Expressing deep concern over a significant shift in student preferences, Bihar's Higher Education Minister, Sunil Kumar, has called for urgent steps to attract talent back to humanities and social sciences. He made this appeal while addressing vice-chancellors and academics at a major conference in Patna on Monday.
A Call to Nurture Culture and Civilization
The minister highlighted a troubling trend where most bright students are now pursuing only science and technical courses, showing scant interest in languages, philosophy, fine arts, and social sciences. "This is very unfortunate and against the interest of national development," Kumar stated at the East Zone Vice-Chancellors' conference. The event was organized by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) at Aryabhatta Knowledge University (AKU).
Kumar argued that without studying the culture and history of their society, young people will not develop essential sensitivity. He stressed that courses nurturing culture, civilization, and socio-economic development are vital for a well-rounded national progress.
Blueprint for Reform: Integration and Technology
The minister proposed a concrete solution: comprehensive curriculum reforms. He emphasized the need to integrate humanities with science and technology. His vision includes making it mandatory for students of engineering, medicine, and pure sciences to study some humanities or social science subjects alongside their core disciplines.
Furthermore, Kumar pointed to the role of modern technology in this revival. He suggested that syllabi should be improved with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital tools, leveraging these advancements to make humanities education more engaging and relevant.
Bihar's Higher Education Growth and Broader Vision
Showcasing the state's commitment, Minister Sunil Kumar detailed the remarkable growth of higher education in Bihar over the last two decades under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. He revealed that the annual budget for higher education has skyrocketed from Rs 4,000 crore in 2005 to Rs 70,000 crore in 2025.
Other key achievements he listed include:
- Increase in conventional universities from five to 15.
- A consequent rise in the number of colleges and student enrollment.
- The creation of a separate department for higher education for better management.
- Encouragement for universities to introduce modern courses.
The conference, inaugurated by Governor-cum-Chancellor Arif Mohammad Khan, saw participation from VCs of 75 universities across 12 states. In his address, Governor Khan appealed to VCs to introduce innovative courses for a fast-changing world and stated that the real purpose of education is self-improvement and freeing minds from prejudice. He also released a postage stamp to mark the AIU's centenary celebrations.
Rural Works Minister Ashok Kumar Chaudhary added that higher education must link to rural development and act as an instrument of social change. AIU Secretary General Pankaj Mittal noted the significance of the conference being held for the first time in Bihar.
The collective message from the leadership was clear: the future of education lies in a balanced, integrated, and technologically empowered approach that values human sciences as much as it does technical expertise.
