HIGHER EDUCATION IN
INDIA
(For Paper 2 GS: On Education)
·
CRISIS
OF HIGHER EDUCATION
ü Human Resources – Hourglass
Structure
ü Archaic Examination System
ü Rigid Curriculum and lack of
electives
ü Universities exit from
undergraduate education
ü Poor quality teaching,
inbreeding, and lack of appraisal
ü Islands of Excellence, Oceans of
Mediocrity
ü Withdrawal of state and defacto
privatization
ü Implications of Overseas Purchase
of Education
ü Absence of Regulatory
Framework
ü Lack of Leadership
·
CHALLENGES
·
OPPORTUNITIES
·
CRITICAL
REFORMS
ü NCHER Bill
ü Foreign
Institutions Bill
ü The
Accreditation Bill
ü The Malpractices
Bill
Higher, post-secondary,
tertiary or third level education is the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology. Higher education also includes certain
college-level institutions, such as vocational schools, trade
schools, and career colleges, that award academic degrees or professional certifications
CRISIS OF HIGHER EDUCATION
1
Human
Resources – Hourglass Structure
The structure of our human resources is in
the form of an hourglass. There are a
huge number of mid and top level professionals such as doctors, engineers and
lawyers of an indifferent quality that the society cannot accommodate or put to
productive use. Yet there aren’t enough number of professionally trained semi-skilled
people such as electricians, plumbers and mechanics to fulfil the society’s
requirements. At the bottom are the
millions of unskilled, illiterate workers
The past two decades witnessed a
phenomenal growth in the number of so-called professional institutions
producing graduates who don’t have skills that can be gainfully employed for
producing the kind of goods and services that India needs. educated
unemployment is on the rise, as these graduates are not equipped to become
wealth creators. .
2
Archaic
Examination System
The examination system for higher
education is archaic and disgraceful. The stress is often on testing the
student’s memory and rote learning This one size fits for all kind of an
examination system does not leave any room for either continuous appraisal
during the term of the course, or for testing the student’s creativity,
application of knowledge and problem solving skills.In the current higher
education setup, excepting for elite institutions such as IITs and IIMs, the teacher
doesn’t have any role in evaluating the student’s performance.
3
Rigid
Curriculum and lack of electives
The higher education curriculum
is extremely rigid, centrally defined and doesn’t leave any room for individual
choice or experimentation. This resulted in creating a rigid academic
atmosphere, with artificial divisions of various disciplines, and
pre-determined combinations of courses on offer excepting the IITs and similar
elite institutions Even within a course, what has to be taught and what textbooks
to study are prescribed, leaving no room for the teacher to be creative in
designing the course
4
Universities
exit from undergraduateeducation
One of the worst anomalies that
crept into Indian higher education system is that universities are completely
removed from undergraduate education.
5
Poor
quality teaching, inbreeding, and lack of appraisal
6
Islands
of Excellence, Oceans of Mediocrity
While it is impressive that we
succeeded in creating world-class institutions such as the IITs and IIMs, there
is a lot of collateral damage attached to this success. The disproportionate
allocation of meagre resources to these islands of excellence resulted in the
neglect of other public institutions which turned them into oceans of
mediocrity.
A vicious cycle has now set
in. Poor quality higher education is
producing many graduates who often lack conceptual clarity and the capacity to
apply knowledge for finding creative solutions.
As a result, both wealth creation in society and school education
suffered. As such graduates become
school teachers, youngsters are graduating from schools without the basic
knowledge and understanding of subjects which are necessary to benefit from
college education. The few good teachers
are in great demand in coaching institutions preparing students for entrance
tests for professional courses including IITs.
7
Withdrawal
of state and defacto privatization
Without any serious debate or
preparation, the state opened the gates for private provision of higher education.
private for-profit higher education institutions were allowed as a matter of
routine
▪
Very little investment went into pure sciences, education or
humanities as they are perceived to be of non-professional character and are
not in much demand.
