OREANDA-NEWS. The Vice President, Shri M. Hamid Ansari has said that the private providers in higher education have largely grown in a policy vacuum. He was addressing after releasing and presenting to the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, the first copy of book titled ‘The Education President’, compiled and brought out by International Institute for Higher Education Research and Capacity Building of the O.P. Jindal Global University, here today.

The Vice President said that since independence, our higher education sector has witnessed tremendous growth and that a feature of this expansion, especially in the last 25 years, has been the increasing participation of the private sector in higher education. Referring to various surveys, he however said, that educational scene in our country today - primary, secondary and university or professional - present a dismal picture as it suffers from the tyranny of numbers, the folly of seeking quick fixes, and indifference to quality.

The Vice President said that Rashtrapati ji himself, who has taken great interest in matters relating to higher education, had occasion earlier this year to express concern over this state of affairs. Correctives are piecemeal, inadequately implemented, and insufficiently funded, he added.

The Vice President also expressed concern over skewed sectoral and regional growth of private institutions, the lack of research orientation and the growing financial burden in form of educational loans. He said that keeping in mind the egalitarian objectives of our polity, there is a need for an effective and transparent regulatory mechanism that can encourage private investment in improving the quality of state universities, starting skills development courses and capacity development of faculty. These regulations need to be strong to ensure that private universities are well governed and provide quality education, he added.

Following is the text of the Vice President’s address:

“Respected Rashtrapati ji,

Naveen Jindal ji,

Vice Chancellor Prof. Raj Kumar,

Ladies and gentlemen;

I am happy to be here today to release and present to Rashtrapati ji the book, titled The Education President.

The book looks at the catalyzing role the President of India has played in his capacity as Visitor of 116 central institutes. The architects of our polity had deliberately crafted this role in the governance structure of institutions of higher learning for the highest Constitutional office of the land; a similar role has been given to the Governors in their respective states. This indicates the importance assigned to higher education in the development of the nation. This book is intended to rekindle a debate on the governance of institutes of higher learning in India. High quality institutions and a healthy higher education sector is an essential dimension in our quest to becoming a knowledge society.

Since independence, our higher education sector has witnessed tremendous growth. From 20 universities in 1950, we now have 677 universities of which 45 are central universities and 51 are deemed institutions of national importance. A feature of this expansion, especially in the last 25 years, has been the increasing participation of the private sector in higher education and, according to the UGC, there are presently 239 recognized, private institutions established under various regulations.

It is generally accepted that higher education is an effective investment, both for individual mobility and for social development. Higher education institutions today have the role of imparting knowledge, training the minds of a new generation, and equipping them with intellectual and practical tools to respond to the economic and social demands of society.

Given these limitations and keeping in mind the egalitarian objectives of our polity, there is a need for an effective and transparent regulatory mechanism that can encourage private investment in improving the quality of state universities, starting skills development courses and capacity development of faculty. These regulations need to be strong to ensure that private universities are well governed and provide quality education.

I congratulate the International Institute for Higher Education Research and Capacity Building of the O.P. Jindal Global University, for this initiative. I am confident that the insights emerging from it would benefit both the specialists and the general public.

Jai Hind.”