Opening up to the world

Opening up to the world

Article:

1. Philip G. Altbach, research professor, through this article highlighting the major challenges in India’s higher education system.

Important Analysis:

2. Earlier, Colleges and universities have been restricted from deep institutional collaborations.

3. Little emphasis was given on attracting international students.

4. Only 47,575 international students study in India compared to the almost 400,000 in China.

5. India is facing challenges like inadequate funding and increasing privatization and politicization in higher education policy.

6. Challenges:

• Upgrading more Indian universities to world-class quality will be complex task. It will require time and consistent funding.
• Increased autonomy and freedom will be needed from the bureaucratic shackles of government is not easy to attain.
• Ensuring that universities have imaginative leadership is also a key necessity.
• Lack of internationalization.
• Inability to pass legislation relating to foreign branch campuses other relationships with overseas universities is an indication of the problem.

7. Steps taken for higher education:

The National Institutional Ranking Framework(NIRF):

• The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), implemented in 2016, is India’s first government supported ranking of colleges and universities.
• It also provides the basis for differentiating among colleges and universities.
• Forces participating institutions to submit data on critical areas.
• Permitting to make key decisions
• Two-additional institutions build on idea of creating competitive world class universities in India includes:

a) The Institutions of Eminence(IOE) project.

• It will recognized 20 universities, 10 public and 10 private.
• Provides significant government funds to public institutions.
• Give enhanced autonomy to them.

b) Graded Autonomy project:

• It provides considerable freedom for academic, financial, and administrative innovation to colleges and universities participating.
• It will be significant stimulus for innovation.
• Both public and private institutions are involved.
• The Graded Autonomy programme makes easier to hire international faculty.
• It seeks to attract international students mainly from countries African and Asian countries.
• Aimed at doubling India’s tiny share of global student mobility from 1% to 2%.
• India is moving towards signing a pact on mutual recognition of academic qualifications with 30 countries.
• Recently, a government-to-government MoU was signed between India and France to recognize academic qualifications.

8.Suggestions:

• The national ranking initiative needs to be extended throughout the higher education system.
• Internationalisation is central to academic success in the 21st century .
• The Study in India initiative and proposals relating to relationships between Indian and foreign institutions are useful beginnings in this regard.