With the emerging trends in the employment environment, the younger generation is found to be going after tailor-made short-term academic and technical qualifications and fetching jobs. They, in turn, turn away from conventional academic qualifications.

• How is this situation going to affect the society in general?
• Do you think it is important to pursue conventional qualifications?

Today time is money. So are the qualifications the younger generation happens to get. They think that education is an investment, and so wiser ones invest in easier and short term qualifications. Obviously, they ignore those time consuming conventional degrees.

Looking at it, what I feel is that we cannot blame the younger generation for their heightened interest in short-term qualifications because they are governed more by monitory instincts than by age old qualifications. This attitude is reinforced by the emerging possibilities for making money in several digits. All is well of course if people are able to live successfully throughout their life. However, the fact remains. In a social point of view; over emphasis on tailor-made qualification is a matter of some concern. The point is; the successful running of a society needs people of all types. Only tailor-made people cannot take a nation forward. It is a dangerous proposition indeed.

Therefore, it is mandatory that sizeable number of people pursue conventional academic programmes every year. when tailor-made programmes undermine higher studies, naturally, the need for highly qualified people to hold strategic positions of administration, teaching, research, development, governance and diplomacy, to mention a few, will be much higher. This cannot be made good by money. When there is need for such people, there should be enough people. Otherwise, the nation will go poor in all terms. Needless to say, we should encourage conventional qualifications.

In short, the workforce of a community needs to be as diverse as possible. This is achieved only if there is enough room for conventional academic qualifications. Tailor made programmes are fine for a few, but not for all.

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