http://dspace.ediindia.ac.in:8181/xmlui//handle/123456789/699 Fri, 15 May 2026 12:06:25 GMT 2026-05-15T12:06:25Z http://dspace.ediindia.ac.in:8181/xmlui//handle/123456789/952 Curriculum of Entrepreneurship in Institutions of Higher Learning: A Critical Analysis Shukla, Sunil Entrepreneurship education in India, or for that matter anywhere else, is of recent origin. In fact, few until very recently believed that entrepreneurs could be created through educational endeavours, or that entrepreneurship could be a matter of training. For well-over a century or longer, entrepreneurship was confined to economic literature as a mere concept to explain the process of production, without giving much practical value to those concerned with the mundane task of enterprise development. Educational intervention in entrepreneurship was given less importance due to its emphasis on market mechanism which was being considered the principal driving force behind economic changes. The situation remained more or less unchanged until post world war 11 when the concern for economic development became all pervasive. At that time, the need to improve the human factor in production began to be increasingly recognised. Scholars of other disciplines also, such as psychology, which had remained practically aloof from entrepreneurial theorisation previously, entered the arena. Their primary interest was not to define the entrepreneur or his place in the development process. They were more interested in analysing the psychological variables responsible for creating an entrepreneurial personality, and suggesting the ways and means to develop these traits (Tripathi & Mehta, 1990). Perhaps, the pioneer in this genre of works was David C. McClelland. He (1961) asserted that n. ach., i.e. 'need for achievement' or 'achievement motivation' was the central force behind entrepreneurial manifestations and that this quality can, in fact, be developed. He, even, conducted a few experiments, of which the one at Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh in 1964 is the best known, through which he tried to establish that motivation for economic success can be induced through appropriate training and teaching. None, however, picked up the thread which McClelland had left until Gujarat took the lead in organising the first Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP) in 1970 (Patel 1981). Progress since then has been swift and by now entrepreneurship development (ED)' has become almost a movement. Various Institutes and Centres, both governmental and non-governmental (NGO), are organising ED Programmes in one form or the other. Institutions of higher learning like Engineering Colleges and Business Schools have also started introducing entrepreneurship in their formal curricula. A number of engineering colleges and polytechnics have created Entrepreneurship Development Cells (EDCs), in association with National Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB), Department of Science & Technology, Government of India with objective of carrying out ED related activities within the institutions, as well as in nearby areas. It has been observed, that unlike many other programmes of applied education, the entrepreneurship development programmes and courses seem to have had less impact. This is reflected in the lukewarm response of students towards taking entrepreneurship as a career option. Only about one-third or even less of those receiving entrepreneurship training as a part of entrepreneurship development programmes actually launch their own enterprises (Awasthi & Sebastian, 1992; Patel, 1991). The situation is more or less similar or even worse in case of academic institutions, if their objective is to create entrepreneurs. The country's premier management educational institution, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIMA) has included entrepreneurship education as an elective course in second year of its Post-Graduation Programme. The objective is to motivate and help students to become entrepreneurs. A study shows that not many of them chose to become entrepreneurs, though their interest towards it as a career option was observed to be increasing later on. (Ramchandran, 1991). The proportion of the students of other programmes joining their respective operating systems is much larger; in some cases it is close to 100% (like management institutions). The products of entrepreneurship education have not been by and large very conspicuous on the contours of Indian Entrepreneurship. Significantly enough during the last three decades, which have witnessed the consolidation of EDP movement, none among the new breed or prominent Indian entrepreneurs have emerged out of the EDP stream. The print and electronic media is filled with success stories of entrepreneurs who parlay their resources into fortunes with little knowledge but great determination. Most of them had no formal training in entrepreneurship (Jain, 1988). The purpose of an educational programme and thus its impact would broadly depend on two crucial factors; (i) quality of intake and (ii) the nature of the academic input. The quality of intake would depend on admission policies and criteria. In case of entrepreneurship education, we need to standardise the same. The more important and matter of utmost concern is the nature of the "academic input. EDPs, offered by various organisations, are often not based on an rigorous criteria. A considerable variation has been found not only in the duration of the on programme and the other but also in the academic input. Different programmes have given different emphasis on different aspects (Shukla, 1994). Not only in India, the situation is more or less similar in other countries too (Ray, 1993). In case of educational programmes of institutions of higher learning offered as a part of formal system, we do not have any substantial data or findings, though such an analysis could be highly relevant, in the context of entrepreneurship education. Wed, 18 Mar 1998 00:00:00 GMT http://dspace.ediindia.ac.in:8181/xmlui//handle/123456789/952 1998-03-18T00:00:00Z http://dspace.ediindia.ac.in:8181/xmlui//handle/123456789/735 Entrepreneurship Development in Kulathur Taluk of Pudukkottai District Thangamuthu, C; Murugesan, V Entrepreneurship is one of the most important factors of the economic development of a country or regions within the country. It is true that the entrepreneurial competence makes the difference in the rate of economic growth in India, state and private entrepreneurship co-exist. At present both state and central governments have been taking