National Educational Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) has particularly stressed Experiential Learning. If we go by the definition, it is learning by doing. It means understanding the theory, as we normally do in classrooms, and then applying it in the form of an experiment, hands-on exercise, or an experience. Is it not correct to project experiential learning as a bridge between theory and real-world applications? I am sure all of us have come across this common notion, "There is no link between what we study and what we do in real life". Well, this is not true, and at the most, it is an excuse not to apply the theory.

The benefit of applying the theory is so significant that one can carve a niche out of it and pursue a career in it. It is a bold statement but is it not a reality? It essentially means that one may find an application that one loves. And when one reprises that application constantly, one becomes a master of that. The role of experiential learning is a lot more than learning by doing.

If experiential learning is practiced efficiently in schools and higher education institutes, we will know the student's interests. Is this not what we intend our education system to do for us? So the question is why experiential learning is not highly successful. The students prefer to make a career in the sectors that are least interesting to them. Instead of pursuing something they are good at, the students often pursue other career options. Experiential learning can be the answer for steering students to enter professions of their interest.

Imagine a situation where there is actual learning by doing. The students are taking action to understand the concept, and education is being extended beyond the standard experiments. It drastically improves the learning experience, and there is a practical knowledge transfer. More importantly, there is a high possibility that students will appreciate specific applications that interest them while performing experiential learning. The interest in a particular application may manifest to become a career choice.

The NEP 2020 mandate for experiential learning should act as a catalyst for improving the curriculum at schools and higher education institutes. The opportunity to shape students' interests to guide their career choice is too good of a chance to be lost.