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Even as the number of students enrolling for higher education in India continues to grow every year, a majority of those opt for courses and careers that do not necessarily reflect their own interests and strengths.

This is evident in the workforce, as it was found that more than 40% of private sector employees suffer from some form depression or anxiety, and with the biggest student population in the world — 350 million students — there is a need for at least 1.4 million career counsellors to help find the right academic and career paths, according to UNESCO.

One startup helping plug that gap is Jodhpur-based Remarkable Education that’s helping students learn about the numerous career and higher education options available to them based on their skills and interests. It does this by leveraging, both, personal guidance counsellors and technology through artificial intelligence (AI).

Dr Prachee Gaur, Founder and CEO, Remarkable Education, explains, “We use AI to help us create a clear and unbiased profile of all our students that measures their strengths and weaknesses, and quantifies their aptitude skills. With this profile, we guide the students to the career paths, subjects, and colleges that best suit them. The profile goes to the student and our team, and if they would like to speak to an expert related to that field they can easily do that using our app, called Career Rocket — whether it’s an artist, industry leader, entrepreneur, or even a career counsellor, educationist, or a creative solution person.”

The Career Rocket app, which is available on Google Play for students, has a number of features such as instant and easy access to experts, timely notifications for important exams dates, and access to their expansive Career Library.

Personal inspiration

With nearly 200 career options after 12th grade that Remarkable Education can guide students towards, Dr Prachee’s idea to start a career guidance and counselling centre stemmed from her own experience as a student after she completed high school and wanted to study Fine Arts.

“When I decided to choose Fine Arts, my family and everybody around me weren’t very sure about or aware of it. And there’s also this confusion — what is right and for whom, which is the best stream for you, which subject should you choose? Those questions arise in every student’s mind when they are in 9th and 10th standard,” she says.

Not alone

Studying in London at Birmingham City University, Dr Prachee also worked part time, volunteering with a student counsellor. It was there that she realised that it wasn’t just her who was confused with career choices, meeting many students who were not satisfied with their careers and courses, and didn’t have anyone to guide or help them.

“Similarly, in India, there is a severe gap for authentic counselling and guidance for the youth, especially in towns and Tier II or developing cities. There was a need for students, as well as parents, to guide them and give them direction and know what is right for their own child,” Dr Prachee says, adding, “And more than that, the mental health aspect is important because if you’re not doing something that’s right for you and you’re not happy, you face lots of challenges in your career future no matter what, and then because of your living expenses, you have the burden of responsibilities and many other things.”

Setting up Remarkable Education in 2016, Dr Prachee started working on the centre full time from 2018, and now has more than 100 mentors from 35 countries available, career experts include astronauts, DRDO scientists, sportspersons, designers, and more — industry leaders that are able to give students a clear picture of what their career paths would look like. So far, the organisation has counselled and helped nearly 4 lakh students, thanks to their app.

Aligning with the state government’s flagship startup program iStart Rajasthan from the start, Dr Prachee says that the partnership helped her scale Remarkable Education to heights she never imagined, sharing, “Without the help and support of iStart we could not have even thought of expanding to Jaipur which was a big move for us, and from there we have scaled even further. Their mentorship also played a very important role — we know whom to page, how to plan our business processes, and more. It’s a one-stop solution for startups.”

Eye on the future

Doubling their student base every year, Remarkable Education has also expanded its footprint to other states, such as Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi. Their future plans include intercepting working professionals on a large scale, to realise Dr Prachee’s goal of providing quality career guidance for every child and professional. She adds that through the organisation, Remarkable Education has also helped students who were having suicidal thoughts because of the pressures of exams and choosing career paths, and wants to help remove the stigma of counselling and seeking help for mental health.

Dr Prachee, who is a mother herself, sums up her thoughts, “I believe we have saved a number of lives through our counselling. I would say, today, I’m not a mother for one, I’m a mother for many.”