Challenges for the Indian education system

It was with great regret and unhappiness that I read a summary of a survey conducted recently for Institutions on Higher Education of the world by Shanghai’s Jiao Tong University, China, because only one Indian Institute i.e Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, was listed among the top 500 in the world.

When we boast about our highly intellectual people with unparalleled skills in Information Technology and Computing sciences, and one of the largest technically qualified workforce in the world, what then, ails the Indian Education System? Often we hear of our young Indian students shinning in renowned foreign Universities and this only goes to show that we have to provide world class facilities here, along with modern curriculum, linked to industry requirements, good delivery systems and unbiased examinations so that our younger generations have access to these facilities here, at home.
It will not be long before the World Trade Organisation (WTO) for trade and services, becomes applicable to higher (Tertiary) Education, Adult Education and Training. Once this happens there will be many foreign Universities from around the world that will be setting up Institutions in India so that the best of students are attracted to them. These Universities will offer services which will include academic and training courses on Information Technology; Engineering; Language; the Arts; Executive Management and Leadership training; Hotel and tourism education etc. and will also include educational testing services and corporate training services. There is no doubt that these Universities will scout for an appropriate Indian partner so that it would be easier for them to establish themselves here and they will also transfer the technology already existing with them in addition to proven syllabii and delivery systems.
At the recently presented Union Budget our Finance Minister Shri P. Chidambaram, has rightly provided Rs.50 crores each to the Universities of Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi and Kolkata for their upgradation. But unfortunately merely providing facilities like buildings and infrastructure will not help the system where teaching staff are selected based on reservations, seniority is a primary criterion for promotions and strict legislations offer teachers protection from punitive measures that are required to be taken in case of default. In a nutshell our University systems are complete with bureaucracy from top to bottom and unless this inherent fault is rectified, future developments in terms of infrastructure, will be redundant. We have to ensure that a lot of original knowledge is created in our Universities and for this research and development should be of utmost importance. New breakthroughs are required in Aerospace, medical sciences, engineering & technology, and pharmacy and this is most likely to take place in an environment created specifically for this purpose. What better place than our own laboratories in Universities where we could reach the frontiers of sciences if we provide the right incentives and motivation to the staff and students. However, we will have to rely heavily on industrial support for on going projects and for this we have to create a very strong Industry – Institute Linkage. We should also ensure that teachers are rewarded for the process of Research and development where quantification of work is very difficult.
Keeping all the above in mind, it would be imperative that major Institutions in India that have well developed infrastructure could seek approval from the University Grants Commission, All India Council for Technical Education and State Governments to establish their Institutions as deemed to be Universities, since this would facilitate partnerships with premier foreign Institutions. We have to ensure that world class education is made available in India, and fast, so that our growing economy could be manned by a workforce that is trained here in India with the quality of education they could get at any reputed University world wide. Further, the education that will be provided here will be affordable, reachable and will meet the requirements of the common population which today due to non-availability only leads them to attend our heavily bureaucratic University system. Let us not reinvent the wheel.