of businesses along with discussion of the solutions that helped overcome them. Upgrad Talks speakers’ discuss challenges faced by businesses in different spaces, which makes these talks an interesting listen. Furthermore, is quite motivating to hear the candid conversations of business leaders. So what is the common thought on challenges in the Upgrad Talks? No challenge is too big. It also strengthens the belief that challenges help you grow and become stronger and develops a sense of confidence to take on the next big challenge. Learn from influencers People who can motivate are great influencers. To hear success stories at Upgrad Talks, which have been driven by deep-rooted passion as well as courage of conviction can be a great influence on most people. It is likely to help you push yourself to greater heights and also follow your dreams a bit more diligently. To quote Snapdeal’s Kunal Bahl, ‘ there is a fine line between stubbornness and persistence.’ Upgrad Talks is likely to help you define the lines as an excellent selection of influencers talk also about the key soft skills required to make it a significant mark on the industry that you belong to. Mentoring As you listen to entrepreneurs, business leaders and experts on models that have worked, one can also start drawing parallels to one’s one business or profession. Mentoring of this kind is both subtle and effective as it helps you choose some key takeaways from the shared experiences that are most relevant to you. Follow the series to get premium access to the best mentors in the country as they talk about education, the emerging digital age and its impact on businesses, talent shortages and advice to youngsters. A bit of crystal gazing In the series of Upgrad Talks, one is likely to come across a vast amount of business knowledge which has been converted into digestible insights that can also help you choose the next steps in your career. Speakers’ at Upgrad Talks share their business mantras and what the future is likely to be.  This is crystal gazing of the finest variety and yet another reason to tune into the talks. A healthy dash of optimism One of the unique selling points of the Upgrad Talks is that they also brings out the combined optimism in business from key industry leaders. Apart from that one can learn what is next in the industry, and explore potential future opportunities in the workspace. The upbeat and positive nature of these talks makes them a must-listen. Easily available online Just in case you were wondering how far you would need to travel to listen to such a wide range of speakers, you can breath easy. Upgrad Talks are delivered online and you can listen to them at your own convenience. All you need to do is to long onto talks.upgrad.com and you can access high quality, pre-recorded sessions online. Upgrad is making content richer, bigger and better as it kicks off with 15+ talks delivered by entrepreneurs, experts & business leaders.  You definitely do not want to miss out on the educational transformation that UpGrad is fuelling in partnership with some of the greatest minds. Remember, one can never stop learning. So, if you always aspired to hear great advice and insights from the top Indian business leaders on how you can grow your business, choose a career goal or get inspired, do take a look at Upgrad Talks. They are truly the voices that impact. Join us today and be a part of it at talks.upgrad.com.
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by Omkar Pradhan

