Mission 2020

Mission 2020: Building a nation of lifelong learners

In June 2000, the Planning Commission set up a committee to draw up a vision 2020, which report (http://planningcommission.nic.in/reports/genrep/pl_vsn2020.pdf ) was published in December 2002.
We have less time than what the committee had to face the real 2020. Just about 20 months. And we want to focus on one thing ‘ The exponential rise of Machine Intelligence’. Our recommended response is lifelong learners. My personal mission is to evangelise lifelong learning, create a community of fellow lifelong learners, and hope that this would sow the seeds for a nation of lifelong learners.

If the more than 1 billion Indians decide to pursue lifelong learning and rational thinking, learning for even 15-30 minutes/day from their mobiles, we would leapfrog to a much better life. Eric Hanushek in his book ‘ The Knowledge Capital of Nations’ has …. and this is Independent of who is in power.
We begin the day by doing yoga. Why not follow it up with learning ( Gyan yoga). We use all devices to measure whether we achieved our fitness goal of 10,000 steps each day. Why not reflect over how many words did we read read or hear that added to our knowledge and understanding of the world.
This is an effort in that direction.
All you need to do yoga is your commitment, a yoga mat…. and practice. Most people who have kept with yoga for a while have experienced significant transformation.
For lifelong learning you need a similar commitment, a smartphone ( perhaps AI enabled) and continued pursuit. Yoga releases endorphins and learning releases dopamine and together they can make you really happy. And if you do the course on ‘happiness’ you will learn that if you act in ways that generate serotonin and oxytocin, you would become truly happy.
Isn’t that what we always wanted.
The year 2020 is just about 20 months away. This period is a period of very rapid ( exponential change) and as Professor Klaus Schwab pointed out in January 2016 is the onset of the 4th Industrial Revolution and era of the fusion of the Physical world ( of atoms and energy), the information world ( of bits and qbits) and the biological world ( of genes and neurons).

As preparation for this, everyone will have to create their plan for change and alignment to the future, and the main driver for it is lifelong learning. Whether you are a young person just about 18 years of age, who is ‘coming of Age in the 4th Industrial Age’ or a young professional facing the ‘ Gig economy’ and want to get comfortable with ‘ Business 4.0’ or a young senior citizen planning a useful ‘next decade’ of your life, you have to create and follow your own path to your destiny.

This mission of lifelong learning delivered through Whatsapp on mobile phones helps you find your way.

About mmpant

Prof. M.M.Pant has a Ph.D in Computational Physics, along with a Professional Law Degree, and has been a practitioner in the fields of Law, IT enabled education and IT implementation. Drawing upon his experience in world class international institutions and having taught in various modes of Face-to-Face, Distance Learning and Technology Enhanced Training, Prof. Pant is now exploring the nature of institutions which will be successors to the IITs, which represented the 1960s, IIMs, which represented the 1970 and Open Universities which were the rage of 1980s & 90s. He believes that the convergence between various media and technologies would fundamentally alter the way learning would be created, packaged, and delivered to learners. His current activities are all directed toward actual implementation of these new age educational initiatives that transform education in the post Internet post WTO era.. Prof. Pant, has been a Former Pro-Vice Chancellor, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and has been on the faculty of IIT – Kanpur (the premier Engineering institution in India), MLNR Engineering College and Faculty & Visiting Professor - University of Western Ontario-Canada. He has been visiting scientist to research centers in Italy, England, Germany & Sweden and has delivered international lectures with about 80 papers published. During his association of almost 15 years with the IGNOU, Prof. Pant has served as the Director Computing and has been the Member of All Bodies (i.e. School boards, Academic council, Planning board, Finance committee and the Board of management). With his interest in Law, backed with practice of Law in a High Court, and his basic training in Science and IT, Prof. Pant has been particularly interested in the Cyber Law, Patent & trade mark issues, Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) issues etc. and has been involved with many activities, conferences on “Law & IT” Prof. Pant is presently; • Advisor to Media Lab Asia - Chairman of working group on ICT for Education, chairman of PRSG handling projects on ICT for education. • Lead Consultant for an ADB funded project for ICT in Basic Education in Uzbekistan • Member of the drafting Group for India’s National Policy on ICT in education • Chairman of the group creating books for class 11 and 12 students on ‘Computers and Communication Technology’ appointed by the NCERT • Preparing a ‘Theme Paper” for the NCTE in the area of ICT and Teacher Training • Advisor and mentor to several leading Indian and Multi-national Companies in the area of education. Prof. Pant has in the recent past been ; • Member – Board of Management – I I T, Delhi for 6 years (two consecutive terms) • One-man committee to create the Project Report & Legislation for Delhi IT-enabled Open University • Advisor to the Delhi Government on Asian Network of Major Cities Project (ANMC-21) distance learning project in association with Tokyo Metropolitan Government. • Chairman Board of Studies, All India Management Association With his mission to create and implement new business opportunities in the area of e-learning & learning facilitation, Prof. Pant has promoted Planet EDU Pvt. Ltd., as its Founder & Chairman, along with a team of highly experienced and skilled professionals from Education & Training, Operations, IT and Finance.
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1 Response to Mission 2020

  1. Shishir Mehta says:

    What about the tens of thousands of coaching institutes imparting so called competitive entrance test hurdle jumping skills? How does one get the main stream and these coaching temples of”learning”” on board for AI

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