Higher Education in India: Prospects - Challenges - Concerns

I scribble these lines at a time when we have witnessed a paradigm shift in the education sector, that is, students and teachers have been forced to adapt to e-learning, leaving the traditional way of learning and teaching. The "Ed- tech" methods have changed the way teachers teach and students learn. Indeed, the "Ed-tech" mediums challenge us to ensure the quality of education that we impart to our generation. The challenge is to convey technology into delineating ways that translate into good teaching and learning.

A closer look at the scenario of higher education system in India will tell us that it needs serious reforms and changes. This necessitates a refined public policy, a long-term commitment, and a systematic approach. The New Educational Policy (NEP) drafted in 2020 seems to be having far-reaching vision to create learning environments that are multidisciplinary and inclusive, that cater to an integral education for all sectors of the society. It focuses on graded academic, administrative and financial autonomy of institutions, aiming to transform India's human capital development. It aims to ensure equitable and inclusive education so that no one loses any opportunity to learn and excel because of the circumstances of birth or background. I am happy that there is special emphasis in NEP on socially and economically disadvantaged groups (SEDGs) which include gender, socio-cultural, and geographical identities and disabilities. Certainly, it is a reiteration of the 1986 educational policy vision, which says: "In our culturally plural society, education should foster universal and eternal values, oriented towards the unity and integration of our people. Such value education should eliminate obscurantism, religious fanaticism, violence, superstition and fatalism." It means that the education system that we envision needs to be sensitised about the problem of inequities, poverty. undemocratic practices and reiterating commitment to upholding equality, justice, freedom and fraternity that our country face today, because education is neither a privilege nor a favour but a basic human right to which all are entitled to.

Ensuring quality higher education is one of the most important things we can do for future generations', says Ron Lewis. Yes, ensuring quality higher education is one of the biggest challenges that we face in India. I believe that if we can ensure quality higher education to our generation, as it is the e strongest, sturdiest ladder to increased socio-economic mobility' (Drew Faust), most of the socio-cultural problems that we face today in the country will diminish, because 'education is the most powerful weapon which we can use to change the world' (Nelson Mandela).

It is true that higher education in India has expanded both through public and private institutions, and it has shown new avenues of opportunities and prospects for a better society. There are many first-generation aspirants seeking access to higher education for building up a brighter future and to contribute positively to global fraternity and development. Significantly, large numbers of the poor and the marginalised are beginning to express their aspirations for social mobility through access to higher education. As the visionaries of post-independent India envisioned, higher education is beginning to reach out to every sector of the society, and it should reach out to everyone. As Barack Obama rightly says, 'higher education cannot be a luxury reserved for a privileged few. It is an economic necessity for every family. And every family should be able to afford it."

It is my dream that higher education in India must focus on quality outcomes in terms of access, pedagogy, research, consultancy and innovation, excellence, enrolment, equity and employability. Higher education in India should build vibrant communities of scholars and peers, break down harmful silos and enable students to become well-rounded across disciplines, with an emphasis on internationalisation. There is a need for better teaching and learning methods, better training of teachers, a more meaningful evaluation system and a vibrant network of higher educational institutions across the country.

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