Indian Higher Education is in Deep Crisis: Dr Patnaik

Higher education in India is in deep crisis, said Prabhat Patnaik, former Vice Chairman, Kerala State Planning Board, at the 40th state conference of All India Students’ Federation (AISF).

According to reports, he also said the Supreme Court has laid out that education cannot be for making profits. But all the institutions across our country are for-profit. This has made education a saleable commodity and limited to a package – leading to its destruction and adverse affect on young minds, he added

He further said that our system should produce intellectuals who help in the development of our country.

Sat, 07/23/2011 - 06:31

G S Singh (not verified)

Indian Higher Education is in Deep Crisis: Dr Patnaik22 July 201

Yes - agree that the Indian Higher Education is in deep crisis. But privatisation is not the only reason for this, higher education would have been in deep trouble other wise also. Standards of higher education statred deteroirating in late sixties. May be it was effect of our wars with China and Pakistan in 1962 and 65. Education budgets were neagre. Appointments of the VCs, specially in the state universities were becoming political. Honorable vice chancellors were happy ruling the universities by dictat and professors happy to tow the line. Research funds were meagre. By late 80s and nineties, domino effect had its toll on the quality of teachers and hence the research. We have not been able to generate pull for the bright students towards a carreer in education and this has resulted into substandard student quality coming out of our higher education system. Having said that - privatisation in more than one way has accelrated this deterioration. Regulatory callousness in granting colleges and deemed univesities is one reason, political class going for a kill in the higher education space is another. NAAC and NBA functioning is linked to the two factors above. One need to have some immersion experience of these places to realise, how almost all these places are run as one man show by remote control. Admissions are controlled for obvious reasons, spurious exchange programmes with universities abroad are entered into for "brand" building and fooling the students. What could be the solution: 1. Concentrate on getting and nurturing good faculty. Let there be some regulatory catalyst to encourage and reward rhis. 2. Good governance need to be seen as primary factor in allowing an institute to start and its continuation. 3. A good process of quality assurance need to be followed and implemented by neutral agencies with transparency. 4. The above quality assurance should be a continuous process, more self driven than imposed. 5. Institutions performing badly should be comulosarily merged with the ones in the neighbour hood, performing well consistently.

Sat, 07/23/2011 - 05:09

Prof. M R Patkar (not verified)

commercialisation of education

Before 1980 the higher education was under the government but unfortunately the govt could not keep pace with the growing demands of education and had to invite private operators to impart education. When it enters a private domain, we cannot expect them to treat education as a charity. So there is no point in crying that the education has become commercial. However, I agree that the education has become HIGHLY commercial and the quality suffered in the absence of empowered regulatory body. Hence the govt must concentrate on means and methods of implimenting the rules and regulations which are framed with good intention.

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