I. Introduction

The higher education system in India has successfully addressed many challenges and difficulties, but it still faces many more. In order to provide context for these challenges, understanding the system and how higher education is organized is necessary.

Dimensions :-

Governance

Funding

Level of degree Awarded

Program Differentiation/Specialization

Language

II.Challenges

1. Mass education & Gross Enrolment Ratio

Indicator Total Male Female

Total Population Crores

121.1 62.3 58.7

Literacy Rate 74.0% 82.1% 65.5%

Pop.in 18-23 age Group (crores) & in %

14.03

11.6%

7.3

11.8%

6.7

11.4%

GER 20.8 22.1 19.4

The ‘gross enrolment ratio’ (GER) is the total number of all enrolees in higher education, regardless of their age, divided by the total population age 18-23.

The total number of all enrolees in higher education The total population age 18-23

GER =

2. Quality Education :-

Quantity and quality of highly specialized human resources determine their competence in the global market. According to a recent government report “ 2/3rd of India’s colleges and universities are below standard .”

Grade Collages Universities

‘ A ’ 10% 32%

‘ B ’ 66% 52%

‘ C ’ 24% 16%

Regulatory Bodies :-

University Grants Commission (UGC). NAAC NBA All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). Distance Education Council (DEC). Council of Architecture (CoA).

3. Inequality :-

GER for All, SC & ST - India

Equity of access to higher educationin India is a triply complicatedproblem. Besides the low GER foroverall population of India, largevariations exist among the variouscategories of population. Due tourban centric and unevendistribution of institutions of highereducation, it is not equally availableto all in the State.

4. Falling standard of research :-

“only 4 percent of research expenditure is made through

universities. In the United States the corresponding figure is 17

percent and in Germany it is 23 percent. Moreover, India’shigher education institutions are poorly connected to research

center's. China’s investment in research manpower, estimated at

708 researchers per 1 million people, is 6 times that of India’s”.

Germany USA India

5. The problem of Reservation inhigher education:-

Caste based reservations in educational institutions in India are a

constitutional obligation having its own logic of equalizing

social and educational inequality. However, caste based

reservation amounting up to 49% of the total seats in the Govt.

institutions of higher education, including the institutions of

excellence, prevents better talent coming in from un-reserved

categories besides causing social unrest at times.

6. Neglect of Traditional fields of knowledge:-

Growing popularity of professional courses with prospects of

quicker and better employability has negatively affected the

enrolment of students in traditional fields of knowledge like basic

sciences, classical language and literature, art etc.

The enrolment registers of colleges and universities in

India stand testimony to this fact. Most of the talented students

move out of the State after completing Senior Secondary course in

search of good professional and technical colleges like medical,

engineering, management etc. leaving only a few for pure and basic

fields of knowledge. Diminishing enrolment in B.Sc. /M.Sc. courses

verify this fact.

7. Faculty shortage :-

Institutions Vacant Seats (%)

Central University 35%

IIM’s 25%

NIT’S 33.33%

According to a recent report of HRD Ministrypremier educational institutes like the IndianInstitute of Technology (IITs) and the IndianInstitute of Management (IIMs) are facing afaculty crunch with nearly one-third of the postsvacant.