1 Higher Education in India: Issues and Concerns By Poonam Bhushan School of Education IGNOU, Maidan Garhi New Delhi-68

2 Table : Number of Institutions C: Higher Education Institutions Type of InstitutionsNumbers I. Universities 1. Central Universities18 2. State Universities Institutions established under States Legislature Act 5 4. Institution deemed to be University96 5. Institutions of National Importance13 6. Research Institutes136 Total543

3 Typology of Higher Education Institutions ( ) TypeOwnershipFinancingNo. of Institutions No. of students Univ. under the Govt.Public 2391,00,000 Private UniversitiesPrivate 1110,000 Deemed Universities (aided) Private or Public Public3840,000 Deemed Universities (unaided) Private 7260,000 Colleges under the Government Public 42252,750,000 Private Colleges (aided)PrivatePublic57503,450, Private Colleges (unaided) Private 76503,150,000 Foreign InstitutionsPrivate 1508,000 Total ,468,000

4 Table 5: Public Expenditures on Higher Education YearExpenditure on Edn. as % of GDP Expenditure on Higher Edn.as % of Expenditure on Edn Expenditure on Higher Edn as % of GDP (RE)

5 Students Enrolment by Academic Discipline ( ) S. No. FacultyEnrolment%age of Total 1.Arts41,58, Science18,34, Commerce/Management16,60, Education1,32, Engineering/Technology6,92, Medicine3,00, Agriculture55, Veterinary Science14, Law2,98, Others80, Total92,27,

6 Table 1 : Enrolment Rate Rural, Urban – Total10.84 Rural6.74 Urban19.88

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8 Enrolment Rate – Male, Female Male12.42 Female9.11

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10 ER-Social Groups – Social GroupsTotal ST6.57 SC6.52 OBC8.77 Others17.22 Total10.84

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12 Table : GER by Income Level – Income LevelTotal Less than to to to More than Total10.84

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14 University Grants Commission (UGC) The UGC Act, 1956, Ministry of HRD Statutory Mandate Coordination and determination of standards in higher education and research in the country Primary Function Release of grants to universities and colleges Other Functions 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

15 Distance Education Council (DEC) Sec. 25 of IGNOU Act, 1985, Ministry of HRD Statutory Mandate Promotion, coordination and determination of standards of the open universities and distance education systems in the country. Primary Function Release of grants to open universities and correspondence course institutes Other Functions Initiated assessment and accreditation activities

16 All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) AICTE Act, 1987, Ministry of HRD, Statutory Mandate Planning and coordinated development of technical education in the country Primary Function Approval of degree and diploma programs in engineering, architecture, pharmacy and hotel management Other Functions Funding for institutional and faculty development, pay scales and qualifications of teachers accreditation through NAAC

17 Medical Council of India (MCI) MCI Act, 1953, Ministry of Health, Statutory Mandate To establish standards in medical education and to define medical qualifications in India and abroad Primary Function Registration of medical practioners and recognition of medical institutions Other Functions Eligibility criteria for admissions; exam. for recognition of foreign qualifications for practice in India.

18 The Council of Architecture (COA) The Architects Act, 1972, Ministry of Urban Development, Statutory Mandate Regulate profession and practice of architects and town planners in India Primary Function Registration of architects, maintaining standards of education, recognized qualifications and standards of practice Other Functions Maintaining the register of architects and make recommendations with regard to recognition and de-recognition of a qualification.

19 Indian Nursing Council (INC) The INC Act, 1947, Ministry of Health, Statutory Mandate Uniform standards of training for Nurses Primary Function Accepts qualifications awarded by universities within and outside India Other Functions Collection and compilation of data relating to nurses, midwives, health visitors.

20 Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) RCI Act, 1992, Ministry of Social Justice, Statutory Mandate Standardize and regulate the training of personnel and professions in the field of rehabilitation and special education. Primary Function Recognition of institutions for physiotherapy and related fields. Other Functions Registration of professionals, assessment and accreditations; promotion of barrier free environment.

21 National Council For Teacher Education (NCTE) NCTE Act, 1993, Statutory Mandate Planned and Coordinated development of the teacher education in the country. Primary Function Recognition of teacher education institutions. Other Functions Lay down norms and standards

22 Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) Not a statutory body, Ministry of Agriculture, Statutory Mandate Coordinate agricultural research and education Primary Function Coordinate and fund agricultural education and research in 30 state and 1 central and several deemed universities for agriculture. Other Functions Accredit agriculture universities, hold joint admission tests.

23 Bar Council of India (BCI) The Advocates Act, 1962, Ministry of Law Statutory Mandate Lay down standards of professional conduct and standards of legal education. Primary Function Lay down standards of professional conduct and standards of legal education. Other Functions Listing of members of bar; listing of foreign universities whose qualifications are approved in India.

24 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.

25 Contd. Similarly, for technical education, AICTE has established its own accreditation mechanism for its institutions through the National Board of Accreditation (NBA).

26 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

27 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.

28 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.

29 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.

30 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.

31 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.

32 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.

33 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.

34 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.

35 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.

36 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 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”.

37 Public Policies and Practices An Act of Parliament which came into force in early January Decline in Public Budgets Non-recruitment of Teachers Cost Recovery Fees Loans Privatisation

38 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.