India Faces Hike In Enrollment Of Higher Education

Hike In Candidates Opting Higher Edu'n
The number of students enrolling for higher education in India has increased. In the survey held recently by the HRD Ministry reports that the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) for Higher Education has raised from 12.4 to 20.2.

HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said that the figure fro India had been hanging over at around 12. However, as per the survey it has moved forward in the last four years. The main focus of the conference was "India-The Education Superpower of the Future".

 

"The results of the survey are tentative and not firm, but if validated, they are very encouraging. The ratio for developed countries is in the region of 35-40. The survey results show that we are getting there. If they hold, we can expect the ratio to go up to 30-35 by 2029", said Kapil Sibal.

GER is an assessment of the percentage of the relevant age group that is enrolled. The minister said that the difference in the GER is frequently the difference between developed and developing countries. He added that "The gross turnover of ideas, generated by the university system, is the real wealth of nations-often more valuable than GDP.

He also explained that, higher education in universities is throwing up its own set of challenges. He further added that "This large influx into higher education (beyond 10+2 level) would possibly require 800 more universities and 50,000 more colleges. How can the physical infrastructure be built so quickly? Yet there can't be any delay. Even a year's elay means the child is older by a year". The number of kids competing for university education will touch 400 million, the size of the population of USA by 2030, he said.

Sibal added that "we have come up with a five-point action plan based on the advantages of new technology. You will hear mush more about this in the coming days". The measures seek to harness the internet and cloud-computing with low cost devices like tablets, including Aakash, the Rs.1,5000 tablet adopted by HRD ministry for free distribution (with 50% of the cost being borne by the education institutions and other other 50% by the centre), and mobile phones.

What do you think? Will India be able to reach to the assumed height in few years. Share your opinion on this.

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