Possibilities and Challenges in Higher Education in India (BLAC005)
Possibilities and Challenges
in Higher Education
Higher education is receiving unprecedented attention in the developed as well as developing countries, primarily due to the newfound realization that it is closely linked to national growth, sustained development and availability of quality human resource. At all levels in the society people are trying to find out which institution or course would ensure a bright future for their youth and families as well as nations are setting apart significant amounts for higher education. There have also been on-going debates on what constitutes quality higher education and continuing efforts of benchmark institutions of higher education. In short higher education is assuming supreme importance in the contemporary world.
Higher Education could refer to formal education
beyond secondary level, which is also called tertiary education. This level is
carried out in universities, colleges, academies, seminaries, and vocational institutions.
What is the primary objective of higher education? Mapping these broader
parameters will surely help us dwell upon the contemporary trends with greater
clarity and focus.
Education shapes the future of the society, but higher
education in particular determines the top-level leadership as well as the
driving vision of a society. The oft referred Indian education policy document,
the Education Commission Report of 1966 popularly known as Kothari Commission Report [1]
succinctly states the functions of higher education in the modern world. These
put under five distinct objectives are (i) to seek and cultivate
new knowledge, (ii) to provide the right kind of leadership in all walks of
life, (iii) to provide society with competent men and women trained in various
professions (iv) to strive to promote equality and social justice, and (v) to
foster in the teachers and students, and through them in society generally, the
attitudes and values needed for developing the good life in individuals and
society.
The Changing Context
The
core objectives of higher education may not change with the changing social and
economic conditions, but on the other hand the content, approach and dynamics
of academic transactions will have to change with the changing context. A
variety of higher education structures have existed at various points of the
history in India. The great national epics speaks of the homestead institutes
of the famous gurus, rishis and acharyas who specialized not just in higher
skills as well as sublime forms of knowledge but dedicated themselves in the
pursuit of truth. There have also been centers of higher education in different
ages the most celebrated of which were Nalanda and Taxila. With the coming of
the modern European powers a new phase of higher education began in the country.
The first of this new generation institutions of higher education is said to be
St. Paul’s College in Cochin by the Portuguese a few years after their arrival
to the city in 1500. Lord Macaulay’s Minute on Indian Education and the
introduction, not just of English language, but the popularization of a new
system of higher education was definitely a new wave in the realm of higher
education in India. The new attempt to form “a class of persons, Indian in blood
and colour, but English in taste, in opinions, in morals, and in intellect” [2] while
transformed an educated Indian into a global citizen, put an axe to the root of
indigenous streams and modes of higher education. From 3 colleges started
following the then British education reform the country has progressed to “about
350 odd universities and 18,000 colleges providing higher education in the
country, to about 10% of the relevant age group” [3] in the year
2007.
More
than the fast-growing number of institutions in the field of higher education
the global context that forms its the backdrop is fast changing. The world has
become small with people traveling more and more people are changing their
residences and migrating to other countries. This happens not merely due to
social and economic pressures, seeking job opportunities but very much for
educational purpose. Reportedly nearly 5 lakh Indian students go abroad looking
for better academic exposure [4]. The fast-growing developments in the arena of media and its widening use has had marked
impact. The total telephone users in the country were 600.69 million at the end
of February 2010 with the overall Tele-density of 51.05% [5]. The number
of internet users in the country is 30 million with the penetration of 9% among
the urban population [6]. In urban
India 85% of households have a TV and 70% of all households have access to
Satellite, Cable or DTH services [7]. We must
realize that this is the statistics for the general population. When we talk of
youth especially the College going youth, though no clear statistics are
available, the penetration could be considerably higher and the impact of these
realities on higher education is not doubt overwhelming.
Yet
another socio-economic reality that has its direct bearing on the higher
education trends is the career scene, or as it would be termed today the ‘job
market’. While Lord Macaulay introduced a novel academic system in the Indian
continent to make available pen pushers and ledger keepers in English language
for the upkeep of the British Raj. But today the requirement is for the global
career scene where numerous new avenues are opening requiring unheard of job
descriptions. This in turn has changed the course and syllabus profile of most
of the universities. This on the other
hand has made higher education quite expensive, yet the takers are not
intimidated mainly because of the enviable prospects internationally.
