New Delhi: Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday urged institutions to “exit the Macaulay doctrine” and align higher education with the vision of Viksit Bharat. He also announced that Shri Ram College of Commerce’s Post Graduate Diploma in Global Business Operations (PGDGBO) will be upgraded to a full-fledged master’s degree programme. Pradhan made the remarks while inaugurating Yugantar ’26, the annual management conclave of SRCC’s PGDGBO, themed ‘AI for Sustainability and Startup Innovation’.Calling the National Education Policy (NEP) a structural reset of India’s academic ecosystem, Pradhan said: “We have to get out of the Macaulay doctrine that enslaved India academically. The NEP will ensure that Bharat becomes a Vishwa Guru. Institutions like SRCC must lead this transformation.” He stressed the need for technological sovereignty and stronger institutions. “India must move towards sovereign AI ecosystems, strengthening institutions like IIT Madras and IIT Bombay, and building indigenous capabilities so that Bharat becomes a leader in artificial intelligence,” he said. The minister announced that SRCC’s 2-year PGDGBO will transition to a master’s degree. The shift is aimed at improving academic recognition, aligning the programme with NEP reforms and enhancing its global equivalence. Delhi University vice-chancellor Yogesh Singh said universities must translate research into commercially viable outcomes. “Only three words can safeguard the future of young minds — innovation, creativity and originality. Universities must go beyond publications; we must develop patents, prototypes and commercially sustainable products.” He cautioned institutions against resisting technological change and called for deeper university–industry partnerships. SRCC principal Simrit Kaur said artificial intelligence must be guided with responsibility and human judgement. “AI has the capacity to shift demand and supply curves, improving productivity and efficiency. But without human intelligence, there is no optimal solution. AI must be aligned with humanity and adopted responsibly.”
