Kamal Ghorui
Educational innovator Ramji Raghavan emphasises hands-on learning using everyday materials such as tree bark, rocks and soil, even as artificial intelligence makes information more instantly accessible. As founder and chairperson of the Agastya International Foundation, he works with students and teachers across 24 states, bringing interdisciplinary experts to its campus near Bengaluru to train them in experiential learning methods aimed at both professional and personal development.
Q1. What is the most pressing need for science skills among rural students in India in the age of AI?
The most pressing need in education today — whether rural or urban — is the development of scientific temper, or what I call “science with a small s.” This does not mean that everyone must become a scientist. Rather, it refers to a mindset: the ability to ask questions, observe carefully, experiment, make unusual connections, and apply knowledge to solve problems. These capabilities are essential not only for scientists but also for artists, entrepreneurs, humanists, and individuals in every field.
Hands-on experiential learning remains vital even in the age of artificial intelligence. AI can provide answers instantly, but it cannot replace curiosity, observation, experimentation, or creative thinking. When students learn through doing—touching, building, testing, and exploring—they experience the joy of discovery—the Aah! Aha! Ha-Ha! moments that make learning meaningful. These foundational human abilities will remain indispensable in every technological era.
2. You train teachers from across the country, even from places like Bodoland. What are their aspirations, and what changes when they return home?
We follow a “teaching hospital” model. Teachers participate in experiential workshops and then conduct real classroom sessions while mentors observe and provide feedback. This ensures that training translates directly into classroom practice.
Teachers who travel from distant regions—from Bodoland to many other parts of India—come with a shared aspiration: to learn new methods and rediscover the joy of learning. Many begin with limited exposure to experiential approaches, but they often bring highly absorptive minds, making the impact particularly strong. When they return home, they carry with them not just techniques, but a renewed sense of curiosity and confidence that transforms their classrooms.
A. Dr APJ Abdul Kalam often emphasised the importance of recognising excellence and those who contribute to knowledge and public service. He supported hands-on learning approaches, including mobile science labs, and contributed to their expansion in Bihar. Reflecting on his own approach, he once said that giving selflessly was a source of energy — an idea that continues to influence such initiatives.
5. What has been the impact of this method of science training on students in surrounding villages?
We see consistent behavioral shifts: from “yes” to “why,” from passive listening to active exploration, from fear to confidence, and from textbook dependence to hands-on learning. Thousands of case studies document these transformations, and structured assessments developed with academic partners measure improvements in curiosity, leadership, confidence, and problem-solving.
7. How does this method of training compares with conventional schools?
A. Our main purpose is to spark curiosity, nurture creativity, instil confidence with less focus on grades. Our emphasis is on constructivist learning and experimenting with solutions. We are now developing a new assessment tool to measure a student’s ability to ask questions—because the quality of questions often matters more than the answers they memorize. Teachers frequently tell us that this approach transforms classroom dynamics, increasing engagement, confidence, and deeper understanding.
9. The upcoming Rock and Learn Center is expected to be exciting for students. What’s it about?
The Rock and Learn Center represents our Nature-Centric Innovation approach. Located in a geologically rich region, it will use rocks and soils as entry points to teach basic sciences and even the arts and humanities. Rocks embody millions of years of Earth’s evolution, yet geology receives limited attention in many curricula. By integrating disciplines around landscapes and deep time, the center aims to create an immersive learning environment and a lasting educational legacy.
10. Is the basic science initiative a decimation of a certain kind of AI?
A. You know, there is the Lindy effect, which says that future life, the longevity of any technique, skill, idea, whatever, is proportional to the length of its history. In that sense, hands-on learning has been with us since time immemorial, Stone Age and is likely to last centuries, as long as humans exist. The mission to foster hands-on learning as a medium to awaken the senses will survive right through the AI age.
11. AI makes everything instant, available with a swipe — how will you sustain curiosity and hard work in this environment?
A. Easy access to information does not diminish human effort; it raises the bar. As automation reshapes economies, people will need creative adaptive intelligence—the ability to understand problems, think and offer creative solutions, adapt to changing contexts, continuously reskill. Equally important is care—empathy, ethics, and responsibility toward society and the environment. Education systems that cultivate these will not only survive technological change, they will guide it.
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