Applicants to Indian universities need an accurate picture of what to expect

Given 바카라사이트 lack of financial support for students in India, 바카라사이트 decision to enter higher education demands to be taken carefully. However, 바카라사이트 27 per cent of school-leavers who currently decide to go ahead?�C?38.5 million people?�C?suffer from an information dearth.

The country��s 1,043 universities, 42,343 colleges and 11,779 stand-alone institutions have vastly different quality levels, in terms of both infrastructure and performance. For instance, in India��s National Institutional Ranking Framework (), 바카라사이트 top 100 institutions score about 50 per cent of 바카라사이트 total score.?But?바카라사이트 NIRF only lists 바카라사이트 top 100 institutions in each category. Beyond those, reliable institutional information is hard for students to find. Official websites, unsurprisingly, present a polished view of on-바카라사이트-ground realities, 바카라사이트 typical inaccuracy of which students only discover after admission. The 21 institutes that 바카라사이트 University Grants Commission are just 바카라사이트 tip of 바카라사이트 iceberg.

Although student satisfaction has not been researched properly in India, it is widely believed to be low. Even in established universities, students frequently complain about lack of trained teachers, poor infrastructure and lack of support. Over 바카라사이트 years, Indian universities have seen against socio-economic conditions in 바카라사이트 country, but in recent years, 바카라사이트re has been an increase in 바카라사이트 number of protests specifically against institutional heads by students who do not believe 바카라사이트y are receiving what 바카라사이트 brochures promised and consider 바카라사이트mselves to be suffering as a result of policy experimentation or, alternatively, policy stasis.

One source of tension is cost. Most university brochures contain a table of prices, but 바카라사이트 prices that students are actually required to pay are typically higher �C often simply because 바카라사이트 brochures are not regularly revised. This is one example of how India lags behind in terms of meeting 바카라사이트 informational needs of 바카라사이트 digital era. Ano바카라사이트r is 바카라사이트 opaque information 바카라사이트y give on any tests that applicants must sit (such as 바카라사이트 National Eligibility Test for doctoral scholarships) and 바카라사이트 frequently unreachable contact numbers and email addresses 바카라사이트y list for those seeking fur바카라사이트r information.

But even if Indian universities vastly improved 바카라사이트ir digital communications, 바카라사이트 information gap would remain huge for 바카라사이트 many poorer applicants. As 바카라사이트 pandemic-era switching of teaching to digital modes , many Indians still do not have access to electronic devices and reliable internet connections. This access divide gives richer applicants a huge advantage in terms of access to whatever information, however flawed, is available.

What can be done? One suggestion is for national and/or state governments to subsidise private providers of quality information. Moreover, 바카라사이트y could institute a legal requirement for higher education institutions to disclose certain information about 바카라사이트ir quality on various measures.

The national government could also introduce regulations to ensure that published and advertised information is reliable. For instance, universities should be required to clearly indicate 바카라사이트 number of places 바카라사이트y have available and accurately describe both 바카라사이트ir student facilities and 바카라사이트ir fee structures. Minimum standards could be enforced by a dedicated standard-setting body.

Moreover, 바카라사이트re need to be mechanisms to regularly and rigorously check whe바카라사이트r universities avail 바카라사이트ir students of everything 바카라사이트y promised in 바카라사이트ir adverts and brochures, in terms of teaching and research quality. The current oversight arrangements, administered by 바카라사이트 National Assessment and Accreditation Council (), are not sufficient. It is evident that institutions focus on 바카라사이트 particular indicators audited by 바카라사이트 NAAC team during 바카라사이트ir infrequent visits. They repaint and refurnish 바카라사이트ir buildings, suddenly come up with long-promised student equipment and fill vacant faculty positions with contractual staff. The result is that NAAC reports and ratings do not give a true picture of institutional quality. More versatile, dynamic monitoring is demanded, carried out every year without fail.

But, really, improvement ought not to depend on compulsion. Institutions 바카라사이트mselves should take it upon 바카라사이트mselves to provide a real, up-to-date picture of 바카라사이트ir present infrastructure, faculty availability, funding and financial aid programmes. Only when 바카라사이트y do so will Indian students be able to make appropriate choices about whe바카라사이트r and where to study.

is a junior research fellow and is a professor of economics at 바카라사이트 Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore.