Office of the Vice-Chancellor
Prof. Hrushikesh Senapaty
Vice-Chancellor of Vikram Dev University. Former Director of NCERT (2015–2022). UNESCO Expert on ICT in Teacher Education from India.
From the Vice-Chancellor's published writings
The inaugural address of the Vice-Chancellor at Vikram Dev University will be published here following its formal delivery. In the interim, the following is an extract from his most recent published writing, which sets out his thinking on learning outcomes, the framework he carried into office as Vice-Chancellor.
Children learn in a variety of ways such as listening, reading, playing, interacting and doing. This learning leads to change in their behaviour. This change, when observed and assessed, is often termed as learning outcome. The very process of learning which leads to development of competencies, is continuous and spiral. It does not happen in a linear fashion. Therefore, learning outcomes cannot be seen as achieved in a linear manner and are also not dependent on the content given in the textbooks but are linked to our curricular expectations and are process based.
There has always been a debate on the difference between competency and outcome. Literature generally consider learning outcome as the end result and competency as a state of being skilled. But when learning happens in continuum, a learner happens to be in the state of learning or in the process of learning. Therefore, in the process-based approach of learning, learning outcomes are the competencies which learners continue to develop and improve.
Prof. Hrushikesh Senapaty, Director, NCERT · Foreword to Learning Outcomes at the Secondary Stage, National Council of Educational Research and Training, New Delhi, December 2019 (primary source).
Academic background
- Ph.D. in Education; over three decades in research and policy at the Regional Institute of Education and the National Council of Educational Research and Training.
- Director, NCERT, 2015–2022.
- UNESCO Expert on ICT in Teacher Education from India; visited multiple member countries on Council assignment.
- Co-author, Learning Outcomes at the Elementary Stage (2017) and Learning Outcomes at the Secondary Stage (2018): the operational definitions of competency-based education adopted by NCERT.
- Lead architect of the 63 nationwide consultations and synthesis of 1.5 lakh public suggestions that fed into the National Education Policy 2020.
Research themes
- Constructivist pedagogy and ICT integration in teacher education.
- Learning outcomes and competency-based assessment reform.
- Foundational literacy and Early Childhood Care & Education (ECCE).
- Multiliteracies pedagogy for low-resource and mother-tongue contexts.
Office contact
- Office of the Vice-Chancellor
- Vikram Dev University, Po: Jeypore, Dist: Koraput, Odisha, 764 001
- vc@vikramdevuniversity.ac.in
- Appointments
- By prior arrangement with the Personal Secretary to the Vice-Chancellor.
Last updated: 26 April 2026 · Reviewed by: Office of the Vice-Chancellor