Universal Higher Education in India: A Myth or Reality

Abstract

India has set targets to achieve universal primary education and with Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) it has been fulfilled. Now with Rashtriya Sarva Siksha Abhiyan(RUSA) its target is to achieve universal higher education. There are something like 700 universities in India, and 35,000 colleges, all devoted to delivering higher education. The total student enrolment of about 23 million translates into a present gross enrolment ratio (GER) of about 19.4%, and the major challenge is to increase this number to around 30% in the next decades. This increase in the GER, given the increase in population, corresponds to around 100 million students, and it is clear that the traditional university system is simply incapable of absorbing this increase.