▪
With increasing fees and donations in the pvt colleges keeps the
poor and middle class away. In the absence of demand from vocal middle classes
and the consequent lack of political pressure, the state’s abdication of
education of education sector is accelerated, resulting in a vacuum that is
filled by a large private for-profit sector.
8
Implications
of Overseas Purchase of Education
More and more Indians, especially
from the middle classes are increasingly resorting to sending their children
abroad even for undergraduate education. Even more disastrous than the
financial implication of this resource drain is the fact that the withdrawal of
the vocal middle classes and the accompanying political pressure is a certain
death knell for the public higher education system in India.
9
Absence
of Regulatory Framework
The state controls where and what
kind of private institution will be established. This is mostly done through
political patronage and rent seeking behaviour by the quasi-regulatory agencies
such as AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education) and MCI (Medical
Council of India).
▪
This resulted in an utterly chaotic scenario, and the higher
education system is suspended between over-regulation by the state on one hand
and discretionary privatization on the other hand.
▪
There is no independent mechanism for either evaluating the
quality of education or the quality of output from both public and private
educational institutions.
10
Lack
of Leadership
Most public universities and
institutes of higher learning are reduced to personal fiefdoms of leading
politicians. Once these individuals are appointed, they have to satisfy their
patrons by obliging their requests in appointments, promotions etc.This led to
a natural decline of these institutions of higher learning.
CHALLENGES
•
Equitable and accessible higher education system of high quality
•
Foster competition in providing education services and offer
choice to the students
•
Promote the importance of a true liberal education
•
Enhance public financial provision for higher education
• Establish an
independent regulatory framework to ensure standards and quality
OPPORTUNITIES
•
Young demographic profile, (% of 18-24 age group)
•
Hard working, ambitious, motivated youngsters
•
Huge demand for quality education
•
Culture and society that values education and treasures
scholarship
•
Parents willing to spend significant resources
•
Graduates no longer seek a cushy government job and are willing to
compete in the market
•
Impressive infrastructure that can be redeployed
•
Non-monetary inputs that
can make a difference
CRITICAL REFORMS
Given the nature of crisis
afflicting higher education in India, a mix of nonmonetary and monetary inputs
along with critical structural reforms is the need of the hour. There are many
best practices that are in vogue in most western universities as well as the
elite institutes in India, that are worthy of replicating. Some of the key
reform proposals that are modeled after these widely accepted best practices
are discussed in this section
1.
Non-monetary
Inputs
Ø Flexible
Curriculum and Electives-Freedom of choice, opportunity to win academic
distinction and discipline are all fostered at one stroke. This also means that
teachers whose courses were not valued became irrelevant, and in effect
students evaluate teachers
Ø Encourage
Liberal Education and Humanities-Any society needs a mix of specialists and
generalists to fulfill its unique requirements. While the need for science and
technology, and vocational and other specialized forms of skill-based education
is well-recognized and appreciated, especially in a developing economy, the
importance of broad, liberal education is much less appreciated.
By definition, a liberal education is not
directly tied to the study of a particular discipline or vocation, but is
designed to equip an individual with the cognitive capacity to acquire
knowledge in any field of her choice.
A true liberal education will go a long way
in producing the kind of leaders and enlightened citizens who will take up a
career in business, organizational management, government, politics and
academia that are badly needed by the developing world. It is a testimony to the maturity of a highly
industrialized and developed nation such as the US, that the bulk of its
university graduates major in liberal arts and humanities
Ø Creative
Examination System, Continuous Evaluation
•
Test the depth of student’s knowledge, not breadth
•
Test analytical skills, application of knowledge and problem
solving capacity
•
Test should challenge the student’s ability to be creative and
innovative
• Stress on
Evaluation should be done by the faculty who teaches the course
There
are many models of creative evaluation and testing that are widely applied
across the world that are worth emulating
Ø Faculty
Recruitment and Appraisal
•
Continuous appraisal and rating by students
•
undergraduate teaching by all faculty
•
Effort to recruit innovative thinkers and promote of new ideas
•
Encourage rigorous intellectual discourse
•
Constant new blood
Ø Quality of education
•
The Eleventh Plan approved by the National Development Council
(NDC) provides a three point agenda in regard to accreditation, namely;
introduction of a mandatory accreditation system for all higher educational
institutions; creation of multiple rating agencies with a body to rate these
rating agencies; department-wise ratings in addition to institutional rating.
