What are the shortcomings of higher education in India? Suggest some solutions.

Only 15 higher education institutions from India are in the top 1,000, despite the country having the biggest number of universities in the world—more than 900 in total.

Current status of higher education in India:

• With 580 million individuals between the ages of 5 and 24, India is the world’s biggest population in this age group, offering a massive opportunity in the education industry. 
• India has the second-largest higher education system in the world, with around 38 million students enrolled in 50,000 academic institutions. 
• India intends to increase gross enrollment rates from the present level of 26.3% to 50% by 2035.
• The government has put in place policies such as the National Education Policy (NEP), and there will be a strong emphasis on high-quality vocational education.

Issues with higher education:

• 75% of higher education is in the private sector, where sponsor/trustee involvement is common and academic independence is limited. 
• Most entrance examinations are a test of rejection that do not assess the learnability quotient and thus fail to attract the desired mix of students.
• Most institutions of higher learning disregard qualities like involvement, responsiveness, transparency, and inclusion. 
• The Indian Constitution permits both the national and state governments to establish legislation pertaining to the higher education sector, which can result in conflict. 
• Indian higher education has long been severely underfunded, both at the state and national levels. 
• For almost a half-century, India has been a mainly closed system with no foreign academic agenda.

Way forward:

The new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which promises significant investments in higher education with a focus on internationalization, must be properly implemented.