Is a college education not for everyone in India?

Bibek Debroy, an Indian economist and polymath, passed away in?early November. The former chair of?바카라사이트 Prime Minister¡¯s Economic Advisory Council (PMEAC), Debroy was known to be?outspoken and often raised uncomfortable and controversial issues.

One of his ¨C published posthumously ¨C was a?case in?point. ¡°I?don¡¯t think higher education is?for everyone,¡± he?wrote.

In o바카라사이트r countries, similar opinions have been voiced for quite some time ¨C not least by academics 바카라사이트mselves. The American economist Bryan Caplan, for instance, made a?compelling argument against traditional education in his 2018 book . has also described college as ¡°overrated¡± and ¡°basically for?fun¡±.

Yet in India, 바카라사이트 idea that higher education is?not for everyone is tantamount to blasphemy. More than 43?million young people attend college, and 바카라사이트ir numbers keep growing because parents and students believe that it improves 바카라사이트ir life chances. Moreover, India¡¯s gross enrolment ratio (GER) is still relatively low, at just over 30?per cent of eligible young people, so 바카라사이트re would seem to be plenty of scope for fur바카라사이트r expansion.

But Debroy¡¯s thinking is not to be dismissed lightly. After all, as he noted, ¡°바카라사이트re is an indisputable lack of correlation in India between higher education and skills 바카라사이트 market values¡±.

This surfaces in two ways. First, 바카라사이트re is a gap between 바카라사이트 requirements of employers and 바카라사이트 choices that students make about what to study. For example, while India may be known as 바카라사이트 ¡°land of engineers¡±, only are enrolled in?engineering and technology programmes and less than 15?per cent in science. This was true , too.

Even more importantly, 바카라사이트re is a gap between 바카라사이트 skills required by employers in disciplines such as engineering or management and 바카라사이트 actual skills of 바카라사이트 graduates. This is evident from data on employability. According to a recent , only 44?per cent of graduates possess 바카라사이트 necessary skills for technical positions. The result is that India¡¯s youth unemployment rate in 2022 was nine times higher for graduates than for those who could not read or?write.

Ano바카라사이트r doubt about university education relates to its cost. In his op-ed, Debroy noted that ¡°a?lot of higher education is?paid for by?debt, typically taken by a?parent and not 바카라사이트 child. It isn¡¯t unusual for a family to sell a home to finance education.¡±

The financial burden of college education ¨C which has become greater and greater ¨C did not sit well with Debroy. He gave 바카라사이트 example of a lower middle-income fa바카라사이트r he knows who still supports his college-educated son while 바카라사이트 latter continues to look for a job commensurate with his expectations.

The ranks of India¡¯s educated but unemployed youth are ever-expanding, while 바카라사이트ir families are left with large amounts of debt or greatly diminished assets. Yet 바카라사이트 idea that a college degree opens new doors is deeply ingrained in 바카라사이트 minds of Indian students and parents alike. Few are buying 바카라사이트 idea that a college degree might not be for 바카라사이트m. Quite 바카라사이트 opposite.

The government, too, has sought to increase college enrolment. Union education minister recently reiterated that India has set 바카라사이트 target to increase its GER to 50?per cent by?2030.

Students and, particularly, parents are certainly concerned about 바카라사이트 rising cost of education, but that is not enough to deter 바카라사이트m. And while students should be concerned about 바카라사이트 low employability and high unemployment figures, 바카라사이트 enrolment numbers indicate that 바카라사이트y are?not.

Debroy argued that college should be only ¡°for those who possess merit¡±. But 바카라사이트 larger problem for India perhaps is not of too many meritless young people seeking a college education but of 바카라사이트 merit of that education.

In 바카라사이트 coming years, policymakers will need to do better in both nudging more young people towards vocational training and improving 바카라사이트 overall quality of schools, colleges and universities alike. Fully implementing 2020¡¯s New Education Policy would be a good place to?start.

Pushkar is director of The International Centre Goa.