The not- so-bright Indian Education Scenario
To
this fast changing and immensely challenging global as well as national
scenario how does the Indian higher education system respond? There have been
radical changes in approach and dynamics and numerous new institutions have
come into existence, responding to these radical changes, yet a sense of insufficiency
reigns supreme in the mind of the policy makers as well as the beneficiaries of
the system.
India's colleges and
universities, with just a few exceptions, have become large, under-funded,
ungovernable institutions. At many of them, politics has intruded into campus
life, influencing academic appointments and decisions across levels.
Under-investment in libraries, information technology, laboratories, and
classrooms makes it very difficult to provide top-quality instruction or engage
in cutting-edge research.
The rise in the number of
part-time teachers and the freeze on new full-time appointments in many places
have affected morale in the academic profession. The lack of accountability
means that teaching and research performance is seldom measured. The system
provides few incentives to perform. Bureaucratic inertia hampers change.
Student unrest and occasional faculty agitation disrupt operations.[8]
A
variety of ills hamper the effective functioning of the Higher Education system
of the country. Making educational policies for a continent like nation with
immense and varied plurality, taking into account the complex and vast
population is for any government a highly formidable task. As a result, the
mammoth system finds itself incapable of responding to the pressing changes
required. But a very interesting analysis in this connection is the forward
strides in this field taken by China vis-à-vis India. To cite the area of
access to higher education, in 2000, the gross enrolment ratio in higher education, which
measures the number of individuals going to college as percentage of
college-age population, was 8% in China and 10% in India. But by 2008, the
ratio had shot up to 23% in China but crept up to only 13% in India [9].
Unfortunately, college and university education continue to remain off-limits to
many talented Indian students. The paucity of available government funds surely
ranks quite high among the underlying causes for unmet targets.
Certain Responsive Measures
Availability
of good quality education forms one of the key aspirations of not just the
young person but his or her whole family as well as the community. No wonder
the recent governments of the country have accorded sufficiently high priority
to the sector and have taken various measures for its effectiveness.
National Knowledge Commission (NKC)
On 13 June 2005 NKC was formed to advice the
Prime Minister on matters relating to education and related matters. In the
words of the Prime Minister himself, “The time has come to create a second wave
of institution building, and of excellence in the fields of education, research
and capability building” [10]. The terms
of reference of NKC are indicative of the key concerns of the nation in the
area of higher education and knowledge related issues:
· Build excellence in the
educational system to meet the knowledge challenges of the 21st century and
increase India’s competitive advantage in fields of knowledge.
· Promote creation of
knowledge in Science & Technology laboratories.
· Improve the management of
institutions engaged in Intellectual Property Rights.
· Promote knowledge applications
in Agriculture and Industry.
·
Promote the use of knowledge capabilities in making
government an effective, transparent and accountable service provider to the
citizen and promote widespread sharing of knowledge to maximize public benefit.
Recommendations
of the NKC related primarily to the area of higher education in the country. Furthermore, other proposals like establishing as well as enlivening a network of libraries, a digital
broadband grid to connect the educational research centers, and an efficient
language translation initiative were significant among them. Creating a conducive ambience for promoting
research, legislation relating to effective intellectual property regime,
effective rewarding of research undertaken in the universities, promoting
traditional health care system, promoting efficient e-governance, etc. were
also formed part of the suggestions report.
In
the area of higher education, the NKC placed high priority on education as a
central instrument for achieving rapid and inclusive growth with specific
emphasis on expansion, excellence and equity. The Commission reported that with
350 odd universities in the country only 10% of the relevant group was
receiving higher education. This is extremely insufficient, and the Commission
wanted to ensure 15% of admissions by 2015. Establishing more universities to
raise the number to 1500 was one of its important proposals. A variety of
agencies will have to collaborate to achieve this end.
A
coordinating set up for the various national agencies in the field of education
and with this in mind NKC proposed an autonomous apex higher education body. It
wanted the government to establish 50 national universities to promote
quality. Other suggestions included
frequent curriculum recasting, introducing course and credit system, starting
more research centers and revamping of education administration. Phasing out of
the age-old affiliating system and introduction of autonomy in the degree
colleges and introducing English language from the first standard onwards were other
proposals given by it.
