Transforming Higher Education in India

India’s higher education system faces a crucial challenge in aligning graduates’ skills with the evolving needs of industry and research sectors. Although numerous institutions have been established, the quality of education—especially at the undergraduate level—continues to be an area of concern. To bridge this gap, it is essential to adopt a targeted approach that emphasizes improved pedagogical skills and fosters stronger collaboration between research and teaching institutions.

Reasons Behind The underperformance of Indian Higher Education System

• Quality-Scale Tradeoff: The rapid expansion of India’s higher education has focused more on increasing the number of institutions than on maintaining educational quality. This emphasis on quantity has led to lower academic standards and insufficient infrastructure. Many private institutions prioritize profit over educational excellence, leading to poor teaching quality and inadequate learning outcomes. The regulatory framework has struggled to enforce quality standards, producing a generation of graduates who face employability challenges. India has 1,043 universities and 42,343 colleges (according to the All India Survey on Higher Education); however, approximately 30% of these remain unaccredited, contrary to National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 guidelines. The quality gap is especially evident in engineering, with only 45% of graduates meeting industry standards.
• Research Output and Innovation Gap: Indian higher education institutions lack a robust research culture, partly due to limited funding and infrastructure for impactful research. This shortfall has led to a preference for quantity over quality, with many papers published in less reputable journals. Teaching demands also leave faculty with little time to engage in substantial research. India’s research investment is a modest 0.7% of GDP, compared to China’s 2.4% and the US’s 3.5%. In 2023, India filed 467,918 patents, trailing significantly behind China’s 7.7 million and the US’s 945,571 filings.
• Faculty Shortages: India’s higher education system faces a severe shortage of qualified faculty, with many positions remaining unfilled for extended periods. Existing faculty often lack sufficient training, research experience, and industry exposure to meet contemporary educational needs. Bureaucratic hiring processes and low compensation discourage talented individuals from pursuing academic careers. Over 30% of faculty positions in 45 central universities remain vacant.
• Industry-Academia Disconnect: University curricula remain largely theoretical and are often outdated, falling short of contemporary industry standards. Most institutions have limited interaction with industry, offering few practical experiences or real-world problem-solving opportunities for students. This disconnect means graduates often need extensive retraining before contributing effectively in the workplace. The 2023 Global Skills Gaps Measurement and Monitoring Report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) indicated that 47% of Indian workers, and particularly 62% of women, are underqualified for their roles.
• Funding Challenges: Public funding for higher education remains insufficient, especially in state universities, resulting in compromised infrastructure, research facilities, and teaching quality. With the funding model heavily reliant on student fees, access to quality education becomes increasingly unaffordable. The 2024-25 budget allocation for higher education is projected to be 17% lower than the revised estimate for 2023-24, and funding for the University Grants Commission (UGC) is expected to decrease by 61% (PRS).
• Digital Divide: While elite institutions have adopted digital transformation, most universities lack adequate digital infrastructure. The Covid-19 pandemic underscored this digital gap, resulting in a two-tier education system. A 2021 Azim Premji Foundation study revealed that nearly 60% of Indian schoolchildren lack access to online learning, reflecting the broader digital divide within higher education, where many students struggle to access internet and digital resources.
• Mental Health and Student Support: Many universities overlook the mental health needs of students, with limited access to counseling and support services. Academic pressure, career uncertainties, and social expectations contribute to significant mental stress among students, with limited support for holistic development. A 2023 report by Timely MD showed that 50% of college students viewed mental health challenges as their primary source of stress.
• Weak Entrepreneurship Ecosystem: Despite an emphasis on nurturing startups, universities often lack adequate support for entrepreneurship, including incubation facilities. The academic environment frequently fails to encourage innovation and risk-taking. With limited industry connections, mentorship opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs are also restricted. India’s Total Early-Stage Entrepreneurship (TEA) rate was only 11.5% in 2022-23.
• Language Barriers: Language barriers pose significant challenges, especially for students from rural or non-English-speaking backgrounds, impacting access to quality education and limiting academic success. In a recent example, tribal students in Eklavya Model Residential Schools in Andhra Pradesh struggled due to instruction in Hindi instead of English or Telugu, highlighting the disparities faced by students due to linguistic limitations

Recent Initiatives

• National Initiative for School Heads’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement (NISHTHA): This program provides training for school leaders and teachers at various educational levels, with specialized training in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE). To date, over 32,648 Master Trainers have been certified under this initiative.
• PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development): Established under NEP 2020, PARAKH is an autonomous body designed to standardize and improve the assessment and evaluation processes across India’s school boards.
• Institutions of Eminence (IoE) Scheme: Introduced by the Ministry of Education in 2018, the IoE scheme aims to identify 20 institutions and provide them with complete autonomy to drive academic excellence and foster innovation.
• SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds): A digital platform offering a wide array of online courses, ranging from school to postgraduate levels, to facilitate active learning.

Measures India Can Adopt to Strengthen its Higher Education System

Industry-Academia Integration Framework:

• Institute mandatory industry sabbaticals for faculty members every three years to keep them current with industry trends.
• Form industry-specific curriculum advisory boards with rotating memberships from leading companies.
• Make credit-based industry projects and internships mandatory for students as graduation requirements.
• Establish joint research and development centers within universities funded by industry partners, along with an industry professional-in-residence program where experts teach specialized courses.

Pedagogical Transformation Initiative:

• Implement a national program for mandatory pedagogical certification for all faculty members.
• Create Centers of Teaching Excellence in each state to train faculty in modern methods, including experiential and project-based learning.
• Conduct regular assessments of teaching effectiveness through student feedback, peer reviews, and outcome-based analysis.

Quality Assurance Reformation:

• Shift from periodic accreditation to a continuous, real-time quality monitoring system.
• Form specialized quality circles within institutions, with representation from all stakeholders.
• Focus on employability and skill development with outcome-based assessment frameworks and apply AI-based analysis to monitor institutional performance for early intervention.

Student Support and Development:

• Set up career development cells with trained counselors and industry liaisons.
• Develop robust mental health support systems with full-time counselors and wellness programs.
• Embed soft skills and leadership development programs within the curriculum and establish student innovation labs with funding for entrepreneurial projects.

International Collaboration Framework:

• Introduce joint degree programs with reputable foreign universities that include mutual credit recognition.
• Simplify visa and work permit processes for international faculty exchange programs.
• Create global research partnerships with shared funding and resources.

Regional Language Integration:

• Develop high-quality academic content in regional languages with the help of AI-powered translation tools.
• Launch bilingual learning programs and build technical terminology banks in regional languages.
• Establish regional language research journals with international indexing and translation support systems for academic resources.

Skill Development Integration:

• Create modular skill certification programs aligned with industry needs.
• Set up skill labs equipped with industry-standard facilities and integrate credit transfer systems between vocational and academic programs.
• Design continuous skill assessment and upskilling programs for students and faculty to keep pace with industry changes

India’s higher education system requires a significant transformation to address its quality challenges. Key actions include enhancing teaching quality, strengthening industry-academia collaborations, and increasing investment in research infrastructure. By adopting global best practices and introducing innovative reforms, India can develop a world-class higher education system that empowers students and contributes to economic growth.

The End of the Blog: Transforming Higher Education in India