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Unit 26: Quality Improvement Issues in Higher Education

Shortage of Teachers : Economic growth led by industrial and service sector during the last decade Notes
has created more opportunities and faster career growth for the young talent. Further, the lucrative
salaries and glamour has acted as catalyst in attracting talent to such fast growing sectors. Higher
education in India which has been passing through transition on account of privatization and
withdrawl of financial support from the government has been finding it difficult to attract adequate
number of young talent to teaching job. It is a big challenge for higher education sector to sustain in
future due to lack of availability of faculty.
Declining Enrolment in Traditional Fields of Knowledge : The changing economic structure coupled
with cultural transformation in terms of life style has lead to shift in choice for studies. The major
chunk from youth opts for professional courses leading to early employment and faster growth.
Therefore, the teaching and research in such faculties is able to attract the best of, the talent leaving
only a few for fundamental research in basic sciences, literature, art and languages. It, thus, poses
the challenge to the sustenance and the development of these basic pillars of knowledge.
Red Tapism : It is an irony in India that the bureaucracy restricts the modernization and expansion
of higher education by private players intended to impart quality education. At the same time a
large number of institutions without having adequate infrastructure and offering sub-standard
education are not only surviving but flourishing. Therefore, to develop a professional, transparent
and efficient mechanism to ensure expansion of quality education at a fast pace is greatly desirable.
Vocationalization at the First Degree Level : In conformity with the National Policy on Education,
1986, a scheme to provide career orientation through education at the first degree level was launched
in 1994-95. Under the scheme, a university/college could introduce one to three vocational courses
in 35 identified subjects. As a result, a number of job oriented programs lasting for approximately
6 months to one year have been introduced in the colleges/universities.
Autonomous Colleges : To keep up with the changes in higher education due to globalization,
institutions which has infrastructure and other facilities are given more functional autonomy. By
the year 2005 there have been 138 colleges functioning as autonomous colleges in eight states in the
country. It is a good initiative from government but needs to be promoted across the country.
Privatization : In India both public and private institutions operate simultaneously. In the year
2000-01, out of 13,072 higher education institutions, 42 per cent were privately owned and run
catering to 37 per cent of students enrolled into higher education, that is, approximately 3.1 million
out of total 8.4 million (Agarwal, 2006).. It is also likely that most of the growth in the rapidly
expanding higher education sector took place in private unaided colleges or in self-financing
institutions. Since grant-in-aid to private colleges is becoming difficult, many government funded
institutions/universities have granted recognition/affiliation to unaided colleges and many
universities have authorized new ‘self-financing’ courses even in government and aided colleges.
Approximately 50 per cent of the higher education in India is imparted through private institutions,
mostly unaided involving high cost.
Global Competition : India being a signatory of WTO is bound to open up its market for trade in
services including education but it does not have a clear policy for strengthening its education
sector to compete with the giants in the world. Policy restrictions stop the competent institutions
from making necessary changes in the processes of admission, recruitment and salaries of faculty/
staff and opening campuses abroad. In lack of proper policy provisions in time, higher education
sector in the country is adversely affected.
Self Assessment

1. State whether the following statements are ‘true’ of ‘false’.
(i) At present, India possess a highly developed higher Education system which offers facility
of Education and training.

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