Challenges In Indian Higher Education System

1. Challenges In Indian Higher Education System “GO GLOBAL E3 – Changes and Challenges in  EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT & ENTREPRENEURSHIP” Dr. M. Jayakumar Director, Dept. of Extension and Career Guidance Dean, Faculty of Education Director-in-charge Academic Staff College Bharathiar University, Coimbatore-46

2. Our Challenges • Increasing the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) • Ensuring Equity • Enhancing relevance of Curricula • Maximizing the use of ICT • Cost Effectiveness /affordability • Internationalisation

3. Gross Enrolment Ratio • NSS (64th round – 2007-08) - 17.21% • SC -11.54%, ST-7.67%, OBC – 14.72% others 26.64%, Muslims – 9.51%, Non-Muslims – 18.54% • Rural -11.06%, Urban – 19.03% • World average 24% • Developed nations 58%

4. Our Intentions • GER to increase human capital value • Equity to remove social disparities • Relevance of Curriculum for gainful employment and productivity • ICT to promote and sustain quality • Cost Effectiveness so as to reach every one • There is a need to align with national goals

5. MarketNature • In the customers’ market individuals are protected by the Government • Students as individuals have rights for free choice • Education to be organised according to the learning capacity of the customers. Expressed in the forms of modules, semesters, self-directed learning

6. Accountability • Higher Education has been under pressure to become more accountable, responsive, efficient, more entrepreneurial and self-managing • Social and Cultural Relevance of Higher Education is seen as obsolete and replaced by economic rationality • Tendency of a free market to build monopolies resulting inefficient outcomes • Government and its agencies are incapable of perfect performance in designing and implementing public policy because of defects of democracy and inefficiencies of public agencies to produce and to distribute goods and services

7. Higher Education • Need for perfect information by producers and consumers about price, quality and other relevant characteristics of goods and services being purchased to ensure efficient outcomes • Imperfect information – relevant information not available • Asymmetric information – producer has more detailed knowledge than the consumer • State is no longer a provider of higher education but the role of Principal, representing the interest of consumer by ensuring contracts with competing institutions • Higher Education institutions are risk averse • At times self-satisfied, unduly expensive • Conflict between managerilism verses collegiality

8. Higher Education • Constructed on a culture of individualism and academic and personal autonomy • Traditional higher education was evolved as an elite activity, involving a relatively stable, external environment, small members of students, professional autonomy and relatively less financial support are interest from Government and industry • Education Challenges are of time and scale • Raising educational attainment to national productivity growth and extended economic opportunity to different social groups • Tracking individual students performance over time

9. Resources • House holds contribute almost half of all present expenditures on Higher Education • Private expenditures on Higher Education increased 10.8 times in the last 16 years • In the case of poor it rose to 12.4 times • Students loan cover only 2 to 3 percent (UK 85%, USA 77%) • Banks cater largely the rich and the middle class • Health and Education received only 60% of the Planned allocation in XI Plan against an overall realization of 87%.

10. XII Plan Efforts : Policies • Context: Government as a provider and an effective monitoring agency • Market is not matured: Consumer legislation and movement are not strong • Problem in planning with incomplete details • HE as a right versus Private paid service • Public Vs Private purpose • Social Vs Private returns

11. XII Plan Requirements : Policies • Principle of Faster , Sustainable and inclusive growth • Philosophy of Distributive justice • Accepting the State responsibility as provider • Promotion of Excellence initiated during XI Plan to be consolidated and expanded • Quick readdressal of Disputes through Educational Tribunals (not at the cost of fair trial and justice)

12. XII Plan Requirements : Policies • Norm based funding • Operative budget based on objective norms • New investments on competitive grants and the performance contracts • Identification of Educationally backward taluks • State level Accreditation and Assessment Policy and an Institution • Strengthening the State Council for Higher Education • Credit Transfer Policy between Universities and Colleges

13. XII Plan Requirements : Policies • Private Public Partnership not for Commercialization • Increase Govt. Investment and Higher Education • Improvement of Quality of Distance Education • Revive Social Science Departments in the Universities and Colleges • Complete Autonomy to Universities for Internal and external competition for healthy growth • Total implementation of UGC Regulations • An effective mechanism to draw talents for teaching

14. XII Plan Requirements : Policies • ICT facilities for teaching learning programmes • Inter University and Inter Colleges sharing of facilities • State Level Higher Education development corporation for external fund • Research and Innovation Programmes in Selected areas • Faculty Development by strengthening Academic Staff Colleges • State Level Curriculum sharing mechanism to ensure standards • Focus on training new emerging occupations (Service sector) • Inter disciplinary research mechanism • An effective Industry Institute Coordination Council • Career Guidance and Placement Cell in all Institutions

15. Providers of Higher Education in Tamilnadu • 80% Self Financing Colleges (1063) • 12% Government Aided Colleges (162) • 8% Government Colleges • Only 14 Universities come under TN Government • Self Financing Colleges admit 42% of Students • Government Aided Colleges admit 38% • Government Colleges admit 18% of Students

16. Students Strength in Higher Education - TN • Sanctioned Strength 3.82 Lakhs • Admitted only 3.29 Lakhs • 53,000 seats lying vacant during 2010-11 • Discipline-wise – Arts and Humanities 45% • Science 20% • Commerce and Business Management 18%

17. Challenges • Increasing enrolment without compromising the quality • Ensuring equity without compromising excellence • Promoting relevance without compromising the ideals of higher education • Ensuring excellence for all without creating few islands of excellence • Promoting alternative means by exploiting technology • Promoting competition without compromising the role of Government

18. Questions? • Thank You