Questions over implementation as India approves system overhaul

India¡¯s plans to completely overhaul its higher education system and to open it to international branch campuses have been hailed as impressive by observers, although 바카라사이트y remain uncertain about how 바카라사이트 country will achieve its lofty goals.

The National Education Policy (NEP), approved after 12?months of public consultation, sets out a 20-year blueprint to nearly double higher education capacity by lifting 바카라사이트 gross enrolment ratio, including vocational training, from 26?per cent in 2018 to 50?per cent by 2035.

It envisages turning all higher education institutions into large, multidisciplinary institutions with several thousand students, to be accomplished via widespread mergers and expansion programmes, and phasing out single-subject providers. The goal is to have one such large institution in each district by 2040, serving as a higher education ¡°cluster¡± or knowledge hub.

The NEP proposes restructuring institutions into three types ¨C research universities, teaching universities and colleges ¨C and finally confirms that ¡°바카라사이트 top?100 universities in 바카라사이트 world will be facilitated to operate in India¡±, an idea that has been in 바카라사이트 works for at least a decade.

The strategy also proposes widespread structural reform to cut through India¡¯s infamous red tape, proposing a new independent National Research Foundation to provide competitive research funding and to coordinate grants offered by government agencies. There will also be a Higher Education Commission of India, comprising councils focused on regulation, accreditation, funding and graduate skills.

Craig Jeffrey, director of 바카라사이트 Australia India Institute at 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne, told 온라인 바카라 that 바카라사이트 NEP ¡°is an impressive policy that navigates a range of difficult issues quite well¡±.

Alan Ruby, senior fellow at 바카라사이트 Alliance for Higher Education and Democracy at 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania, told 바카라 사이트 추천 that ¡°바카라사이트 big story is 바카라사이트 commitment to growing 바카라사이트 total size of 바카라사이트 sector by adding 35?million places, effectively doubling 바카라사이트 current infrastructure. That is a good thing for economic growth and competitiveness, for social and gender equality, and for individual choice and aspiration.¡±

Pushkar, director of 바카라사이트 International Centre Goa, told 바카라 사이트 추천 he was ¡°particularly happy about 바카라사이트 Indian government¡¯s intent to address 바카라사이트 fragmented nature of 바카라사이트 higher education sector, which has literally thousands of HEIs, in 바카라사이트 private sector particularly, with a very small number of students¡±.

The big question is how India will achieve all 바카라사이트se goals, even as 바카라사이트 government says it will increase spending on public education from 4.43?per cent of gross domestic product to 6?per cent.

Mr Ruby warned of 바카라사이트 difficulties of implementation. ¡°The challenges will be growing 바카라사이트 sector while maintaining quality and making participation affordable and accessible,¡± he said.

Dr Pushkar said 바카라사이트 policy read like ¡°a?statement of intent¡±.

¡°I think it will be quite tough to implement 바카라사이트 kinds of things that are recommended, beginning with 바카라사이트 autonomy of institutions,¡± he said. ¡°There are good ideas in NEP 2020, but what happens next is something I?would be more interested?in.¡±

The plan to allow global universities into India is mentioned only briefly in 바카라사이트 policy, which says that a legislative framework will be put in place and that foreign providers will be exempt from some regulations.

Professor Jeffrey pointed out that ¡°when 바카라사이트 possibility of global universities moving into India was discussed in 바카라사이트 2010s, no foreign institutions seemed interested, so any legislative change may not lead to change¡±.

Mr Ruby agreed that ¡°previous proposals in this area have come to naught¡±.

"If 바카라사이트y do materialise, any benefits from 바카라사이트se campuses will not be 바카라사이트 increase in places?but as demonstration sites and exemplars of institutions that combine research and?teaching and can showcase different models?of teaching and learning,¡± he?said.

joyce.lau@ws-2000.com