Higher Education in India: Sociological Overviews

Dr. Rameshkumar K. Ravaliya

Assistant Professor, Dept. of Sociology, Smt. M. C. Desai Arts and Commerce College, Prantij,

District: Sabarkantha Gujarat.

*Corresponding Author E-mail:

ABSTRACT:

India's higher education system is the world's third largest in terms of students, next to China and the United States. In future, India will be one of the largest education hubs. India's Higher Education sector has witnessed a tremendous increase in the number of Universities/University level Institutions and Colleges since independence. The ‘Right to Education Act’ which stipulates compulsory and free education to all children within the age groups of 6-14 years, has brought about a revolution in the education system of the country with statistics revealing a staggering enrolment in schools over the last four years. Today, Knowledge is power. The more knowledge one has, the more empowered one is. However, India continues to face stern challenges.

KEYWORDS: Independence, Communication, Public Sector, Privatization, Globalization, Curriculum, Interchangeably.

INTRODUCTION:-

Higher education is an essential social as well as economic infrastructure for an emerging nation like India. It provides the appropriate and useful skilled human power for industry, for science and technology, for creation of basic social (education, food, shelter, health, and nutrition) and economic (agriculture, energy,

water, transport, communication) infrastructure and for better social and administrative governance. India has one of the largest higher education systems in the world. The main players in the higher education system in the country are the ‘University Grants Commission’ (UGC), responsible for coordination and maintenance of standards and release of grants, and the ‘Statutory Professional Councils’, responsible for recognition of courses, promotion of professional institutions and providing grants to undergraduate programmes and various awards.

At the time of Independence, there were only 25 universities in India, most of them imparting arts and science education through affiliated colleges. In the last six decades, the number of institutions of higher education has grown enormously.

Under the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), the Government evolved a machinery to discharge its responsibilities of higher education and thus established the University Grants Commission (UGC) in 1956 and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) in 1987 through Acts of Parliament to administer, regulate and supervise the functioning of Higher Education in the Country.

Higher education: Concepts and Meaning

The term Higher Education is ambiguous in nature because it is used in variety of way by different people, different country and in different point of time. In fact, there is no straight forward definition of Higher Education. Internationally after school education can be divided into Higher Education and Further Education and is known as Tertiary Education. Higher Education qualification implies Higher Diplomas, Foundation Degrees to Honors Degrees and takes a minimum of 3 years to maximum of 4 years to complete. Further Education on the other hand refers to Post Graduate or Master and Doctorate degrees. In a single word Tertiary Education means colleges and university level education. Indian education ladder starts at 6 years of age. It comprise of 10 years of primary or elementary and secondary stages, 2 years of higher secondary stages, 3 years bachelor’s degree, 2 years of masters degree and at least 3 years beyond masters degree for a Ph.D. According to NEP 1968, 1986 this is known as 10+2+3 system. The Post Higher Secondary Education is known as Higher Education in India.

History of higher education in India

In the long past the institution of higher education has been given an important position in the Indian society. There were perhaps three streams of tradition-

i. Ancient and medieval Sanskrit and Buddhist tradition.

ii. The medieval Arabic and Persian tradition.

iii. East and South Indian such as Tamil tradition.

It has been found from the writings of Chinese travellers like FiHien, Hiuen-Tsang that there exist ancient seats of learning at Takshashila (5th-6th Century B.C), Kanchipura, Nalanda (5th-6th Century A.D), Odantapuri, Sri Dharryakataka, Kashmira, Vikramashila (800A.D). Among the subjects studied here were grammar, metaphysics, logic etc. In both Sanskrit and Arabic higher learning much secular and scientific learning in law, medicine, mathematics, astronomy etc. was cultivated besides literature, philosophy with the help of books, discussion and memorization.

