Higher Education in India

Once again we are out from the list of top 200 universities around the world. Recently QS World University Ranking 2011 released the list of world's top Universities with Cambridge, Harvard, MIT, Yale, and Oxford listed in top five. Among Indian Universities IIT Delhi, IIT Mumbai, and IIT Madras were placed on 218, 225 and 281 rank respectively; last year the ranks were 202, 287 and 262 respectively. 

QS World University Ranking is one of the world's three most prestigious and recognized ranking list. The assessment is done on the basis of quality of research, academic excellence, and employers goodwill. University ranking has been controversial since long as it as different ranking lists have different order for same institution. The reason behind this difference is unavailability of  standard measures and model.

Some well known institutions like IIT Kanpur, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Roorkee, Delhi University, Pune University, Mumbai University etc. failed to find their place in the list.

Many may argue as it makes no difference what list says because Indian institutions are capable enough to fulfill the requirement and desire of employers as well as students. Such arguments can not be entertained in the era of globalization specially if India is being counted as second fastest growing economy of the world.

If we think deliberately, one of the reason behind being successful and powerful economies of the world is world class higher education facility. US, Japan, China, UK, France, Germany, South Korea like countries can be connected easily for a series of examples in support of above statement.

In 21st century industrial development has a strong relation with financial capital, modern technologies, innovations and talented human resource. All these factors have been liberated from the boundary of the nations because of globalisation. One can easily find these factors in abundance in the countries having capacity to attract. Similarly the migration of capital, talent, technology and innovation from insensitive countries can be seen easily.

Research and analysis work is one of the most common and prior activity in the world class education and institutions. According to famous academician Philip G. Altbach there is an extensive requirement of research universities in every country in order to increase participation of knowledge for the economic development. These universities follows traditional Humboldt Model for the search of knowledge.

The list of top Asian University (QS World University Ranking 2011) bestow little respect for India including few more names, still we are lagging far behind countries like Japan, China, South Korea, as their 57, 40 and 35 institutions are listed. It must be noted that 60 years ago India and China were on same level in higher education.

As research mode for PG and Ph. D programs requires more resources in comparison, so can be operated only with the support from Central Government. India Private Sector and State Governments have not shown any interest in this regard (except some announcements only). We have a fresh example from my state Bihar, where ambitious Nalanda University project is under disputes.

In 11th five years plan Govt. of India aimed to establish 30 new Central Universities, 8 new IITs, 7 new IIMs, 37 new Engineering Colleges, and 373 new other colleges at district level. For this around Rs. 80,000 crore were spent. Most of institutions started officially but any expectation of functionality at par with national standard (forget International) is still a dream of many.

On the ground of contemporary policy it is almost impossible to establish world class institution, as for its execution it will need a policy which can insure intellectual liberty, integrity and accountability of students and faculties involved in research. New policy for the entry of foreign universities and corporate in the higher educational sector is still in the files of ministries. We need a national policy with value like transparency, integrity, accountability, sustainability, decentralisation , diversity and an architecture that may convince and attract our academicians working in top universities across the globe and bring them back.

It may look like a dream to establish or upgrade 50 Universities like Nalanda and Takshashila by 2031 but not an impossible task for a great nation like INDIA.