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Explain how the new education policy tries to address the issues facing India’s higher education system. (10mark) (150 words)
The number of universities and colleges in India has increased, but the country’s performance on several higher education indexes has not.
Issues confronting India’s higher education system:
- Lack of industry-academic collaboration and outdated curriculum that emphasises theory over practice.
- Access is constrained in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas due to uneven geographical distribution of Higher Education Institutions (HEIS).
- Teachers are scarce in HEIS.
- Weak research priorities at most institutions and colleges mean a lack of competitive peer-reviewed research.
- Over-centralisation, bureaucratic structures, lack of accountability, openness, and professionalism plague Indian education management.
A variety of efforts to enhance higher education in India are included in the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020, including:
- All higher education institutions will be reformed into three categories: research universities, teaching universities, and degree-granting colleges.
- Every college would either become a degree-granting institution or a university component college.
- There will be several entry and departure points, as well as proper certification.
- Create the National Research Foundation to encourage a strong research culture and build research capacity in higher education.
- Only medical and legal education would be exempt from the new Higher Education Commission of India (HECI).
- It envisions worldwide curricula, substantial social engagement opportunities, superb residential facilities and on-campus support.
- Inter-institutional research and student interactions will be supported.
- Achieving 50% GER by 2035 should be the government’s goal (SEDGs).
This will require a complete redesign of higher education to address varied issues and ensure high-quality, inclusive learning.
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