Abstract

In this essay, the author examines the two central aims of the Foundation Courses: (a) increasing skills and employability; and (b) providing ‘knowledge and ability’ to address ‘India’s grand challenges’. He ends by juxtaposing what liberal education in a public university in contemporary India could aspire to be against what is offered by the proposed Foundation Courses. In doing so, he draws on his experiences as a student trained in a liberal curriculum, as well as his experiences as a teacher of urban practice.