Higher Education in India: Issues and Concerns

By Poonam Bhushan School of Education IGNOU, Maidan Garhi New Delhi-68

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Table : Number of Institutions

C: Higher Education Institutions
Type of Institutions
I. Universities 1. Central Universities 18

Numbers

2. State Universities
3. Institutions established under States Legislature Act 4. Institution deemed to be University 5. Institutions of National Importance 6. Research Institutes Total

275
5 96 13 136 543
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Typology of Higher Education Institutions (2004-2005)

Type Univ. under the Govt. Private Universities Deemed Universities (aided) Deemed Universities (unaided) Colleges under the Government Private Colleges (aided) 2750000Private Colleges (unaided) Foreign Institutions Total Ownership Public Private Private or Public Private Public Private Private Private Financing No. of No. of Institutions students Public Private Public Private Public Public Private Private 239 11 38 72 4225 5750 7650 150 18123 1,00,000 10,000 40,000 60,000 2,750,000 3,450,000 3,150,000 8,000 3 10,468,000

Table 5: Public Expenditures on Higher Education

Year Expenditure Expenditure on Expenditure on on Edn. as % Higher Edn.as % of Higher Edn as of GDP Expenditure on Edn % of GDP

1981-1990 1991-2000 2001-02 2002-03

3.59 3.77 3.82 3.80

15.6 19.3 17.9 18.5

0.34 0.72 0.69 0.70

2003-04
2004-05 (RE)

3.50
3.68

17.8
18.0

0.62
0.66
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Students Enrolment by Academic Discipline (2002-2003)

S. No. 1. 2. 3. Faculty Arts Science Commerce/Management Enrolment 41,58,606 18,34,493 16,60,238 %age of Total 45.07 19.88 17.99

4.
5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Education
Engineering/Technology Medicine Agriculture Veterinary Science Law Others Total

1,32,572
6,92,087 3,00,669 55,367 14,765 2,98,291 80,745 92,27,833

1.43
7.50 3.25 0.60 0.16 3.23 0.88 100.00
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Table 1 : Enrolment Rate 2004-05 Rural, Urban 2004-05

Total 10.84

Rural
Urban

6.74
19.88

ER for Graduate and above 2004-05

(Rural & Urban)
19.88

20 10 0

10.84 6.74

Total

Rural

Urban
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Enrolment Rate Male, Female - 2004-05

Male Female

12.42 9.11

ER- Male, Female - 2004-05

12.42

15 10 5 0 Male

9.11

Female
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ER-Social Groups 2004-05

Social Groups ST Total 6.57

SC
OBC Others Total

6.52
8.77 17.22 10.84
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ER- Social Groups - 2004-05

20 15 10 5 0 ST SC OBC Others Total
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17.22 6.57 6.52 8.77 10.84

Table : GER by Income Level 2004-05

Income Level Less than 359.1 359.11 to 461.14 461.17 to 587.33 587.38 to 830.44 More than 830.5 Total Total 1.46 3.37 4.88 9.81 27.43 10.84
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GER for Graduate and above by by Income Level - 2004-05

27.43

30 20
9.81 1 0.84

10 0

1 .47

3.37

4.88

> 359.1

359.11461.14

461.1 587.33

587.38 - < 830.5 830.44

Total

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University Grants Commission (UGC)

The UGC Act, 1956, Ministry of HRD
www.ugc.ac.in
Statutory Mandate
Primary Function Other Functions

Coordination and determination of standards in higher education and research in the country
Release of grants to universities and colleges Recognition of Universities and colleges (including eligibility for central grants) specification of degrees; Minimum standards of instruction, common pay scales, common facilities and institutional accreditation through NAAC 14

Distance Education Council (DEC)

Sec. 25 of IGNOU Act, 1985, Ministry of HRD
www.ignou.ac.in/dec/

Statutory Mandate

Primary Function Other Functions

Promotion, coordination and determination of standards of the open universities and distance education systems in the country. Release of grants to open universities and correspondence course institutes Initiated assessment and accreditation activities
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All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) AICTE Act, 1987, Ministry of HRD,
www.aicte.ernet.in

Statutory Mandate
Primary Function

Other Functions

Planning and coordinated development of technical education in the country Approval of degree and diploma programs in engineering, architecture, pharmacy and hotel management Funding for institutional and faculty development, pay scales and qualifications of teachers accreditation through NAAC

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Medical Council of India (MCI)

MCI Act, 1953, Ministry of Health,
www.mciindia.org

Statutory Mandate
Primary Function Other Functions

To establish standards in medical education and to define medical qualifications in India and abroad Registration of medical practioners and recognition of medical institutions Eligibility criteria for admissions; exam. for recognition of foreign qualifications for practice in India.
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The Council of Architecture (COA)

The Architects Act, 1972, Ministry of Urban Development, www.coa-india.org
Statutory Mandate
Primary Function

Regulate profession and practice of architects and town planners in India

Registration of architects, maintaining standards of education, recognized qualifications and standards of practice Maintaining the register of architects and make recommendations with regard to recognition and de-recognition of a qualification.
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Other Functions

Indian Nursing Council (INC)

The INC Act, 1947, Ministry of Health, www.mohfw.nic.in
Statutory Mandate Primary Function Uniform standards of training for Nurses Accepts qualifications awarded by universities within and outside India

Other Collection and compilation of Functions data relating to nurses, midwives, health visitors.
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Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI)

RCI Act, 1992, Ministry of Social Justice, www.rehacouncil.nic.in
Statutory Mandate Standardize and regulate the training of personnel and professions in the field of rehabilitation and special education. Recognition of institutions for physiotherapy and related fields. Registration of professionals, assessment and accreditations; promotion of barrier free environment.