•
Presently, accreditation is
not mandatory and there is no law to govern the process of accreditation. There
are two Central bodies involved in accreditation of institutions; the National
Accreditation Assessment Council (NAAC) and the National Board of Accreditation
Board (NBA), which is not possible if made mandatory.
•
Consequently, an institutional structure to ensure mandatory
accreditation needs a legal basis for it to have the force of law. It is
expected that with the passage of the legislation to provide for accreditation
of higher educational institutions and to create a regulatory authority for the
purpose many of these issues will be resolved at least for some time to
come.
Ø Problem –
Solving Research
Most Indian
universities are particularly deficient in meaningful research of any
kind. As a result of this absence of
academic rigor, poor communications, and lack of relevance, academia have
become increasingly marginalized in shaping public discourse and solving real
problems in the societal, scientific and technological domains. Innovative funding mechanisms, and other
incentives to promote high quality, problem-solving research in both technology
related fields and humanities need to be evolved. Emphasis on reasoning and analysis and good
writing skills at school level are obviously vital to make productive research
possible at university level
2.
Monetary
Inputs
Ø Enhanced
Public Expenditure
Ø Financing
Higher Education -The bulk of public expenditure on higher education (in some
instances 95 %) in India is in the form of revenue expenditure and is barely
enough to meet the faculty wage bill. There is little scope left for any
capital expenditure
▪
We need to evolve sensible and viable
financing mechanisms to meet the demand for quality education, through higher
investments – public or private, and to guarantee uniformly high quality
education which fosters innovation, creativity and wealth-creation. Therefore, while access should be based on
talent and motivation, costs should be recovered to make quality education
sustainable
▪
The notion of free, mediocre quality
education has hurt all sections of society. Those who can afford are now
fleeing the system, those who go to state institutions are under-performing for
no fault of theirs; and the poor in society are subsidizing the not-so-poor for
higher education. This model is clearly
unsustainable and wrecked our higher education system.
Ø Regulatory
Framework The need of the hour is to
create a regulatory framework that will encourage investment from a diverse
range of sources in higher education infrastructure and at the same time ensure
that every student will have equal access to these institutes of higher
education
▪
The greatest hurdle that we have to overcome
to create a robust regulatory framework, is to change the minds of our decision
makers
▪
With the rapid growth of privately funded
institutions the nature of their governance system has become an area of major
concern. The issue of internal governance of the institution in terms of the
processes connected with admissions, registration, examinations, evaluations,
scheduling and a host of other functions are also matters that need closer
attention in ensuring quality.
3.
Structural
Reforms
Ø Differentiation
of Higher Education Institutions
▪
The structure of current system of higher
education presumes that everyone in the higher education system need a 3 or 4
yr college degree. There is no room for the majority of youngsters, who might
be on the lookout for acquiring a skill that is readily marketable and which
will get them gainful employment. This structure doesn’t leave much room for
flexibility, choice or experimentation of any kind
▪
The Indian vocational education system is
based on polytechnic colleges providing diploma education in engineering, and
industrial training institutes providing skilled workers to industry. Both
suffer from a fatal flaw, as they are delinked from the mainstream education,
and a student cannot change her mind mid-course, nor can the credits be
automatically transferred to pursue undergraduate education in a university
▪
The need of the hour is bring about a
qualitative differentiation in the structure of higher education, with the
following objectives
•
Offer flexibility and choice for students
•
Offer strong vocational and skill based courses (diploma) of shorter
duration
•
Facilitate vertical mobility, i.e. people who with a 2-yr diploma
can use that credit to earn a 3 or 4 yr college degree at a time of their
choice.
