Envisioning India as a global hub for Higher Education

What is the issue?

• India has a huge potential in the higher education sector.
• This can be harnessed even without much government support, provided that the right policy framework is in place.

What has created potential in the sector?

• Soon after independence, major steps were taken to nurture higher education by setting up the IITs the IIMs.
• It is also an advantage that India’s education landscape has already been heavily Aglisised due to historic reasons.
• India has already emerged as a nascent hub for higher education among poorer countries due to palatable education cheaper costs.
• The cheaper cost of living in India is a natural advantage that promises value for money. 
• If this is seen along with the currency convertibility, India could emerge as a favourable ed-destination even for the richer world.   

How can this potential be capitalised?

• Firms that invest in this sector will need to be given some flexibility on how much they charge and what salaries they pay.
• This will create a free market that encourages a healthy competition for attracting students, proffessors & researchers. 
• Also, nurturing partnerships with universities in the countries like the US, UK and elsewhere will help in improving quality.  
• If we succeed in create an ecosysterm for private universities and institutes to flourish, the return on investment seems promising.

What are the challenges?

• As issual & renewal of visas could prove to be a deterrence, we need to fast-track and streamline our processing in that regard.
• Political interference in curriculam design and restrictions on free-speech in campus are areas of concern.
• The government needs to develop structures to ensure that students aren’t cheated by institutions.
• While private universities are more likely to cater to disciplines that are lucrative to them, thereby ignoring domains such as literature & mathematics.
• This might skew the talent pool nationally away from certain domains, thereby calling for government support.
• As, education become increasingly private, the government would also have to ensure that rich-poor divide doesn’t hitch on to education.

Source: Indian Express