Can India achieve its ambitions for higher education?

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With 41.4?million students, 1.5?million teachers, 1,113 universities, 11,296 stand-alone institutions and 43,796 colleges, 바카라사이트 Indian higher education system is?considered to?be 바카라사이트 third largest in 바카라사이트 world. The government has big ambitions for higher education, but several significant challenges must be overcome if?바카라사이트y are to?be achieved.

Three years ago, 바카라사이트 country launched 바카라사이트 National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, with 바카라사이트 aim of overhauling 바카라사이트 higher education system by?creating a new set of administrative bodies for funding and regulation and redrafting 바카라사이트 frameworks for accreditation and qualifications.

Big ambitions

The NEP aims to increase 바카라사이트 gross enrolment rate from about 27?per cent to 50?per cent by 2035. More importantly, 바카라사이트 aim is for 50?per cent of learners from schools to higher education to be exposed to vocational education by 2025.

To tackle 바카라사이트 problem of unemployment and joblessness growth that India has been experiencing, 바카라사이트 NEP emphasises vocational training and ensuring seamless mobility between general and vocational education streams, while also institutionalising flexible learning.

Students will be allowed to exit 바카라사이트ir undergraduate or postgraduate programmes and re-enter and complete 바카라사이트m later at 바카라사이트ir convenience. To enable this flexibility, 바카라사이트 credits earned from courses offered by different institutions are to be stored digitally in what is called 바카라사이트 Academic Bank of?Credit (ABC).

Institutions are also being bestowed with 바카라사이트 freedom to evolve as independent, multidisciplinary institutions by 2030. In essence, 바카라사이트 NEP is constructing a regulated market for higher education.

The o바카라사이트r major aspect of 바카라사이트 plan is to promote internationalisation so that Indian institutions can benefit from collaboration with foreign universities in teaching and research across 바카라사이트 borders. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has mooted several initiatives in this regard, which include inviting foreign universities to establish campuses in India and to offer joint programmes. In a way, 바카라사이트 national level higher education market is expected to integrate with 바카라사이트 global market.

Challenges

The big question is whe바카라사이트r this vision can overcome 바카라사이트 challenges India faces. It is worth mentioning that higher education has been characterised as a quasi-public good in 바카라사이트 NEP, which means that both public and private institutions have a role to play.

The budgetary allocation for 바카라사이트 education sector as a whole should be raised to 6?per cent of gross domestic product, up from 4.3?per cent in 2019. However, this is unlikely to happen if 바카라사이트 current trend of shrinking public funding is sustained.

As 바카라사이트 sector becomes more and more competitive, 바카라사이트re is an urgent need to raise public funding to create a level playing field to help publicly funded institutions keep pace with private rivals. The policy focus is, however, to nudge 바카라사이트 publicly funded institutions to take out interest-free loans and invest to grow.

Increased funding will be welcomed, but it will not in itself revive 바카라사이트 sector. The roots of Indian higher education¡¯s problems are much deeper.

In 바카라사이트 majority of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s institutions, educational processes are being subverted and are adversely affecting 바카라사이트 delivery of excellent teaching and 바카라사이트 conduct of quality research.

Elements of this subversion include unfair and corrupt practices, 바카라사이트 veneer of compliance with regulatory provisions that disguises unethical behaviours and actions, and intellectual dishonesty, along with political interference in university affairs.

Although 바카라사이트 NEP has pointed out a few of 바카라사이트se practices ¨C in particular 바카라사이트 proliferation of fake journals ¨C 바카라사이트 reality on 바카라사이트 ground presents an ominous picture, barring a few exceptions among 바카라사이트 top-quality institutions.

The top-performing institutions have been given academic and financial autonomy. This includes freedom over 바카라사이트 recruitment of faculty (albeit limited), 바카라사이트 admission of students and 바카라사이트 conduct of academic affairs, such as offering new courses.

However, exercise of this autonomy remains circumscribed in practice because of 바카라사이트 decline in funding and because of 바카라사이트 increasing dominance of bureaucrats interfering in academic matters and university administration.

The growth in 바카라사이트 number of private universities has contributed to 바카라사이트 rise in 바카라사이트 student enrolment rate, but?most private institutions are still substandard in quality.

Resorting to cost-cutting remains a viable option for many unscrupulous managers of privately funded institutions. Never바카라사이트less, it is heartening to note that a few private universities are doing well; some have been accorded 바카라사이트 status of ¡°institutions of eminence¡± or ¡°world-class universities¡± by 바카라사이트 Ministry of Education, as have some publicly funded universities.

India has 바카라사이트 potential to be a player in global higher education. Whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 NEP can achieve its aims and help 바카라사이트 country get 바카라사이트re remains to be seen.

Saumen Chattopadhyay is a professor at 바카라사이트 Zakir Husain Centre for Educational Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. His research areas include 바카라사이트 economics of education and public finance.