New Delhi, Nov 19 (IANS): Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Monday expressed concern over the issue of unemployability among fresh graduates in the country, saying that nothing less than a complete re-engineering of the education system can fix the problem.

Addressing the students and faculty members here at the 95th annual convocation of Delhi University, he said the demographic dividend that we possess in the form of young people below the age of 35, who constitute 65 per cent of the total population, can turn into a "demographic challenge" if we fail to exploit the youths' potential.

"... it is a matter of grave concern to us that the rise in the number of educational institutions has not led to corresponding improvement in the quality of education granted in this country. We do produce a large number of graduates and other degree holders but how many of them are well rounded, employable individuals capable of critical, rational thinking?," Naidu said in his speech.

"There is a need to re-imagine and re-engineer our entire education system, top-down and bottom-up. There has to be a change in the curriculum, teaching methodology, examination system, technology tools used and research," he added.

The Vice President also criticised the 'one-size-fits-all' approach in the way education is imparted in the country and advocated for development of the "unique qualities" of students and encouraging them to think independently.

Stressing the need for "equity in higher education", Naidu urged the private players to step up and "find ways to cross-subsidise the education for the poor and the needy".

"We should also take special care when it comes to providing barrier-free access to education to our differently-abled youngsters," he added.

He also lamented the decline in original research. "For a country as vast and as diverse as India, facing problems ranging from poverty to environmental degradation, innovation is not a luxury but an urgent necessity."