Need for Liberal Arts Education In India

Need for Liberal Arts Education In India

Edited By Team Careers360 | Updated on Jun 17, 2024 11:13 AM IST | #B.A.

Liberal arts education offers a range of exposure by combining different subjects and disciplines. This holistic and multidisciplinary approach to teaching has been part of the Indian education system since ancient times in universities like ‘Nalanda’ and ‘Takshashila’. However, with the rise of scientific and technological fields, the focus on liberal arts education declined.

Need for Liberal Arts Education In India
Need for Liberal Arts Education In India

But as they say, History repeats itself, and the need for a well-rounded education can be seen again in the country. While a specialised degree is valuable, it limits students' exposure to diverse fields. This focus on a single subject can lead to mental strain and halt the development of critical thinking, reasoning, and problem-solving skills.

Also Read: Future of Liberal Arts

To address this issue and equip students with essential skills like creativity, innovation, teamwork, and communication; the New Education Policy (NEP) emphasises the importance of liberal arts education. In the following section, we will look into the specific reasons why a liberal arts education is crucial in India's educational landscape.

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Also Read: Top Liberal Arts Specialisation in India

Need for Liberal Arts Education in India

The Indian education system lacks a well-rounded and holistic education approach. Liberal arts degrees address this issue and come with a multidisciplinary method of learning. Read on to know why India needs more education like liberal arts.

Multidisciplinary Approach: For decades, Indian education has been rigid with limited scope for interdisciplinary study, especially in higher education. A long-felt need existed for an educational approach that allowed students to explore subjects from multiple disciplines together.

Liberal arts education fulfils this need perfectly and combines the study of multiple disciplines in a single degree. Integrating STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with arts and humanities subjects is the foundational principle of liberal arts education.

Also Read: How Liberal Arts Can Help in Today's Job Market?

Flexibility: The previous education system had very limited flexibility and the same topics were offered over a long time. There was for sure a need to change the way education was provided. NEP has focused on this issue by introducing flexible learning options, not only in subject selection but also in course duration, learning mode, and even inter-institutional transfers.

With the implementation of NEP, liberal arts education can be pursued with any course of a student’s interest. It also offers multiple exit points, such as certification if students exit in one year, a diploma on the completion of two years, and a degree after three years of study. The flexibility of moving across institutions is also a salient feature of NEP and liberal arts.

Also Read: Career Opportunities After Pursuing Liberal Arts

Social Skills: Another major need for liberal arts education was to provide students with social skills along with technical training. A report published by the Sapien Labs Centre for the Human Brain and Mind in 2023 showed that more than 50 per cent of the youth in India have poor mental health.

Because of the increase in the number of suicides committed by students over the decade and the decline in the moral well-being of students, there was a need for such education. In liberal arts, students are also taught to enhance their thinking, emotional intelligence, problem-solving, and confidence to overcome any situation in their personal and professional lives.

Low Enrolment in Humanities: With the high value of scientific and technology subjects in this digital era, colleges witnessed less enrolment in humanities and social sciences subjects. So, there was a need to change the traditional learning routes and hence many educational institutions have come with liberal arts degrees.

Colleges have started providing humanities courses along with technical subjects. For example, a liberal arts degree by combining computer science and history in a single degree.

Also Read: Liberal Education as per NEP 2020

Technical Literacy: We can not deny the fact that having technical skills is important for every student regardless of their academic background. Presently, there is absolutely no focus on providing basic technical literacy to students with humanities and social sciences students.

But, liberal arts degrees bridge the gap by combining technical education with humanities subjects. This allows students with backgrounds in humanities to pursue careers in technical fields.

Consider a liberal arts degree that integrates computer science with history or philosophy. Such a degree equips graduates with a unique combination of technical and social science knowledge which is uncommon in regular/specialised degrees.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Why is liberal education important?

Because of its broad-based learning method and focus on equipping students with both soft and hard skills, liberal education is important.

2. What are the benefits of studying liberal arts?

Flexibility of learning and interpersonal skills in addition to technical knowledge is the major benefit of studying liberal arts.

3. What does "NEP" stand for?

NEP's full form is the National Education Policy. It is a new educational policy that came into existence on 29 July 2020 by the Union Cabinet of India.

4. What is the need for a liberal arts education In India?

Liberal arts come with a multidisciplinary learning approach, flexibility, interpersonal skills, and technical literacy which is why it is needed in the Indian education system.

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Questions related to B.A.

Have a question related to B.A. ?

Hello Aspirant , hope this answer finds you well.

The deadline to apply for the B.A. program at Government First Grade College, Harapanahalli (GFGC Harapanahalli) is 15th July 2025  . If you're planning to enroll, make sure you complete the application form and submit all required documents before that date.


Hello student,

The first-year fees for a BA program can vary significantly depending on the college and its location.

Generally, fees range from INR 10,000 to INR 25,000 per year for government colleges, while private colleges can charge between INR 30,000 to INR 5,00,000 per year.

I recommend you to check the specific fee structure of the college you are interested in, as it can vary significantly based on location, institution and if it is government or private college.

Thank you!!

For B.A. 1st year in India,The fees can vary significantly depending on whether you're joining a government college or a private institutions.Ranging from approximately INR 5400 TO 60,000 in government colleges and potentially upto 5,00,000 or more in private institutions.Diffrent BA specialization might have varying fee structure even within the same institution


Hello,
To get admission in BA Psychology at MKP PG College, Dehradun through the CUET 2025, you have to  select specific subjects in the CUET UG application form that match with the admission criteria set by the university. MKP is affiliated with Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna (HNB) Garhwal University, which participates in the CUET UG for undergraduate admissions.
According to the  general pattern followed by most central and participating universities,candidates applying for BA Psychology need to choose subjects that reflect their interest and academic background. In most of the schools in class 12 Psychology may not be a compulsory subject  choosing relevant papers in CUET improves your chances during admission.
For BA Psychology, you mainly need to select:
General Test , English because most  universities ask for English as a compulsory subject for BA courses, especially if Psychology is not offered as a domain-specific paper and  one or two domain subject  of your class 12 ,you can choose subjects related to humanities such as Sociology, Political Science, History, or any other subject
As Psychology may not be listed as a domain subject in CUET for every university, it’s advisable to focus on strong performance in English and General Test, along with any other related domain subject of your choice.MKP follows the admission guidelines set by HNB Garhwal University. Their final admission is based on the CUET scores and the merit list prepared by the university after the counselling process ends . You will have to register yourself on the HNB Garhwal University counselling portal after the CUET results are declared.
Make sure to check the updated UG Admission Brochure of HNB Garhwal University in 2025 for the exact subject combination, as the rules may change slightly every year.Also, keep your Class 12 percentage, CUET score, and subject choice aligned to maximize your selection chances.
Thank you all the best for your college journey

Seat availability for second counselling depends on the college and previous rounds. You need to check the official counselling website for updated vacancy lists and allotment schedules.


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