certain priorities in extending incentives and concessions for the development of states, districts and talukas. Manmohansingh (1994) a former union finance minister of our country has announced five years tax holiday to new industrially undertakings, which was initially allowed to industrially backward states and districts to be notified by the Department of Revenue. In this context, an increasingly important role has been assigned on the identification and promotion of entrepreneurship in backward districts. Many studies on the subject have identified which are influenced the growth of entrepreneurship. Like Haidmani (1985), Sharma (1985), Gangadhara Rao (1986), Richard P. Taup and Morries L.Taup (1986), Bhanusali (1987), Thangamuthu and Manimekali (1989) and Narasimha Murthy (1989) have findings, entrepreneurship development is related with the availabilities of raw materials, markets, skilled labours, Government policy (incentives, concession and subsidies) and infrastructural facilities like road, transport, communication, power, water, etc. Apart from these facilities it is also depends on the social background, experience, availability of finance etc. All these studies tend to show the location of a particular factory depends not only on economic factors but also on some non-economic factors which are to be considerably properly. This study is based on the objectives: 1). To find out the socio-economic condition of in Kulathur taluk of Pudukkottai district. 2). To study the pattern of distribution of entrepreneurs and concentration of entrepreneurship in particular line of production and in particular geographical area of the study area. 3). To analyse the performance of the entrepreneurial activities in terms of investment, production, employment, capacity utilisation, turnover, and profit in the study area. 4) To examine the awareness of various provisions of new industrial policy among the entrepreneurs in the study area. 5). To find out the problems of the entrepreneurs in Kulathur taluk of Pudukkottai district. Wed, 18 Mar 1998 00:00:00 GMT http://dspace.ediindia.ac.in:8181/xmlui//handle/123456789/735 1998-03-18T00:00:00Z http://dspace.ediindia.ac.in:8181/xmlui//handle/123456789/734 A Case Study of Non-Governmental Organisations in Rural Enterprise Development Priyadarshi, Himank; Vakil, Kirti The process of Rural Development is complex and multidimensional. It requires a multidirectional approach to improve the quality of life of weaker section which encompasses the development of agriculture and allied activities, village and cottage industries and crafts, socioeconomic infrastructure, community services and facilities, and above all, productive human resources in rural sectors. These development programmes and services are rendered by various government agencies, but it is not possible for them to accomplish these goals efficaciously. Even large amounts of aid directed towards 'integrated rural development', that is tantamount to mainly rural poverty, have not substantially ameliorated the condition and prospect for the poorest people in the rural sectors. Hence, the participation of NGOs (Non-Government Organisations) in the rural development endeavours has been realised essential. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) embrace a wide array of agencies within the and across different agencies or groups which are different from government bodies. However, NGOs distinctive in containing a voluntary component and because they do not operate for profit. Developments of NGOs are thus a category of NGOs defined by their purpose of providing development assistance. But even in development parlance, the term NGO is used to encompass whole range organisations which differ in size, function and geographical location. Thus, this term can be used to describe small, locally based and loosely established voluntary and largely grass-roots type of associations as well as large, national and even transnational voluntary associations with formal constitutions, employing hundreds of staff. Wed, 18 Mar 1998 00:00:00 GMT http://dspace.ediindia.ac.in:8181/xmlui//handle/123456789/734 1998-03-18T00:00:00Z http://dspace.ediindia.ac.in:8181/xmlui//handle/123456789/733 Global Integration and India: The Role of Entrepreneurial Initiatives Vikash, Chandra As a political and economic entity, India has not yet shed the garbs of insularity that have stifled individual aspirations of its people for decades, and has kept under wraps, the problems of continuing high incidences of poverty and illiteracy. The process of liberalisation that was set off in 1991 has kindled the aspirations of the educated section, but in the absence of an integrated approach, the measures have only been half-baked. It has not reached vast sections of the people, who do not have access to basic amenities. Social discontent has been abated by populist measures, which continue to eat into our future. Emphasis on health and nutrition, education and training, and environmental conservation continue to take a back seat. Even after seven years of liberalisation, India finds itself on the fringes of the global system and moving away. It still plays an insignificant role in shaping the forces of global integration. As we resolve to meet the challenges of global integration, to tide over the tumultuous period of transition from insularity to integration, we need to think beyond the boxes and boundaries that most of us find ourselves in. We need to broaden our ambit of activities, and discover personal reasons for doing so. We need to create and support structures, where the conventional set-up has failed to deliver. Entrepreneurial initiative can play can play a significant role in getting together people with diverse background to address our common issues in depth and in detail. We need to research and innovate new structures to implement our ideas. With the growing complexity and the increasing pressures on our time in our respective professions, the role of entrepreneurs as facilitators and integrators, researchers and innovators, event organisers and service providers gains tremendous importance. This genre of entrepreneurship has to be understood and accepted before it becomes an economically viable proposition. It marks a new paradigm in entrepreneurship that gains great importance as we enter the age of knowledge. It explores entrepreneurial opportunities at fundamental levels, where theory intermingles with practice, constantly and pervasively. Wed, 18 Mar 1998 00:00:00 GMT http://dspace.ediindia.ac.in:8181/xmlui//handle/123456789/733 1998-03-18T00:00:00Z