•
Couple the vocational courses with internships in partnership with
industry
There are two models that are
worth studying and emulating. One is the much-acclaimed German model of
vocational education. The other is the equally impressive American model of
Community colleges.
4.
Politics,
Governance and Education
State can, and should, also be a
positive institution to create basic infrastructure, develop natural resources,
and most of all to provide quality school education and effective primary
health care. Much of the debate on education is centered round rewriting
history or detoxification of textbooks. The ‘great’ debates are about the
location of a temple or a mosque, or past insults and private injuries, or
perpetuation of barbaric practices andshunning of modern, humanistic vision.
Obscurantism is zealously guarded, and “the clear stream of reason has lost its
way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit.Perverse status-quoism and the
game of blame-throwing on our campuses have cost the nation dearly
In case of centrally funded government
institutions such as IITs, IIMs, Central Universities, IISERs, NITs etc., it is
reasonably certain that the interference and control of the government is
minimal. Usuallythe governing boards and
the heads of these institutions have the freedom to evolve their academic policies
and strategies except in areas where it concerns the fundamental national
policies (for example reservations; pay commission norms etc.). The governing
boards of these institutions include just one or two officials of the Central
Government. At the same time there are also several central institutions with
high proportion of government official in their governing bodies where the
interference effect is high and troublesome. This is particularly worrisome in
the case of state-funded institutions.
Ever since the nation recognized
the value of higher education for promoting economic growth and social
development, the pressure for reforms has been escalating. These are formally embodied in two eminent
reports brought out in recent years, one by the National Knowledge Commission
headed by Sam Pitroda and the other by the Committee on Renovation and
Rejuvenation of Higher Education headed by Yashpal.
v NCHER
Bill
An important measure awaiting
political clearance of the Cabinet for introduction in the Parliament is the
Bill for the Creation of the National Commission on Higher Education and
Research (NCHER) (conforming to the recommendations of the Yashpal Committee
Report on Renovation and Rejuvenationof Higher Education In India).
This Bill addresses certain
fundamental concerns in the reports of National Knowledge Commission and
Yashpal Committee. These two reports
draw critical attention to the fundamental academic weaknesses such as
▪ compartmentalization and
fragmentation of knowledge systems,
▪ absence of innovation in learning
methods,
▪ disconnect with the society and
▪ too much emphasis on multiplicity
of harmful entrance and qualifying tests.
▪ They reflect concerns on the
growing trend in loss of university autonomy damaging the prospect of healthy
growth of spirits of enquiry, creativity, and innovation
1.
The NCHER is not a regulating or controlling or licensing or
inspecting body. Its primary task is to
evolve norms and standards for various aspects of higher education including
assessment and accreditation, while abolishing several of the regulating bodies
dealing with the academic norms for higher education.
2.
It restores to the
universities the autonomy and responsibility to implement these norms and
standards.
3.
It mandates the NCHER to
consult with all States, Union Territories and other statutory regulating
bodies in evolving new policies, procedures, norms and standards.
4.
Identification of academic administrators of national standing
eligible and qualified to be appointed as Vice Chancellors of universities or
heads of central educational institutions. Considering the high degree of
dissatisfaction in selecting the heads of institutions, this function assumes
special importance.
5.
A major task assigned to
the Commission is to prepare once in every five years a report onthe state of
higher education and research in the various states and submit to the
Governor. Similarly, the Commission
would present to the President of India, a report on the vision of the higher
education and research in the forthcoming decade.
6.
The status of Member of the NCHER is proposed to be such as to be
free of control by any one Ministry and made responsible only to
parliament.