Indian Higher Education in its present form begun to appear from the time when British parliament renewed the Charter Act (1813) for educational development in India. College to disseminate English education was established in 1818 at Serampore, Calcutta. McCauley’s minute (1835) to promote English education, Charls Woods’ Dispatch (1854) to establish the universities of Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras in 1857 and the introduction of grants-in-aid for these universities were the major events. Indian Education Commission or Hunter Commission’s (1882-83) recommendation to finance University Education in India provided a major impetus to higher educational development in India. Calcutta University Commission (1917) called as Saddler Commission also recommended for autonomy of universities. The Hartog Committee (1929) report suggested for improvement of quality and standards at the University level education In India. The Abbot-Wood Report (1937) recommendation suggested that English should be the medium of Instruction and encourages the establishment of Polytechnics Colleges, Central Technical Board and Vocational Teacher Training Colleges. Finally Sargent Report (1944) recommendation for the establishment of U.G.C and formulation of blue print for Indian Higher Education structure was the major landmark.

At the time of independence: Scenario of Higher Education

At the time of independence there were almost 20 universities and 500 affiliated colleges with the students of near about 0.1million in India. After independence India made various efforts to improve higher education system. The first education commission in independent India, Radhakrishnan Commission (1948-49) also recommended for the establishment of UGC. Secondary Education Commission (1952) pioneered a system of 3 year secondary and 4 year higher education. Indian Education Commission (1964) recommended for the introduction of 3 year Degree course and 4 year Honors Degree course. The National Policy on Education (1968) demanded for qualitative improvement at higher education level. The National Policy on Education (1986) recommended 10+2+3 pattern of educational system. The effects of the recommendation of such commissions can be observed from the present status of higher education in India.

Present scenario of Higher Education in India

The development of higher education in India after independence has been remarkable. Following facts and figure represents the development of the higher education system in India. India is after the China and the United States in terms of size of higher education.

There exist different kinds of higher educational institution operating into the land. Universities established by an Act of Parliament known as Central Universities and of a State Legislature known as State Universities. Universities which have been given the status of a university with the power to award their degrees by central government notification are known as Deemed Universities. Prestigious institutions recognized as higher educational institutes by Parliament are known as Institutes of National Importance. These Institutions may be both government-aided – unaided and public –private. UGC report 2012 shows that there exist near about 43 central universities, 272 state universities, 130 deemed universities, 95 private universities, 5 institutions of National Importance and more over 34,000 colleges functioning in India.

Legislations and Regulations in Higher Education In India

Education is in the concurrent list, where federal states and the central government share responsibilities. Until recently, legislations in higher education prohibited profit making in the sector. Higher education was defined as a not-for-profit sector. Private investments were to be made by sponsoring bodies that had to be a “Society registered under the Societies Registration Act 1860, or any other corresponding law for the time being in force in a state, or a public trust or a company registered under Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956.” The State provided for tax exemptions for donations made to this sector (Loomba, 2014). It was only during the Twelfth Five Year Plan in India (2012-2017) that the state considered re-evaluating this status of higher education in India.

However, until recently there has been no clarity on how this suggestion would be implemented. A 100 per cent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is promoted in higher education through the automatic route which requires no prior approval from the state. However, the regulatory environment prescribes several conditions for foreign universities including fixing of fees, or the need of foreign institutions to affiliate with an Indian counterpart, which has dissuaded investments. The nodal ministry for education in India is the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD). The MHRD has a Department of Higher education which is the apex department “for the overall development of the basic infrastructure of Higher Education sector”. The University Grants Commission (UGC) under the Department of Higher Education in the MHRD acts as the coordinator as well as prescriber of standards for education in the country. UGC, established by an Act of parliament in 1956, is a statutory body of the Government of India. UGC has its head office in New Delhi and six regional centres (Pune, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Bhopal, Guwahati and Bengaluru) to cater to various regions in the country.

However, the regulatory environment is not limited to the UGC alone. All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Department of Electronics Accreditation of Computer Courses (DOEACC), Distance Education Council (DEC), Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR), Bar Council of India (BCI), National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), Rehabilitation Council of India, Medical Council of India, Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) Indian Nursing Council (INC), Dentist Council of India (DCI), Central Council of Homeopathy (CCH), Central Council of Indian Medicine, Council for Architecture, National Council for Rural Institute, and State Councils for Higher Education together decide the quality of higher educational institutions in India. Despite this regulatory environment, the Indian judiciary has been constantly involved in defining private investments in higher education indicating the inadequacy of the present regulatory system.