The
National Knowledge commission under the chairmanship Mr. Sam Pitroda made
significant strides in envisioning the future of higher education in India. It
submitted its report after 3 years which turned out to be a surge of clearer
directions and practical suggestions in the field. That the government took
measures and introduced relevant legislation testifies to the seriousness with
which the report was viewed. Yet much more is to be done to take the maximum
benefit out of it.
Foreign
Educational Institutions Bill
This
legislation that has been on the anvil for quite some time is intended to
regulate the entry of foreign educational institutions to the country. Its full label “Foreign Educational
Institutions Regulation of Entry and Operations, (Maintenance of Quality and
Prevention of Commercialization) Bill 2010” is indicative of the scope and
purpose of this.
According
to this universities from abroad can freely start their campuses here in the
country or they can start their functioning in collaboration with the existing
indigenous institutions. To begin operations, they have to register a trust or
society and also the necessary approval from UGC, AICTE, etc. A franchisee of a
foreign institution cannot start an institution. Another stipulation is about
the degree that they award. The degree that the university awards in India must
have approval in the country of origin of university.
A
question may understandably be asked as to why the foreign universities should
be welcomed to the country. To say that this is part of the GATTS agreement is
only part of the issues. As was indicated earlier hundreds of thousands of
youth go abroad for education. According to a report by ASSOCHAM, Indian
students going abroad for higher studies cost a foreign exchange (forex)
outflow of $10 billion annually – an amount sufficient to open 20 engineering
and management institutes [11]. Welcoming
premier institutions to the country is a way to contain precious foreign exchange
within the country.
There
is also another significant argument. On the quality front, consider the QS
World University Rankings, which are designed to assess the all-round quality
of universities across all disciplines and levels. Two Chinese universities
found listing among the top 100 universities in the 2010 rankings, with the
University of Peking ranking 47th and Tsinghua University 54th. Sadly, not a
single Indian university made it to the list [12]. The same story has been played out year after
year when various international higher education ratings are brought to light.
There is no wonder that the quality discerning youth who have the means to go
abroad find a quick way out by migrating to foreign universities that maintain
standards or rated high. Educational planner, consequently, view the new
legislation as the means to chick this outflow. The Government is also making
all out efforts to ensure 30% enrolment by the year 2030, up from today's 12%
enrolment of the relevant population. The entry of the foreign universities, it
is hoped, will lend a helping hand in the national efforts to fulfil this
objective.
But
the new arrangement envisioned by the liberal minded National Administration is
not viewed kindly by many of its critics, especially the left groupings. The
Indian branches of the foreign universities will peg their fees at a high level
which will be much beyond the capacity of the majority of aspirants in the
country. The Universities have the freedom to fix their fess and decide upon the
admission criteria methodology, but they will not be allowed to transfer their
earnings to another country. Due to this freedom this sector will be set apart
for the supra rich sections of Indian society. With the available leeway these
institutions needn’t have to abide by the reservation norms or other socio-political controls that are currently prevalent in the field of education.
Another
possible crisis that could be precipitated by the new development is with
regard to the teaching faculty. Only a small section of the teachers in the
field of higher education receives attractive pay packet, the majority of the
rest being forced to be content with a trifle. The incoming new academic
institutions will surely offer perks considerably better than the attractive
ones of the day. An outflow of efficient faculty from the present academic
centers is to be expected. It is also possible that the new entrants from
abroad may not be familiar with the difficult Indian academic terrain. Most of
them are quite used to absolute academic freedom, but in India political
interventions are part of the normal functioning. Faced with these challenges
these elite centers will surely limit their operations to the metro cities
avoiding the extensive rural areas or at the most extend to regions that have a
history of welcoming change of all sorts.
Other
significant policy measures
Implementing
the NKC proposal for a new apex coordinating body for higher education the HRD
Ministry has introduced the draft bill on creation of National Commission for
Higher Education and Research (NCHER) that will replace existing statutory
bodies like University Grants commission (UGC), All India Council of Technical
Education (AICTE) and National Council of Teachers Education (NCTE). With the
introduction of this new body agencies that award degrees and diplomas, deemed
universities and other similar institutions of higher education can begin their
operations only with its consent. Another area of innovation that the bill
proposes is the formulation of a ‘Registry’ of candidates for the post of
Vice-chancellor prepared by the Commission, so that as and when the need arises
appointments can be done from this list. To help the NCHER the bill proposes
the Collegium who will have the responsibility to propose names for the above
Registry. While the new body will serve the goal of greater coordination in the
field of higher education the critics point out that this will in turn
compromise greatly on freedom and autonomy.
