ALL INDIA VICE-CHANCELLORS CONFERENCE

24 February 2025, Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli

The All India Vice-Chancellors Conference on Values-Based Education concluded at Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence (SSSUHE) on Monday, 24 February 2025. The conference brought together 50 Vice-Chancellors from 47 State and Private Universities across 18 states in India - Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and West Bengal.

Key Objectives and Outcomes

The conference aimed to integrate values-based education into Indian universities. The key objectives and outcomes included:

Need for Value-Based Education:There is a pressing need for Value-Based Education (VBE) to transform higher learning in India.

Four Key Areas:The discussions focused on Concepts, Implementations, New Ideas, and Concerns related to VBE.

Concepts:

    - Dharma: Education must instill a sense of duty, integrity, and ethical decision-making.

    - Vidya: A well-rounded education must integrate professional excellence with moral clarity.

    - Samaja Seva: Learning should foster community engagement, self-reflection, and a spirit of sacrifice and cooperation.

Implementations:

    - Curriculum Reform: Integrate ethics, civic responsibility, and traditional Indian knowledge into mainstream coursework.

    - Experiential Learning: Emphasize hands-on, community-driven projects.

    - Mentorship Programs: Strengthen student-mentor relationships to guide ethical decision-making.

    - Teacher Training: Focus on value-driven mentorship rather than mere content delivery.

New Ideas:

    - Human Excellence Quotient (HEQ) Model: Integrate value education within the curriculum.

    - Revitalization of Indigenous Knowledge: Reclaim pre-colonial educational wisdom while leveraging modern digital tools.

    - Multidisciplinary Learning: Bridge left-brain logic with right-brain aesthetics.

    - Parental Engagement Workshops: Help parents align home education with institutional efforts.

Concerns:

    - Political and Bureaucratic Interference: Inconsistent policies and ideological conflicts hinder VBE implementation.

    - Commercialization of Education: Profit-driven models often sideline ethical and social dimensions.

    - Lack of Trained Educators: Many faculty members are unprepared to integrate values into their teaching.

    - Vulnerability of Students to Digital Overload: The internet can lead to attention deficit and ideological confusion.

Call to Action and Future Plans

The conference concluded with a call to action to advocate for a national movement on values-based education. The key recommendations included:

- Establishing a national network of universities committed to values-based education

- Developing a model curriculum that integrates ethical leadership training into higher education curricula

- Creating a task force to support the implementation of values-based