Recent trend in Indian higher education

Privatization :

Privatization means initiation of private ownership, management and control of organizations. The control is in terms of decision making and responsibility of money and administration. In education privatization can be seen as expansion of private sector’s control. Privatization of higher education has emerged in several forms and types in the recent decade in India. Privatization within government higher education institutions takes place in the form of introducing self-financing courses within government institutions. Converting government aided private institution in to private self financing institution. Allowing self financing private institution with recognition and also without recognition. This may be termed as commercial private higher education institutions. Private players are mainly engaged themselves in setting up of state private universities, deemed university and academic institution with foreign collaboration.

Need to privatize higher education :

i. To increase competitive efficiency of public sector.

ii. To meet the growing demand of higher education with rapid growth in population.

iii. To reduce financial burden on government and for decentralization of educational institutions.

iv. For imparting quality education and training and shaping of the curriculum according to global, national and local needs.

v. To fulfill the need for skilled manpower and to fulfill the need of the country in liberalization, privatization, and globalization.

vi. To facilitate technological developments and information based economic development

In India, the thrust on privatization in higher education started in the early 90s under the LPG (Liberalization, privatization and globalization) policy. The last two decades has witnessed an exponential growth in Indian higher education system. But there remain lots of challenges to privatization. Privatization of higher education has badly affected the poor, undermined equity, diversity and openness and could not ensure the knowledge about the providers; and price and quality of the product.

Globalization :

The term globalization and internationalization is used interchangeably. There exist narrow difference between globalization and internationalization. Globalization refers to involvements of large number of countries and internationalization refers to involvement of two or more countries. With the developments of information and communication technology the barriers of national boundary has been broken. As a result there has been considerable development in the social, economical and educational fields at international and global level. This is termed as internationalization and globalization. The development in education has resulted in the following events.

i. Increased practice of international comparison of educational development.

ii. Mobility of students from one country to another.

iii. Mobility of scholars from one country to another.

iv. Setting up of educational institution from one country to another.

v. Marketing of education worldwide.

vi. Development of framework for globalization of education through GATT (general agreement on tariff and trade), GATS (general agreement on trade in services) under WTO (world trade organization).

CONCLUSION:

Higher education is the fulcrum around which the whole process of national development revolves. However, in the anxiety to provide increased access to higher education in Kerala, there has been a quantitative expansion in terms of number end spread of the institutions in a short span of time, with the concomitant erosion in the quality of education provided. While the ‘not-so-good’ performance of the teachers may not be the only reason for this dismal picture in the current social milieu, yet it cannot be written off as an insigniﬁcant contributor. Therefore, it becomes all the more important to focus on the HRD possibilities in higher education so that the effectiveness of faculty could be exalted and it may enable them to fulﬁll their avowed promises to the society. And thus, the guardians of our higher education would be enlightened, emancipated, and empowered and they shall lead our communities and the state in their march towards better and higher quality of life. They may reveal and elaborate the secrets of attaining higher values in life and nurture empathy for the fellow beings. Teachers are the torch-bearers in creating social cohesion, helping national integration and building a learning society. They not only disseminate knowledge but also create and generate new knowledge. They are responsible for acculturating the nation. Notation can even marginally slacken its efforts in giving necessary professional inputs to its teachers and along with that due status to their stature and profession.

REFERENCES:

1. MHRD (2008-09), Annual Report, Government of India.

2. Government of India (1992), The Revised National Policy on Education (NPE) and Programme of Action (PoA), New Delhi.

3. Sharma, G.D (1993), Issues in Development of Colleges, Society for Education and Economic Development (SEED), New Delhi, p.1.

4. National Knowledge Commission of India (2008), Annual Reports, New Delhi..

5. Radha Mohan (1999), “The Internet Invasion: How will the Teacher-Educator Cope?”, Journal of Higher Education, Vol.22, No.1, Spring 1999, p 14-15.

6. Pawan Agarwal (2006), “Higher Education Policy, Many Contradictions”, Economic and Political Weekly, Nov. 11-17, 2006, Vol. XLI, N0. 45, Mumbai, p. 4645.

7. Anil K. Sengupta, (2004), ‘HRD in India: What is it? ’, “Decision”, Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, (Jan-June, 2004), Vol.31. No.1, p.152.

Received on 12.03.2023 Modified on 20.04.2023

Int. J. Ad. Social Sciences. 2023; 11(2): 127-130.

DOI: 10.52711/2454-2679.2023.00019