Indian education needs more room for learning by doing

Amarnath Maddireddy and I started D4Devs in Guntur during our second year of engineering at KL University. Working on a business while studying gave us another place to test what we were learning: in conversations with people who expected something to work.

That experience shapes my view of education. I want more students to have opportunities to connect knowledge with a task, explain their decisions, and improve something after seeing it used. Starting a company is one possible route. It should not be the only way a student gets that experience.

There is already a policy direction to build on

The National Education Policy 2020 emphasises experiential learning, more flexible subject choices, vocational exposure, and assessment that examines understanding. Those are stated policy intentions, not proof of consistent implementation in every institution. The distinction matters when discussing reform. The official policy announcement describes that direction.

My concern is how a student experiences it in an ordinary week. Is there time to investigate a problem? Can students ask questions that do not have one prescribed answer? Do they receive useful feedback before the final evaluation?

A timetable with a project period is a beginning. The quality of the task, the support available, and the way learning is assessed determine whether the period becomes useful.

Practical learning also needs strong foundations

It would be a mistake to discuss innovation while overlooking the skills that make further learning possible. Reading with understanding and using basic arithmetic are essential for interpreting instructions, comparing information, and explaining a result.

ASER 2024’s national findings examine enrolment and basic learning through a rural household survey. Its rural scope should remain clear; it is not a measurement of every Indian classroom or of college graduates. It provides a reason to keep foundational learning central to the discussion.

I would like schools to make extra support a normal part of learning. A student who needs help should receive it early, with tasks suited to their current understanding and a way to see their own progress.

Give projects a person and a purpose

At college level, a practical assignment could begin with a local need: a small business trying to record stock, a community group organising an event, or a library helping people find books. These are examples of possible assignments, not claims about projects I have run.

Students could observe the process, write a short problem statement, propose a response, and put a first version in front of the intended user. A prototype might be a spreadsheet, a physical model, a service process, or software. The right form depends on the problem.

The assessment should include what students learned when their first assumption was wrong. That rewards investigation and judgment alongside presentation.

Make participation possible for more students

A project should not quietly become a competition over who can buy the best equipment or obtain an impressive internship through family contacts. Institutions need shared resources, accessible materials, and realistic expectations about time and travel.

Teachers also need planning time and support. Asking them to add meaningful practical work without changing workload, assessment, or resources is unlikely to produce the experience students deserve.

I would favour fewer, better-supported projects with clear feedback over a long list of activities completed for a record. Students should be able to describe the problem, the evidence they considered, and what changed through their work.

Keep several definitions of success

Education serves more than employment. It helps people understand society, participate in public life, appreciate culture, and make independent decisions. Practical learning can support those purposes too.

A student who can read carefully, question a claim, work with others, and take responsibility for a result has gained something valuable. Marks can record part of that progress. The learning experience should give students more ways to demonstrate it.