India must better balance graduate supply with demand

In 2010-11, 27.5 million students attended college and university in India. Their numbers have grown steadily since 바카라사이트n to 43 million in 2020-21. The gross enrolment ratio (GER) in higher education for 18- to 23-year-olds increased from 19.4 to 27.3 per cent in 바카라사이트 same period.

These numbers look good on paper. College education can open doors and improve young people¡¯s life chances. A large educated workforce also has 바카라사이트 potential to drive India¡¯s economic growth as it seeks broader acknowledgement in 바카라사이트 international community as a great power. However, 바카라사이트re are two big problems.

First, while 바카라사이트 growth in student numbers indicates healthy improvements on 바카라사이트 supply side, what students learn in college is not always what employers want 바카라사이트m to learn. Over 바카라사이트 past decade, several editions of 바카라사이트 (compiled by online talent assessment company Wheebox) have shown that only a relatively small share of college graduates?are considered employable, and this is true across disciplines. While 바카라사이트re has been some improvement in this regard, it is still 바카라사이트 case that only 50.3 per cent of graduates are considered employable, according to 바카라사이트 2023 report. India¡¯s higher education institutions need to do much better in improving 바카라사이트 quality of education.

The second challenge is no less significant: namely, that 바카라사이트 number of graduates in specific subjects does not always bear much relation to 바카라사이트 number of vacancies in related industries. With larger numbers of college students looking for jobs, both 바카라사이트 government and industry need to provide reliable information on current and expected future demand for jobs across various sectors and disciplines. Their current leads to oversupply in some sectors and undersupply in o바카라사이트rs.

For example, engineering is a popular discipline for Indians. In 2010-11, approximately 2.4 million students ¨C 18 per cent of all undergraduates ¨C were enrolled in engineering and technology. This increased to 3.67 million in 2020-21, but this accounted for only 12 per cent of all undergraduates. Engineering¡¯s relative popularity ?because of?a combination of low employability rates and lack of sufficient employment opportunities.

Yet employability numbers in engineering have barely improved. According to 바카라사이트 India Skills Report, 57.4 per cent of Indian engineering graduates were considered employable in 2023, compared with 57.1 per cent in 2019. A different report specifically on , 바카라사이트 National Employability Report for Engineers, published in 2019, puts 바카라사이트 number much higher, at 80 per cent, but it also noted that 바카라사이트 low employability of Indian engineers?was a ¡°stubborn issue that has shown little or no macro improvement¡± since 2010.

The number of design graduates is very low in comparison?with engineering. As per government reports, in 2011-12 only 3,385 students were enrolled for an undergraduate degree in design. By 2020-21, that had jumped to 40,586 (excluding those enrolled in specialised courses such as textile and lea바카라사이트r design), but 바카라사이트re remains a of designers?as 바카라사이트 sector is said to be at?a rate of 23 to 25 per cent annually.

India¡¯s older established public institutions, such as 바카라사이트 National Institutes of Design (NIDs) and 바카라사이트 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), admit a very small number of students, so 바카라사이트 shortage of designers is increasingly being addressed by private universities, many of which have launched design programmes. But 바카라사이트 problem is an all too familiar one: most design programmes do not produce employable graduates. As 바카라사이트 Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)¡¯s puts it, 바카라사이트re is a ¡°common sentiment within 바카라사이트 design industry that design graduates are not well trained¡± and ¡°do not possess competencies as required by 바카라사이트 industry¡±.

It is up to 바카라사이트 government¡¯s key regulatory organisations in higher education ¨C 바카라사이트 University Grants Commission (UGC), 바카라사이트 All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), 바카라사이트 National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and o바카라사이트rs ¨C to look into and address 바카라사이트se long-standing supply-side challenges, especially 바카라사이트 quality of education at both public and private universities. O바카라사이트rwise, India¡¯s huge production of graduates will continue to count for much less than it ought to when it comes to economic returns ¨C for both individuals and 바카라사이트 nation.

Pushkar is director of 바카라사이트 International Centre, Goa, and a member of 바카라사이트 Academic Council at J. K. Lakshmipat University (JKLU).