Former Union Minister and well-known national leader Smriti Irani spoke to a packed house at ITC Sonar in Kolkata during Ignite Your Power, an event organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce’s (ICC) Young Leaders Forum, in a profoundly moving and thought-provoking session.

The purpose of the evening was to give India’s upcoming generation of professionals, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders a chance to interact with a visionary who has not only served in government but also established extensive frameworks and systems that will continue to influence the country’s future.

Irani walked the audience through her historic accomplishments as Education Minister during her speech. She described how she travelled the nation, meeting with opposition MPs, PTAs, universities, village councils, and district education officers to make sure the NEP reflected the aspirations of the entire country rather than being a directive from above. “This was a national policy, developed by listening to every stakeholder who had a stake in our children’s future; it was neither my policy nor the Prime Minister’s policy,” said Irani.

She focused on some of the work done during her tenure. They were:

• She listed the creation of 25,000 village education councils to localise decision-making as one of her main initiatives.
• The introduction of SWAYAM, the first MOOC platform in India, currently empowers more than 2 crore students nationwide.
• The National Digital Library’s digitisation.
• The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) was introduced to increase competition and transparency in higher education.
• Granting universities the autonomy to update their curricula in real time.
• Encouraging industry professionals to teach and mentor students by supporting adjunct faculty programs.
• Starting the Gyan Program, which, with government assistance, brought more than 2,000 academicians from the Indian diaspora to teach in India.

She also discussed the difficulties she encountered in 2015 when she was at the forefront of digital education. Back then, some questioned the necessity of online courses. The entire nation didn’t understand the necessity of these systems until COVID struck. Sometimes, vision seems immature until it becomes essential.

An interesting Q&A session ensued, during which participants from a range of backgrounds questioned Irani on leadership, policymaking, and the role that young professionals can play in the advancement of the country. Her answers were direct, useful, and infused with personal wisdom.

This event was the culmination of ICC’s Young Leaders Forum, which has continuously sought to connect young visionaries with influential changemakers through dialogue-driven, solution-focused meetings.

Priyanka Dutta