06 Aug'16
Evolving online education: Learning Together

5.36K+

Evolving online education: Learning Together

Technologies in online learning have been making promises since early 20th century. From radio to present day MOOCs,  multiple new technologies were seen as silver bullet in revolutionising education. These promises were indeed laudable, to make education accessible to everyone, affordable for everyone and more effective. Yet, the same history of unmet expectations has been repeated every time*. Although a lot has happened over the past decade in terms of growth and expansion of online education, there are many challenges yet to be solved before we can say online learning has truly arrived. We, at UpGrad, believe the following three challenges are the biggest hurdles to the success of online education. Isolation: Online learning is solitary experience   Acceptability: Online learning’s validity in the Job Market   Not Engaging: Interplay of distractions and motivations in learning online The dismally low completion rates and high failure rates are reflection of these challenges [1]. Our goal at UpGrad is to fight these challenges and provide an unmatched learning experience for the working professionals. We believe, with the flexibility of online learning, every working professional can “UpGrade” himself without going back to full-time formal education. Hence, we need to to make online learning mainstream. In this article we would be sharing how are setting the online learning as a ‘Social Experience’ for our students, ie the first of the three mentioned challenges. In 2000s, internet surfing was mainly an individual experience and on the other hand, in 2016 almost all of internet time is a social experience. We do not feel alone in 2016 version of internet. We believe online education will have much higher engagement and completion rates once it becomes a social experience. An average student’s e-learning journey is an individual experience making him/her feel isolated. Learners move through the course with limited interactions with both their instructor and classmates. We at UpGrad, are building a new learning platform specifically designed keeping our students and their needs in mind. We believe this would be key to provide the kind of engagement levels the students deserve. The perception of social presence (or lack of) is a big concern among students and teachers in online learning. Teachers develop courses in isolation and the students take the courses in isolation. Researchers have found strong correlation between the sense of social presence facilitated by the course and student’s perceived learning [3,4,5]. Also there is good re correlation between withdrawal in the course and student’s perceived lack of social interaction and instructor presence [3]. Lack of social interaction in e-learning increases the distraction, since a learner would look for social interaction elsewhere which is usually Twitter, Whatsapp or Facebook. If there is another learner doing the same course in my apartment building, there are limited chances that I would know about him. As learners of online courses, we are oblivious of everyone else’s presence except few replies on the discussion forum. They do form Facebook groups or Whatsapp groups organically, yet the whole online learning format ends up being mostly a solo experience. Here are the steps we are taking at UpGrad in making our online programs a social experience.: Profiles : The first step in ‘social’ e-learning is knowing your classmates. We have learner profiles with education and work history along with other details. Almost everyone is encouraged to fill in their full profile along with a descriptive ‘bio’ section. There are multiple points where learners are nudged to click on the profiles. To improve discoverability of relevant profiles we not only leverage cohort social graph but also use interest graph, performance graph, complementary skills graphs. Combined with other semi random** algorithms like who was recently online, learners bump into each other in interesting ways. In the first month of Data Analytics Program, an average engaged learner viewed peer profiles 110 times. Discussions: We have a discussion forum which is contextual and relevant to the course content. We designed it from the ground up to involve learners during the course. They help each other, solve doubts, ask questions, have healthy debates on the forum. Only when there is no consensus a Teaching Assistant gets involved in clearing the doubts. Last 3 months data shows that on a daily basis 50% of the students who are engaged on the platform, also engaged actively on the discussion forum. As most professionals have different backgrounds, sharing of experiences on the forum is much valuable to everyone in the cohort. We have seen learners fall into three buckets on the forum. First is the majority producers, the top 30% of forum content producers are responsible for around 70% of the discussions. The next 50% do the rest of 30% of the content but continue to voice their opinions through upvotes. Rest of the 20% are mere observers. These numbers are highly encouraging and we will be investing more time in finding out how student-student social interactions can help in overall engagement. Figure 1: Forum topic distribution in one of our programs. Share in the pie is (questions * votes) for each topic. Bigger share of the pie is a proxy for doubts. This lead us to start live sessions on those topics. Thought Leader AMAs: Initiating and maintaining engagement on the forum is hard. To set the ball rolling, we started the discussion forum for a new cohort with getting a thought leader to do an AMA on the platform. This way not only the students got a product onboarding experience but also the social expectation was set amongst the peers. In some months, the total content creation during AMAs ended up around 20% of the total cumulative content. We also observed a side benefit of starting the program with thought leader – that learners are more helpful, behave with more civility and show much more respect for each other. This is not very unusual because it is known that a group’s eventual social dynamics are very much impacted by behaviour in initial few days. In a way, it sets the trend which follows upto the end of the course. We also explored bringing in external motivations to see how does it impact on engagement levels. At times, there were small gifts for top forum contributors and at times we included forum participation in the grading. Our primary observations show that this is to be used cautiously. We are working on establishing a balance between extrinsic and intrinsic motivations for social involvement. Facebook Groups: For all cohorts we have Facebook groups for students apart from the platform discussion forum. We were not very confident how much our forum will be used for non academic discussions and generic social sharing. However, we found more and more discussions of generic nature and sharing of articles & blogs also started happening on the forum. Hence facebook group ended up becoming redundant. We are thinking of doing away with a cohort’s facebook group with this expanded use of discussion forum In summary, having a strong sense of community within the students is a big predictor of learning outcomes. This has been researched multiple times [7, 8]. Our platform’s usage data of course progress and social interaction activity strongly confirms this research. At a time, a learner who is socially engaged on our platform has usually completed 4 times (Figure 2) course materials than a learner who does not participate in social discussions. This high correlation has been repeated across multiple cohorts. Figure 2: At a snapshot of time course completion rates for learners active on forum vs non active. Apart from the student isolation e-learning content creators and facilitators tend to work in isolation, reflecting and sharing of best practices is minimal[6]. We at UpGrad are aware of this problem, and making sure different program teams collaborate and share solutions to common problems. We do not have complete solution to isolation in learning yet. We as a company are focussed on solving this problem, we are testing out few ideas and are willing to share the results with the community. With these changes we are expecting online learning experience to be more engaging, more involving and eventually pushing up the low completion rates of online learning. These are early days of online education and we have miles to go. Bibliography [1] http://collegequarterly.ca/2007-vol10-num03-summer/rolfe.html [2] Online Social Networks as Formal Learning Environments: Learner Experiences and Activities, The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, Vol 13, No 1 (2012) [3] Tello SF (2007). An analysis of student persistence in online education. International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education [4] Herbert, M. (2006). Staying the course: A study in online student satisfaction and retention. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 9(4). [5] Morris, T. A. (2009). Anytime/anywhere online learning: Does it remove barriers for adult learners. In T.Kidd (Ed.), Online education and adult learning: New frontiers for teaching practices. Hershey, PA:IGI Global. [6] Duncan, H & Barnett J (2009) Learning to teach online. [7] Kaulback, B (2015). Learning Together : Community and Network from the perspective of designers of online learning. (Doctoral dissertation) [8] Bernard, R. M., Abrami, P. C., Borokhovski, E., Wade, C. A., Tamim, R. M., Surkes, M. A., & Bethel, E. C. (2009). A meta-analysis of three types of interaction treatments in distance education. Review of Educational Research, 79(3), 1243–1289.
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by Ankit Mittal

