It's no surprise that modern education has not stood the test of time. Surveys reveal that:

• 88% of India's workforce is in low-competency occupations.
• Over 80% of Indian employers report difficulty finding skilled talent.
• Only 9.76% of the population has completed education beyond the secondary level (source)
• Despite having the world's second-largest population, India's higher education penetration and quality remains disturbingly inadequate education penetration and quality remains disturbingly inadequate.
• The unemployment rate among educated youth has risen to 5.6% in May 2025, highlighting how even our best-educated struggle to find meaningful employment.

Today, with 800+ million Indians under the age of 35 and nearly 59,000 higher education institutions, India stands at a defining moment. The real return on education lies not in degrees or GPAs, but in unlocking human potential. The time has come to reimagine education.

WHERE THE SYSTEM FAILS

1) The Memorization Trap

The modern education system is more about memorization, compliance and rote learning. And in the day and age of AI, it's quickly losing relevance. Students are trained to reproduce information rather than think critically, inquire, experiment, collaborate, solve problems, or adapt to new situations which is exactly the opposite of what tomorrow's economy demands.

2) The Degree Devaluation Crisis

Degrees are slowly devolving to lesser and lesser indicators of skills and potential. India's and the world's future depends on how well it nurtures adaptable, real-world problem-solvers. Given the slowness of traditional systems, it is unlikely that they would be real-world ready for the changing world. The National Education Policy (NEP) of 2020 is a step in the right direction, but its execution has been anything but good.

3) The Privilege Perpetuation Problem

To a vast extent, the current education system allows folks to bubble up who are from privileged backgrounds, geographical locations, and family backgrounds. Further, while India has many top educational institutions of world standard, like the IITs, IIMs, AIIMS and other top colleges, beyond the first tier, there is a large vacuum in quality higher education opportunities.

We need to rethink education that shifts to the new reality that focuses heavily on human potential and skills and the one that works with AI (not against it). Widushi is a step towards that direction.

Widushi's North Star: Reclaiming the Purpose of Education

The original education ethos were rooted in inquiry, discipline, problem solving, collaboration and greater good as a purpose. These are to be designed in a way that complements AI on parts it can't do (yet). Widushi's approach is to bring back the original education ethos to the modern education system. Our plan to revolve our technology around this is based on four interconnected pillars:

Democratized Learning Access

Democratizing education in India means making it inclusive, equitable, and accessible to all, irrespective of socio-economic background. Good skill-based education is probably the most important factor behind social mobility and hence should be considered as a fundamental right.

Authentic Competency Measurement

Degrees have to truly reflect what really matters in the sobering new AI reality. High agency, hard work, critical thinking, persistence, and problem solving are the things that are still valuable and things that AI won't be able to do.

Multimodal Personalized Learning

Multi-modal personalization to adapt to the learner's pace and needs. The new system has to be responsive to the ever evolving curriculum and the needs of the learner. A one-size-fits-all approach no longer works.

Empowered Educator Ecosystem

Teachers are not mere content dispensers. They are observers, mentors, and guides. Widushi aims to support teachers with tools to adapt content, customize learning journeys, and cultivate curiosity and care in every student.

Our Beachhead Strategy

Over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing more about how we plan to build this. Because creating a truly effective AI tutor requires more than just smart algorithms, it needs thoughtful structure, pedagogical scaffolding, and a deep understanding of how people learn. Our goal is to create a system that's not just intelligent, but purpose-built to teach the right skills, in the right way, to those who need it most.

For the initial focus, we are starting small with a specific task of automatic grading of subjective questions for UPSC Mains and other state service exams in English and Hindi. The intended user is likely someone who is looking for an affordable and logistically easy way to get feedback on their writing skills.

Its already available via Android app and a mobile-friendly web platform.

The Transformation We Envision

Building an evolved way to build human potential has far reaching impact and its second and third order impact is even more powerful. Imagine a society where skill, effort, and curiosity determine how far someone will go, regardless of their zip-code or memorization abilities. Imagine an economy built on widespread meritocracy and empowered individuals. That's the kind of transformation we're aiming for.

Let's reward the right traits: high agency, hard work, persistence, critical thinking. Let's build capable, confident citizens.

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