T he spectre of a world orchestrated by Artificial Intelligence (AI) looms over discussions at coffee tables, in industry, and in the corridors of power. Opinions about what the near future portends range widely. others say it is many years away While some suggest that superintelligence is only a few years away. Questions about education too are frequent, but mostly with respect to teaching and examinations. Only a few bring up preparedness for the jobs of the near future.
The same acceleration is coming to manufacturing, and will affect every sector in which India has strengths. In generic drugs and biosimilars, AI is reshaping molecule screening and formulation, while robotics and machine vision will increasingly handle synthesis and quality control. Vaccine development and manufacture will also change visibly: AI can help design antigens and predict immune responses, while robotic bioreactors, automated fill-finish lines, and AI-managed logistics will make production faster, cleaner, and more precise. The task before our education system is to prepare young people for an unpredictable future. There are no easy fixes. For reasons of accident and design, our higher-education system resembles a bowl of seviyan payasam (vermicelli pudding): there are gems of raisins and cashews, but much of it is slippery and impossible to untangle. Yet a few simple steps could have a disproportionate impact.
But the National Education Policy’s four-year undergraduate structure already provides for a research pathway in the final year, which is the closest institutional equivalent available.