08 Aug'16
Skill deprivation: Education alone won’t guarantee a job, in-demand skills need of hour

898.95K+

Skill deprivation: Education alone won’t guarantee a job, in-demand skills need of hour

If you are 25 years old, hold a degree in a traditional arts discipline from a well-regarded institute and are looking for a job, you may not be handed one on a platter any time soon. You may be cushioned within the famous Indian demographic that is supposed to yield a ‘dividend,’ but unlike what you’ve been reading everywhere, this does not guarantee you employment. Between 1980 to 2010, 90% of world labour force growth occurred in developing countries and about 500 million new workers emerged in India and China alone (workers went from 260 million to 470 million in India, between this period). India is all set to power most of global growth in labour in the coming years. Enrolment in Indian higher education is 24% right now. With India attaining almost universal elementary education, and increased retention in secondary schools, the projected demand for higher education and jobs will only escalate. India has finally been placed on the world map with a solid advantage where labour supply is concerned. Impacting Education: My Journey and UpGrad It’s not all good news though. Indian millennials are being touted as the future of jobs and the saviours of the working world. But this won’t hold true if in-demand skills are not imparted to the youth entering the workforce. The world of work is changing and industries are transforming. It’s a fact that we are moving towards a massive labour pool, but we are possibly riding a low-skill, low-wage cycle to get there. The country is on a trajectory that involves a surplus of millions of low-skill workers, whereas most nations, including India, will be demanding high-skill workers more and more. Most industries are replacing low-skill jobs with high-skill ones. Skills relating to upcoming technologies in advanced areas – think AI, robotics, data science and mining – are gaining immense relevance. Unfortunately, our education system is not preparing students well enough to enter the workforce as high-skill workers nor equipping them with skills in emerging domains. Curricula is outdated and pedagogy poorly-developed. Gone are the days when just holding a graduate degree was enough to get employers to clamour to hire you. Education is not enough. The new-age job-seeker must strive to acquire specific skill sets to be considered employable (currently only 43% of Indian youth are considered fully employable). This applies to all sectors of the economy, as most industries and businesses are adopting new-age technologies and going digital within most functions. There’ll Be A Billion-Plus Job-Seekers By 2050! The positive connotation associated with our demographic shift has been taken for granted and assigned the term ‘dividend.’ But if we don’t strategically harness this change, we could easily be faced with a demographic disaster. We don’t want to be stuck in a situation where we have too many job-seekers with inadequate skills, and therefore not enough jobs for them. India is moving workers out of farm jobs at a very fast rate, and this will only add to the burden of providing jobs in other sectors. Realising this, even the government has begun focusing on skill development and training. Creating an entirely new Ministry and launching the Skill India Mission are clear indications of this. Another sign that skill training is gaining momentum is reflected in the growth of the Indian education and skills industry at an average rate of 13% over four years. From Rs 1.21 trillion in 2008 to Rs 2.35 trillion in 2012. However, these measures have not been enough to successfully skill India’s young. Only 2% of the Indian workforce has received some kind of formal skills training so far, and 8% have received informal training. Comparatively, 47% of China’s workforce is skill trained, 52% in USA, 68% in UK, 75% in Germany, 80% in Japan and 96% in South Korea. Almost half of Indian employers find it difficult to fill jobs and a similar proportion of employed youth suffer from some degree of skill deprivation. By 2050, India will be home to more than a billion jobseekers. This means providing jobs for over 12 million new entrants annually. There is also the challenge of finding jobs for the backlog, which reached 60 million by 2014. The pace of accretion to the labour market will keep increasing, given our demographic profile and declining age-dependency ratio. Our working age population (15-64 years) will peak in 2050 and till then pressures for jobs will only become worse. We need a wake-up call and more concerted efforts towards large-scale skill development and training. We may have a situation of too few high-skill workers and not enough jobs for medium or low-skill workers. This needs to be rectified by adjusting the education and skilling system to ready ourselves for the jobs of tomorrow. Article Source: http://www.firstpost.com/business/skill-deprivation-education-alone-wont-guarantee-a-job-in-demand-skills-need-of-hour-3020568.html
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by Apoorva Shankar

