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Unit 27: Privatization of Higher Education

27.1 Access and Equity in Higher Education Notes

India has quite a large system of higher education in as much as we have today 250 universities,
over 10,500 colleges and nearly 55 lakhs of students being taught by over 3 lakhs of teachers.
And yet the proportion of the University and College going student population in the relevant
age group of 16-23 is dismal 6%. This is quite low even when compared with developing
countries, the figure being 20% for both Egypt and Thailand, 10% for Turkey, 11% for Brazil and
16% for Mexico. In the developed countries, however, access to higher education is to the tune
of 40% and more. Thus, though higher education in India has expanded generally, inadequate
access continues to cause concern. This issue, therefore, needs critical examination.
On the one hand we are worried about the so called ‘mushroom growth’ of the universities and
colleges, and on the other, are unable to provide access to education even at par with most
other developing countries in the world. Further, while enrolment of women and those
belonging to SC/ST group and other backward communities has improved, they are still very
much under represented. Thus, the twin issue of access and equity needs to be tackled by
adopting alternative strategies.
As well all know, providing increased access to education, meeting the challenge of equity and
improving the quality of education all entail large investment. It is all the more necessary to
ensure continuous inflow of funds needed for implementing and carrying out relevant
programmes and activities. But then their does exist the problem of resource crunch. A suggested
way out is exploring additional avenues of generating systems own resources instead of being
fully dependent on the State exchequer. It is imperative here that the higher education system
has to seek participation both of the Government as well as private and voluntary bodies.

Who was the Chairman of the University Education Commission (1948–49)?

Self Assessment
1. Fill in the Blanks:
(i) ........................ deals with the tertiory level of education.
(ii) There are about ............... colleges, ..................... universities.
(iii) Some of the getting are residential in their nature performing teaching functions
only.
(iv) In the developed countries, access to higher educations to the tune of ............. and
more.

27.2 Financial Crunch

Lack of adequate funds in education is the most crucial issues. While overall investment in
education as a proportion of the gross domestic product (GDP) has gone up from 1.2 per cent in
1950s to 3.7 per cent in the 1990s, it is still below the norm of 6 per cent as stated in the National
Policy on Education. University education has particularly been hit hard. Most higher education
institutions all over the country are facing acute financial crisis. Two important questions
immediately intervene themselves: One, what is the justification for so radically changing the
40-year old policy of state support to higher education, and two, how could the state extend
financial support to higher education at a time when the country is facing severe resource
crunch?
Since provision of free and compulsory education at the elementary stage is a Constitutional
commitment, budgetary allocation for this sector of education is continuously on increase while
the University and higher education has go a raw deal for the sixth year in succession. This is
in keeping with the declared objective of the Union Government that the lion’s share of funding

LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 255