Dont just Solve—Understand and Embrace the Problem

in our education system, we focus heavily on preparing students to answer questions in exams. while this has made them proficient in written assessments, we have neglected a more vital skill—identifying and understanding real-world problems and cultivating the ability to solve them.this gap explains why indian educational institutions lag behind global research leaders like stanford and harvard. bridging this divide requires us to prioritize collaborations between academia and industry. our students must be trained not just in classroom concepts but also in the technologies currently being used across industries.the first step in solving any problem is recognizing what the problem is. students must be exposed to a wide range of societal challenges and encouraged to develop impactful solutions—solutions that benefit the many, not just the few.the fact that only a handful of companies worldwide manufacture airplanes, or that only a select few extract oil from depths over 10,000 feet, underscores a critical truth: only a few can solve the world's most complex problems. but this capability stems from a deep understanding of the problem's nature—and, importantly, a love for the problem itself.there's value not only in pioneering new solutions but also in improving existing ones. the goal should be to simplify problems, not complicate them. challenges such as maintaining uninterrupted power supply in rainy areas or managing urban traffic congestion demand such problem-solving approaches.today's engineers must possess interdisciplinary knowledge—spanning electrical, mechanical, chemical, mining, and more—and the ability to collaborate with domain experts. theoretical knowledge alone isn't enough; practical experience and conceptual clarity are equally critical.post-graduation, it's important to respect skilled professionals across all fields. india sees nearly 4 million engineering graduates every year, yet not all secure employment. in contrast, there is a high demand for iti and diploma graduates, especially in the manufacturing sector.pursuing engineering is not inherently flawed. what matters most is nurturing the right skillset and mindset—one focused on solving problems. we must ask: is engineering education the right path for everyone? after all, the country needs not only software engineers but also skilled electricians.-- lux ramalingam, c.o.o., quest global