08 Nov'16
Why The Growth Of Higher Education In India Hinges On The Private Sector

5.13K+

Why The Growth Of Higher Education In India Hinges On The Private Sector

For the sake of simplicity, let’s say that the public sector’s role in education can be identified as a three-fold one. Firstly, it is tasked with universalizing access to education. Its next responsibility would be to regulate the sector and finally, to ensure quality education for all. In the context of the access provider role, estimates show that just in terms of physical infrastructure, more than a US $100 billion spends would be required in higher education alone, to double enrollment, from where it stands today (24%). Where regulation is concerned, bodies such as the University Grants Commission (UGC) and other higher education regulators are in-charge but leave much to be desired in terms of quality checks and monitoring, accreditation, etc. In fact, the UGC merely acts as a grants disbursing body now for universities and colleges, rather than a regulator. This is despite the fact that about 16% of the Ministry’s budget (2016-17) was allocated to UGC. Regarding quality, the government struggles to set standards and measure outcomes. Accreditation in the country is irregular and sub-optimal. In addition, unlike school education, where a certain level of learning outcomes may be gauged, this is difficult to do in higher education – especially assessing employability of a student post completing such education. So is there a role the government should prioritise? Further, because the government is entrusted with these roles, does it necessarily mean that they are its exclusive mandate? Or should the government act as an enabler and allow external participation if it means better execution and a higher success rate? The education and training industry is extremely large today and has strong further growth potential. With total educational spending of $2.7 trillion, the industry accounted for about 4.25% of the world’s GDP in 2010. In India alone, the spending on education and skilling has touched approximately Rs 74,000 crore. This may seem like a daunting figure but is still not sufficient. India spends about 4% of its GDP on all of education (about 1% on higher education), whereas globally the minimum recommended expenditure on education is 6% of GDP. Most of the public expenditure on higher education is used upon salaries and maintaining existing institutions, leaving very little to be spent on curriculum, research, and technology. However, spending on education still has enormous scaling to do and this is where the private sector comes in. Private players will have opportunities from rising demand in segments not well covered by the public education system (like adult education and vocational training). They bring in additional capital and are able to make huge investments, especially when government spending is insufficient and results in substantial infrastructure and investment deficit. For instance, the government had set a target of achieving a 30% enrolment ratio in higher education by 2020. The enrolment ratio currently is 24%. Judging by historical trends, and the current pace of rising enrolments, this target seems difficult to achieve. We may need a better, plan to succeed. Plus, the demand for higher education is only set to accelerate with growing population, higher enrolment as well as retention of students in schools. The private sector could play a crucial role in plugging these gaps and matching demand. In fact, it is already capturing the market in a big way, as can be seen in the adjacent graph. Enrolment in, and share of, private higher education institutions has surpassed that of government institutions (data as on 2013). Even the online education market in India expected to grow to US $40 billion by as soon as 2017. Unlike the education sector, which is legally mandated to operate on a not-for-profit basis, for-profit skill training institutes can be set up. This, coupled with initiatives of the National Skill Development Corporation, has encouraged the private sector to set up vocational training institutes. Corporate interest has also increased in the skill development space because of the benefits that accrue to businesses themselves, in the form of adequately trained manpower as a ready pool for future hiring. Majority of institutions offering professional disciplines are now in the private sector. There is a tendency of the public sector to view the private sector’s involvement in the education space with scepticism. But the private sector is necessary because of its ability to match industry demand for superior skilled manpower. It supplements infrastructure, facilities, technology and pedagogy and has an added advantage of escaping bureaucratic control and retaining autonomy to a large extent. Private players often collaborate with reputed international universities for faculty and other benefits which can be attractive to prospective students. They are also heavily investing in research-based education. As consumers of skilled manpower as well, the private sector is in a position to understand what type of skill training is to be imparted, and eventually benefit from it. This makes skill-training more efficient and effective. All three education-related roles of the government are equally important. However, while regulation should remain outside the purview of the private sector, nothing should stop them from assisting the public sector in maximising enrolments and improving quality of education. Public needs to work with private and create a level-playing field, in order to uplift the overall quality of education. Article Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.in/mayank-kumar/why-the-growth-of-higher-education-in-india-hinges-on-the-privat/
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by Apoorva Shankar

08 Nov'16