Primary Function Other Functions

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National Council For Teacher Education (NCTE) NCTE Act, 1993,

www.ncte-in.org

Statutory Mandate
Primary Function Other Functions

Planned and Coordinated development of the teacher education in the country.

Recognition of teacher education institutions. Lay down norms and standards

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Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) Not a statutory body, Ministry of
Agriculture, www.icar.org.in
Statutory Mandate
Primary Function

Coordinate agricultural research and education

Coordinate and fund agricultural education and research in 30 state and 1 central and several deemed universities for agriculture. Accredit agriculture universities, hold joint admission tests.
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Other Functions

Bar Council of India (BCI)

The Advocates Act, 1962, Ministry of Law
www.barcouncilofindia.nic.in

Statutory Mandate
Primary Function Other Functions

Lay down standards of professional conduct and standards of legal education.

Lay down standards of professional conduct and standards of legal education. Listing of members of bar; listing of foreign universities whose qualifications are approved in India.
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Quality and Quality Assessment

In order to evaluate performance of an

institution and bring about a measure of accountability a mechanism of accreditation has been developed by UGC. This is an autonomous council under UGC called National Accreditation and Assessment Council (NAAC) with a purpose to carry out periodic assessment of universities and colleges. NAAC has evolved a methodology of assessment which involves self-appraisal by each university/college and an assessment of the performance by an expert committee.
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Contd.
Similarly, for technical education, AICTE

has established its own accreditation mechanism for its institutions through the National Board of Accreditation (NBA).

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NAAC

NAAC has identified the following seven criteria to serve as the basis of assessment procedures:

Curricular Aspects Teaching-learning and Evaluation Research, Consultancy and Extension Infrastructure and Learning Resources Student Support and Progression Governance and Leadership Innovative practice
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Higher Education : Some Concerns

India has significant advantages in the 21st century knowledge race:

It has a large higher education sector the third largest in the world in student numbers, after China and the United States. It uses English as a primary language of higher education and research. It has a long academic tradition. Academic freedom is respected.
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Contd.

There are a small number of high quality institutions, departments, and centres that can form the basis of quality sector in higher education. The fact that the States, rather than the Central Government, exercise major responsibility for higher education creates a rather cumbersome structure, but the system allows for a variety of policies and approaches.
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Large under-funded Institutions

Large, under-funded, ungovernable institutions Politics has intruded into campus life, influencing academic appointments and decisions across levels. Under-investment in libraries, information technology, laboratories, and classrooms difficult to provide top-quality instruction or engage in cutting-edge research.
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Faculty Concerns

Freeze on new appointments Affects morale in the academic profession. Lack of accountability means that teaching and research performance is seldom measured. Few incentives to perform. Bureaucratic inertia hampers change.

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Influence of English

For an elite section, a stream of English medium schools are run followed by an elite set of colleges. Indian languages to be used as medium of instructions have failed to undertake translations on a large scale. Sciences, Technology and selective institutions remain firmly anchored to English. Society remains divided between the upper classes with takes advantage of English and the lower classes or rural people who have to do with regional language.

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Research and Creativity

Weak research base A chain of laboratories outside the university system has developed causing a diversion of human and material resources to the system of laboratories and institutes.

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Science and Technology

Institutions like IITs are criticized because :

Industry has not tended to profit from the technological institutions; Their graduates often prefer foreign employment since the developed countries have a demand for their services and Indian industry has not picked up high technology areas of operation; The industry itself has relied much more on foreign and imported technology than indigenous efforts to correct its weaknesses.
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Content of education

Two themes are important : Indigenousness and Relevance. The tradition of subservience and inactivity in the methods in institutional discipline as well as in the learning processes are criticized.

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Methods of Teaching

Large sized classes resulting from expansion, inadequately backed by resources and an external examination system which is easy to negotiate with small amounts of unimaginative work perpetuate in teaching and learning.

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Public Policies and Practices

The most recent initiative for making Higher Education more inclusive: An Act of Parliament which came into force in early January 2007. Reserves an additional quota of 27% of intake in institutions of higher education maintained by the federal government to marginalized social groups listed in the Constitution as Backward Castes.
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Public Policies and Practices

An Act of Parliament which

came into

force in early January 2007. Decline in Public Budgets Non-recruitment of Teachers Cost Recovery
Fees

Privatisation
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Loans

 Decline in Philanthropy Virtual halt of State-aided private sector Rapid growth in Self-financing private

sector, leading to diminution of public sector Growth in self-financing courses in public universities/colleges.
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