A Welcome Report on Higher Education

India has one of the world’s largest higher education sectors with more than 350 universities and 16,000 colleges where four and a half lakh teachers impart education to almost one crore students. Yet it remains at the bottom of all global rankings with regard to educational outcomes. The gross enrolment rate hovers around 14, while public expenditure per student in higher education is extremely low.

The importance of higher education as a social good and as a contributor to national self-sufficiency has long been highlighted by academics and activists, but it is only in the past few years that government(s) have started to accept the importance of a well developed higher education sector to India’s economic success and strategic weight. This acceptance, albeit utilitarian and delayed, has led to a fair increase in funding, perhaps not enough to overcome decades of neglect but surely a step in the right direction. Along with this has been further encouragement to the private sector to “invest” in this sector and an attempt to tailor higher education to the demands of employability and economic utility.