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Unit 27: Privatization of Higher Education

those concerned with general and professional higher education have been established on private Notes
and voluntary initiative with or without financial subsidy from the Government.
In the context of the current changing social and economic fabric of the country, it appears almost certain
to go in for private funding of education. The recent paradigm shift in Indian economic and political
philosophy has led to the demand of private universities so as to meet the challenge of contemplated
open economy and the demand for qualitative human resources and high level of R & D.
There are view for and against privatisation of higher education in India. While some have
started criticizing the concept even before it has come to be defined and taken off the ground,
others consider it very useful and indeed inevitable. So much so that proposals for setting up
private universities affiliating the privately funded institutions are being discussed. For one
thing, there is no denying the fact that higher education is comparatively less expensive in
India even though under-developed countries like Bangladesh and developed ones like the US
Japan, Australia and many others have successfully switched over to provocation of education
without making it a crass. Can India also think on these lines especially if the money earned
can be “plough back” into the educational sector for its own improvement?
A clear cut policy of the Government of India regarding privatisation of higher education is
unfortunately not available at the present moment. We wonder it there one at all. At any rate,
the move is lacking in transparency. One thing is, however, clear from the occasional official
pronouncements that there is a need for supplementing Government measures by the efforts of
the non-Government organisations and the institutions themselves to generate resources. This,
in a way, does amount to partial privatisation calling for against, amongst others things the
following:
(a) resultant commercialisation of education
(b) obstacles in merit based admissions
(c) deterioration in academic standards
(d) encroachment in institutions and autonomy
(e) service conditions of teachers, and
(f) education becoming subservient to market logic advanced by the private sector in the country.
National Knowledge Commission (NKC) has recently submitted its annual report to the prime
minister.
The NKC has given recommendations regarding reforms in existing public universities,
undergraduate colleges, regulatory structure, financing, quality, creation of national universities
as centres of academic excellence and access to marginalised and excluded groups. However the
‘initiatives’ or prescriptions provided by the NKC in its report are country to the purpose.
These prescriptions are no different than those provided by the infamous Birla-Ambani report
or the concept paper for the Model Act for all the universities in India. Therefore, it is necessary
to analyse and discuss each block of recommendations of the NKC Report.
Self Assessment

2. State whether the following statements one ‘Ture’ or ‘False’:
(i) A large number of educational institutions in the country especially those concerned
with general and professional higher education have been established on private and
voluntary initiative.
(ii) National Knowledge Commission (NKC) has recently submitted its annual report to the
president.
(iii) A clear cut policy of the government of India regarding privatization of higher education
is available.
(iv) The higher education is comparatively less expensive in India even though under-
developed countries like Bangladesh and developed ones like the US, Japan.
(v) The recent paradigms shift in Indian economic and political philosophy has led to the
demand of private universities.

LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 257