Nidhidyasan the path to sustainable learning, Gurukul the place.

India is the third largest aviation market globally yet for Pilot training India looks West. Pilot training is shifting from competency-based Training (CBT) to Competency-based Training and Assessment (CBTA).

CBTA is a holistic approach to pilot training that provides the progressive and continuous development and assessment of pilot competencies.

The Problem

Regulators have recognized that many pilots today struggle to understand aviation concepts fully. To address this, they have introduced a new approach called Area 100 KSA (Knowledge, Skill, Attitude). According to EASA, around 50% of licensed pilots lack the necessary competencies for employment and fail AOC assessments. The current exams cannot determine if pilots have learned through memorization or true understanding. While regulators may introduce CBTA for initial training, the bigger question is how to ensure sustainable learning. The traditional Indian Vedic learning methodology at Gurukul emphasizes the holistic development of the student’s personality. It is not just about flying but also about adopting a responsible way of life. This is the kind of aviation personnel we want to see in the future.

Losing the plot

Continuous development and assessment of pilot skills was the goal of CBTA. A one-size-fits-all training approach is not ideal because it hinders learning and can demotivate people. It is important for the curriculum to actively address this issue actively. Otherwise, initial training may be helpful, but ongoing training loses its purpose.

Vedic solution to sustainable learning

The three-step education process, namely: 

Shravan, Manan, and Nidhidhyasan. (Click to view my presentation at the European Airline Training Symposium)

• SHRAVAN: essentially translates to but not plain listening; it implies listening attentively without interruption and with an absolute focus on any data, information, knowledge or wisdom.

• MANAN: is the process of memorizing everything you’ve listened to or learned without manipulating or distorting emotions.

• NIDHIDYASAN: To ensure that your mind remains unswayed by people with ulterior motives, Rishis suggested the process of Nidhidhyasan – a continuous pursuit of questioning, challenging, re-learning, rejecting or re-affirming everything which you have learned. In this life, where change is the only constant, it is vital to watch your mind and all that it holds. If you do not change – you perish. Refusal to change stems from ignorance. Such ignorance also stems from holding on to irrelevant data, information or knowledge. The only way to check your ignorance is through Nidhidhyasan. 

Your old habits, thought patterns, values, relationships, activities, and ways of relating to others and the world must be re-evaluated in the light of Truth.

Anything that no longer serves you or which is incongruous with your identity as the Self—including adharmic habits that cause unnecessary agitation to your mind, body, or senses—should be weeded out.

How you live should be as closely a reflection of who you truly are. 

Yogic Breathing from the diaphragm (NeuroMuscular reprogramming)

Breathing with the diaphragm, as practised in Yoga, is crucial to healing from structural injuries, whether they are generated from injury or shock. When we get into accidents, arguments, or other physically or emotionally traumatic experiences, our initial response is to hold our breath. By locking the diaphragm, we signal our body to go into a state of shock. This shuts down many of our restorative physical systems and re-routes energy to our muscles so that we can fight or flee as necessary to get through our situation.

Once that moment passes, it is necessary that we consciously release the contraction from the diaphragm. If we do not, the contraction (at this point, a fixation) in the diaphragm will persist and will continue to keep us in a state of shock, during which the body cannot heal tissue or perform vital functions.

Mindfulness

Distraction, loss of concentration, carelessness, and lack of attention are causes of many aviation incidents. This happens when our minds are either overwhelmed with too many thoughts or unable to focus at the right moment by organizing our thoughts. For example, recent incidents include incorrect takeoff performance or landing on the wrong surface. There was also an incident where the Air France cargo crew made a 100-tonne error in aircraft weight, and the Air Canada crew flew towards a taxiway with 4 aircraft and nearly 1000 passengers on board. Being fully present in such situations where lives are at stake is crucial.

Late in 2018, EASA released two documents that attempted to bolster the safety standards.

1. Safety mindfulness methodology
2. Startle effect management

These documents are the essence of the Eastern concept of mindfulness or vipassana. The Satipatṭhāna Sutta: The Discourse on the Establishing of Mindfulness, and the subsequently created Mahāsatipatṭhāna Sutta: The Great Discourse on the Establishing of Mindfulness, are two of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Buddhism, acting as the foundation for contemporary vipassana meditational practice. These discourses stress the practice of mindfulness “for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the extinguishing of suffering and grief, for walking on the path of truth, for the realization of nirvana.

Duration

The duration of the first two steps is limited, but the third step of Nidhidyasan is lifelong and continuous.

Performance= Resources X Ability X MOTIVATION

The individual must be highly motivated to maintain standards and continuously evaluate the present. CBTA does not include motivation as a competency; therefore, the absence of this important aspect goes unnoticed.

Psychological weakness can be more debilitating than physical exhaustion. When people feel a lack of motivation and inspiration, they find it difficult to carry on with the normal chores of life, let alone aim for perfection and competence at work.

Motivation is what drives or inspires people to perform specific actions or indulge in specific behaviours and attitudes to achieve or gain something. It may arise either from an inherent condition or an external situation.

Motivated behaviour gives you a sense of purpose and direction in life. It keeps you engaged in tasks that seem to enhance your value, status, esteem, or self-worth. Motivation also makes life purposeful and fulfilling.

Swami Vivekananda alluded to intrinsic motivation through empowerment and a reasonable degree of autonomy. An organisational vision that allows the member to experience a sense of calling accompanied by a sense of conviction that they make a positive difference and a culture where the member gets a feeling of belonging will motivate them intrinsically.

mindFly analysis

Over time, knowledge fades, skills become less sharp, and attitudes change. Therefore, it is important to follow the Vedic listening approach without biases and questioning to ensure that learning remains relevant. A motivated learner will always seek more knowledge and adjust the curriculum accordingly. While CBTA is a good starting point, it is necessary to challenge the system to keep it up to date continuously. India is the third largest aviation market globally. It is crucial for India to develop a culturally and contextually appropriate training system, like the Gurukul system, to produce skilled aviation professionals who can contribute to the nation’s strength and improve society as a whole.