Dr. Mamta Shukla
Indian Higher Education System positions as one of the biggest in the world, representing both its historical legacy and its hopes for the future. The country has anotableassortment of institutions, from the internationallyrenowned Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) to a massive network of colleges and academic institutions. According to a recent survey, India has the most signified higher education system. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 targets to expand India’s higher education GER to 50% by 2035 and push Indian institution of higher education into the topmost 100 in the international rankings.To achieve the NEP 2020 vision; India requires increased investments in staff, technology, and infrastructure.
Key Concepts for India’s educational prospect
The crucial areas of advancement for the Indian higher education environment for the next two or three years are:
- Quality Education: India’s educational Institutions, be it public or private including top ranked public and private institutions, face some issues as far as value oriented education is concerned.
- Faculty enrollment and advancement: All the institutions in Indiaare facing the issue of faculty shortage, even the IITs and IIMs having 42% and 33% faculty positions respectively.
- Digitalization of education: The government policies about the utilization of technology in higher education is not very clear. Low-quality institutions are not able to incorporate digital learning in teaching pedagogy.
- Flexibility in teaching learning: As per NEP 2020, it is mandatory for the Institutions to register for the government’s academic bank of credits (ABC) system, but actually less than 2% institutions have registered for it, thereby unable to offer multiple-entry exit preferences and course flexibility.
The Significant Government Initiatives Related to Higher Education
- National Education Policy (NEP) 2020: The NEP 2020 aims to transform the education system, particularly higher education, with emphasis on multidisciplinary education, skill development, and encouraging research and innovation.It recommendsgrowing the Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education to fifty percent in next 15 years.
- National Credit Framework: Itplans to assimilate training and skill development into the education system, bridging both schools and higher education.Credits received by students will be stored digitally in the Academic Bank of Credits, making them available via a Digi locker account.
- Accreditation and Ranking Systems: The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) introduced in 2015 ranks HEI’s (higher education institutions) across different groups.The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) has been revisedto confirm quality standards among institutions.
- The National Digital Library of India offers access to a massive collection of educational resources.
Achieving Quality in Indian Higher Education
- Industry Linkages:Creatingties with foremost industry associates is key to developing high-quality education and preparing learners to satisfy the skill requirements of the industry.
- Industry-institute partnerships: The topmost higher education institutions must focus on placing themselves as consulting and research associates in industry through Memorandum of Understanding.
- Graduate Career Readiness: Higher education institutes need to place greater emphasis on preparing their graduates to be industry-ready through implementing industry-relevant training programs.
- Institutes must set up career development cells, corporate relations offices, and technology transfer cells and set in employment-oriented content in their syllabus.
- Research and innovation: India’s issues on R&D are noticeable not only from a higher education institution angle but also at the larger economic level. Industry and government funding is required tolift the research environment in Indian higher education institutes.
Final Word:
To attain the goals defined by Vision 2047, India must create a vigorous foundation through short-term action plans. To augment Indian higher education for its long-term targets, continuousteamwork between government, industry and all levels of institutions is essential.
High priority short-term processesinclude dealing with faculty shortage, boosting industry integration, appointment of Professors of Practice, focus on career development initiatives, improving the research environment through industry-government funded programs, andbetter access to technology for all the learners.
