‘Integrate academic knowledge with societal needs’

As India moves towards our net-zero commitment by 2070, the nation must integrate academic knowledge with societal needs to create a smart energy future. This was stated by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

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Speaking at IIT-Delhi that hosted a national-level workshop on ‘Future Ready Energy Education: Opportunities and Challenge’, Pradhan said, “India is the third-largest energy consumer in the world, yet our per-capita energy consumption remains just one-third of global standards. As we move towards our net-zero commitment by 2070, we must integrate academic knowledge with societal needs to create a smart energy future.”

The workshop event witnessed the participation of leading academic institutions, including the top 100 NIRF-ranked universities and institutes with a focus on energy research.

Pradhan launched a dedicated portal titled ‘Oorja Sangam’. The website is envisioned as a “single-stop” portal for academic and research programmes related to energy, climate and sustainability across the country.

The minister emphasised the need to align educational efforts with India’s growing energy needs and aspirations. He also urged IIT-Delhi to extend its efforts to create an energy education curriculum for school students, helping instil awareness and capability at the grassroots level.

“This initiative is just the beginning of a much longer journey to integrate energy education into our national curriculum in a meaningful and holistic way,” Pradhan added.

The Ministry of Education has designated the institute as the nodal agency for the National Task Force on Energy Education, which aims to bridge gaps in the current curriculum and prepare a future-ready workforce for India’s energy transition. “A national task force was set up by the ministry to identify a curriculum that aligns with future energy needs. We are proud to work with top institutions and industries to evolve strategies that include AI integration, curriculum development and industry engagement, paving the way for a sustainable net-zero future,” said Rangan Banerjee, Director, IIT-Delhi.