Sri Sathya Sai University Commends Values-Based Education at National Conference

Muddenahalli, Karnataka 27th February 2025: The Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence (SSSUHE) successfully hosted the All India Vice-Chancellors Conference on Monday, 24 February 2025. This pioneering Conference foregathered 50 Vice-Chancellors from 47 State and Private Universities from across 18 States – Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and West Bengal. About 50% of the delegates participation were from Universities based out of Karnataka thereby leading this pan-India initiative from the front. These educationists, policymakers, and thought leaders are the critical force-multipliers who could steer the Indian higher education to one that is integrated with ethical and moral values. The Founder of SSSUHE – Sri Madhusudan Sai’s vision for values-based education is rooted in the belief that education should foster character, compassion, and wisdom.

Sri Madhusudan Sai in his benedictory message underscored the urgent need of the hour is to realign our education system to our ancient idea of dedicating oneself to the welfare of all. Elucidating on the phrase svadharma, He said ” Dhara iti Dharma “Dharma is the keyword, That which sustains, supports, protects and upon which everything else rests. Doing the right always, Making right choices over pleasurable choices and being happy are the few quintessential dharmic qualities that need to be inculcated in today’s students to release them from the firm grip of digital addiction and harmful peer validations”

While the Chancellor of SSSUHE – Mr B N Narasimha Murthy accentuated the significance of the Conference stated “Education should focus on wisdom and human values. To achieve this end, Spirituality in higher education is the key. It has proven impactful, as seen in the initiatives of leaders like Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba and Sadguru Madhusudan Sai. There is a need for more teachers who serve as gurus. Passionate educationists and educators, supported by policy-makers, can confidently introduce human values into higher education.

Leading academicians and policymakers engaged in insightful deliberations on curriculum reforms, pedagogical innovations, and assessment frameworks for values-based education. The many insightful deliberations calling for an urgent need to embed values-based education into academic curricula and holistic development amongst teen and university students while maintaining academic quality. This endeavour would create a new generation of students and university graduates with high standards of ethics coupled with an attitude of servant leadership. Many success stories of values-driven educational institutions were presented, showcasing tangible benefits in student development and societal impact.

A comprehensive roadmap for implementing values-based education was outlined, with a focus on integrating Dharma (righteous conduct), Vidya (knowledge), and Samaja Seva (social service)into university education.

The Conference concluded with a call to action to advocate for a national movement on values-based education, urging policymakers to:

• Establish national network of universities committed to values-based education
• Develop a model curriculum that integrates ethical leadership training into higher education curricula
• Create a task force to effectively support the implementation of values-based education in Indian universities through faculty development programmes and periodical audit
• Conduct community engagement initiatives and events to foster societal responsibility amongst the citizenry

The event marked the beginning of a larger initiative to redefine Indian education, aligning with the principles of NEP 2020 and Government-led programs like Deeksharambh, Jeevan Kaushal, and the Indian Knowledge Systems Programme. The Vice-Chancellors pledged collective action to implement these principles across their institutions.

This Conference, the first of its kind, is a strong call to action towards a sustained transformation in higher education. With the momentum generated, SSSUHE and participating universities will now work towards establishing Values-Based Education Centres across the nation