7.
An important feature of the NCHER Bill is a provision to review by
a committee on eminent persons the performance of the Commission itself about
the extent of fulfillment of its goals and objectives and recommend suitable
actions. This is somewhat exceptional in the sense that the institutions or
organizations created by acts and statues seldom get reviewed and this is one
of the major reasons for their deterioration.
Hopefully, the various consultative processes that are envisaged between
now and its enactment will further enhance the distinctive role assigned to the
commission for renovation and rejuvenation of higher education in India.
v Foreign
Institutions Bill
The Foreign Institutions Bill appear to have created most
controversies. Unfortunately the
criticisms about the Foreign Institutions Bill are based on uninformed
misapprehensions. Most of the critics
tend to ignore the present ground reality of more than two hundred foreign
programmes offered in India in various modes. Undoubtedly majority of these are
of substandard quality and value. The
regrettable fact is no agency in India has an account of the number of foreign
programmes, their mode of operation, nature of partnership, quality of
instruction, fee structure, protection of students interest and so on. Many of them indulge in glossy and misleading
advertisements enticing gullible students with false promises. Available information on them is based on
tertiary sources of reports compiled by voluntary organizations.
1.
The requirement that these institutions must have at least twenty
years of track record in offering recognized and accredited degree programmes
in their home country will weed out fly-by-night operators.
2.
They have to comply with
all the relevant laws of the land.
3.
They should deposit a sum
of Rs.50 Crores to meet any liability to the students, faculty and others in
case they quit or their registration is withdrawn.
On the whole, the need for the Bill is never
more acute and should help to prevent the growing chaos in foreign programmes
in India.
v The
Accreditation Bill
1.
The “National Accreditation
Regulatory Authority for Higher Educational Institutions Bill, 2009”, provides
for mandatory accreditation of all higher educational institutions through
Accreditation Agencies registered under the legislation. The proposal applies
to all higher educational institutions including, universities, institutions
deemed to be universities, colleges, institutes, institutions of national
importance established by an Act of Parliament, and their constituents,
imparting higher education beyond 12 years of schooling leading to the award of
a degree or a diploma, and whether through the conventional or distance
education systems.
2.
The National Accreditation Regulatory Authority for Higher
Educational Institutions is empowered to register agencies that would undertake
accreditation of institutions in accordance with regulations governing academic
quality i.e. the quality of outcomes associated with teaching, learning and
research besides quality in admissions, physical infrastructure, human resource
infrastructure, research and research infrastructure, course curricula,
assessment procedures, placement and governance structures.
3.
Existinghigher educational institutions and programmes therein
would be allowed a period of three years to obtain accreditation, if not
already obtained.
4.
The Authority would monitor and audit the functioning of the
Accreditation Agencies. Besides the Authority would also register and regulate
the working of Accreditation Agencies
5.
It also would require higher educational institutions to routinely
provide reliable information to the public on their performance, student
achievement, faculty availability and qualifications and research publications
and so on.
6.
There are sufficient provisions in this Bill to ensure
accreditation is transparent and reliable with no scope for malpractices. The
accreditation rating in future will determine the fate of institutions or
programmes as to whether they should be allowed to continue at all, after
reasonable opportunities for correcting.
Any information about undesirable or deliberate malpractices notonly in
academic matters but also in administration and governance process will
contribute to adverse rating.
v The
Malpractices Bill
It lists all those (mal)
practices that will attract the penalty of hefty fines and jail terms. The Bill requires prior announcement and
publication of institutional facilities, faculty, procedures for admissions and
examination, fee structure and so on. Any willful deviation will attract the
penalty. For instance collection of any kind of fees without giving any
official receipt will be treated as a major malpractice. Manipulated entrance tests, collection of
unaccounted fees, false information about faculty strength, qualification,
infrastructure etc., are some of other malpractices covered in this bill.
