News Highlight
India has a publicly funded higher education system, but none of India’s higher education institutions appears on the list of the top 100 universities in the world.
Key Takeaway
- The 2023 edition of the QS world university ranking reckons that three of India’s higher educational (HE) institutions are among the top 200 in the world.
- The Times Higher Education (THE) ranking places only one Indian institution among the top 400 of the world.
Challenges for higher education in India
- Lack of autonomy
- Over-regulation by regulators such as the University Grants Commission (UGC), which decides on standards, appointments, fee structure, and curriculum, has further deterred new institutions from opening campuses.
- Low gross enrolment ratio (GER)
- In India, the gross enrolment ratio (GER) of about 27% is lower than the global average.
- Less collaboration with industries
- Indian HE institutions does not have good industrial collaboration. Therefore, it forces the companies to give additional training.
- Shortage of Faculty
- In most state and central universities, more than 30% of faculty positions are vacant.
- Also, the teacher-student ratio is high (30:1) compared to developed countries like the USA(12.5:1).
- Outdated and rigid curriculum
- It offers very few interdisciplinary learning opportunities and does not have current relevance.
- Lack of research capacity and innovation
- Indian institutions do not have an efficient research and innovation ecosystem.
- Regional imbalance
- There is a clear gap in the presence of HE institutions across various regions.
- For example, North Eastern India.
Government initiatives
- Rashtriya Ucchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA)
- It aims to provide strategic funding to HE institutions throughout the country.
- Institute of Eminence
- It is a recognition scheme to empower HE institutes in India.
- National Institutional Ranking Framework
- The ranking framework, published annually since 2016, outlines a methodology to rank HE across the country.
- Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA)
- The Higher Education Financing Agency is to streamline the funding for Higher education.
- Unnat Bharat Abhiyan
- Higher educational institutes would connect with villages in their neighbourhood and address their various problems.
New Education Policy 2020 provisions for higher education.
- Flexibility in Higher Education
- NEP 2020 proposes a multi-disciplinary higher education framework with portable credits and multiple exits with certificates, diplomas and degrees.
- Common entrance exam
- The common entrance exam for all higher education institutes is to be held by the National Testing Agency (NTA).
- Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities (MERUs)
- To be at par with IITs, and IIMs, to be set up as models of best multidisciplinary education of global standards in the country.
- The National Research Foundation
- It will be created as an apex body to foster a strong research culture and build research capacity across HE.
- Affiliation of colleges
- It is to be phased out in 15 years, and a stage-wise mechanism is to be established for granting graded autonomy to colleges.
Way forward
- Matching of autonomy with accountability
- Need realignment of the regulatory functioning in such a way as to promote the autonomy of institutions.
- Foreign education providers
- Permitting foreign education providers in India would improve the quality of education.
- Improve student exchange and faculty exchange programs
- Improving student exchange and faculty exchange programs will improve quality, reputation, and credibility.
- Promote Academia-Industry collaboration
- It will help to induct emerging technologies and skill requirements to the institutions.
- The decentralised higher education system
- Decentralised HE by providing more autonomy to institutions for designing and implementing the curriculum.
- Promote innovation and patent generation
- Universities and colleges must promote innovation and acquire patents.
University Grants Commission (UGC)
- About
- The University Grants Commission is a statutory body formed in 1956 by an Act of Parliament (UGC ACT 1956) to coordinate, determine, and maintain university education standards.
- Aim and Role
- To provide funds to universities and coordinate, determine and maintain the ethics in higher education institutions. In addition, the commission upholds the universities, government’s, and community’s interpretations.
- Composition
- The Commission shall consist of a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman, and ten other members, to be appointed by the Central Government.
- Tenure
- Chairman: 5 years or until he attains age 65 years, whichever is earlier.
- Vice-Chairman: 3 years or until he attains age 65 years, whichever is earlier.
- Other members: 3 years.
Content Source: The Hindu