Counting on its firm stand on high-tech verticals such as biotechnology and information technology, India is rushing towards commendable economic success and modernization in the 21st century knowledge race. Unfortunately, its ailing higher educational system, is proving a serious impediment in its path to prosperity. With the progression of private institutions and entities in higher education, India has continuously failed in attaining world-class research and sustaining high-tech development.
Advantages and Shortcomings!
In today’s knowledge race, India enjoys an upper hand in so many ways. Being the third largest country in student numbers, only after China and the United States, India is fortunate to have its ancient academic tradition. The country has English as its primary language for higher education. However, due to lack of proper educational infrastructure, the country has a small number of quality departments, institutions and centers that can make a firm base for a bright higher education. The Indian educational system is complicated and hence, has limited opportunities for implementing new policies and strategies in higher education.
Statistically, only 10 per cent of Indians get higher education, quite less than its counterparts. Also, India’s academic pyramid doesn’t look too promising as none of its higher educational institutes/universities provide a solid base for constituting a fruitful academic structure in the country. Moreover, India has a limited number of world-class universities, colleges and departments where less than 1 per cent of students study currently.
Embarking a Promising Future!
To revive the present higher education system in India, emphasize should be given to address problems related to under-investment in libraries, laboratories, information technology, classrooms, and, teaching standards. Students and institutions should be encouraged to deal with increasing pace of politics into campus life.
It is difficult to build a world-class higher education standard in a day, but India surely has the capability to initiate reforms for strengthening the country’s global stand. The need is to mushroom more and more international standard universities and institutions and make them competitive for the world market.