In
recent times most of the universities in the country, as per the direction of
the University Grants Commission, are moving towards a complete revamping of the
course and content of the various academic programs. Thorough syllabus revision
to keep abreast with fast growing knowledge base has been one of the major
steps. Many of the institutions have radically changed the syllabus and content
transaction, by the integration of information communication technologies
(ICT), giving emphasis to research and changing the modes of evaluation.
A
recent measure that has been completely transforming the whole higher education
scenario is the introduction of Credit and Semester System. UGC has been
directing the universities to change over to a new course organization at all
levels of education giving greater freedom for choice of discipline and
reorganizing the academic programs more in line with international modes. Some
universities have already introduced such a choice-based course and semester
system and others are on the way.
Higher education in
changing and challenging times
While in India National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) has been evaluating the performance of colleges and universities giving them feedback on performance and giving grades, at the global level certain autonomous agencies have been fulfilling that role. In recent years there has been a big hue and cry over the inability of Indian institutions to find any place in the top lists. Some of the criteria that these evaluating agencies use are sure indications of the higher education trends for the future. For instance, ‘Times Higher Education University Rankings’[13] grades the universities and other institutions on 13 separate indicators brought together under five categories. The ‘Teaching’ category assumes the top level assessing the learning environment of the institution. ‘Research’ forms the second category assessing the volume of research work, the income generated by it as well as the reputation of the institution in this regard. This category also has almost the same standing as the ‘Teaching’ category in the overall assessment. The third category ‘Citations’ assesses university's research influence as measured by the number of times its published work is cited by academics. ‘Industry income’ the fourth category is said to be an indication of the innovation and is designed to cover an institution's knowledge-transfer activity. It is determined by just a single indicator: a simple figure giving an institution's research income from industry scaled against the number of academic staff. The last and fifth category is the “International mix” looking at the diversity on campus, giving an indication of how global an institution is in its outlook. This criterion assumes that a best university will attract the best staff across the world and also more foreign students. Our key interest in looking at these categories and their indicators is that they speak of some of the core characteristics of excellence that the contemporary world is looking in an institution and also something of what is in store for future trends.
[1] “Higher Education: Objectives and Improvement”
Report of the Education Commission, 1964-66
– Kothari Commission Report 1966. (http://www.education.nic.in/cd50years/g/T/W/toc.htm)
[3] National Knowledge Commission (NKC) Report to the Nation 2007.
Government of India. Pg. 16.
[4] Muralidharan, Aswathi. "Indian students going abroad for
higher studies cost a forex outflow of $10B". DARE Because Entrepreneurs
Doo. 10 December 2010.
<http://www.dare.co.in/blog-entries/in-the-news/indian-students-going-abroad-for-higher-studies-cost-a-forex-outflow-of-10b.htm>
[5] Telecomindiaonline.com.
Mar 29 2010.
[6] India’s Internet Users
Reach 30 Million. <http://www.marketingcharts.com> 10Dec2010.
[7] Television in India. Widipedia
<http://en.wikipedia.org.wiki/Television_in_India> 10 December 2010.
[8] Altbach,
Philip G. “Higher education in India”. The Hindu, Tuesday, Apr 12, 2005
<http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/pgemail.pl?date=2005/04/12/&prd=th&>
[9] Panagariya, Arvind. “Raising investment in higher education”. The
Economic Times, 27 Oct 2010. <http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/opinion/comments--analysis/Raising-investment-in-higher-education/articleshow/6817969.cms?curpg=2>
[10] National Knowledge Commission (NKC) Report to the Nation 2007.
Government of India. Pg. 6.
[11] Muralidharan, Aswathi. "Indian students going abroad …
[12] Panagariya, Arvind. “Raising investment in higher education …
[13] Baty, Phil. 'Robust, transparent and sophisticated' THE World
University Rankings. 16th September 2010.
<http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2010-2011/analysis-methodology.html>
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