In the interest of education

In the first term?

Examples from its first term prove the UPA government?s desire to improve the condition of education. Starting with the introduction of the 11th 5-year plan wherein the Center allocated six times higher spend on education from the earlier plan demonstrates this intent.

Without elucidating each accomplishment, the IITs are testimony to the fact that the government does act when it wishes. While the gestation was more than 50 years between the first IIT, IIT Kharagpur and the seventh IIT, which was the conversion of University of Roorkee into an IIT, within a period of five years, starting with the 11th Plan period, six more IITs have been added with four stated to be functional from the academic year 2009-10.

In the arena of school education, programmes such as the sarva shiksha abhiyan with the lofty goal of improving literacy levels and quality of education across the country and the mid-day meal scheme have both marked their impact. Fewer dropouts and lesser absenteeism will be the critical success factors of these programs. This is clearly a need if one considers this national sample survey from the Ministry of HRD. Per the Ministry, the number of enrolments at the primary/ junior level is 130 Million. This is more than halved to 51 million at the middle/ senior level and further decreases to 36 million enrolments at the higher secondary level and just 12 million go on to complete higher education.

Government of India programmes such as the technical education quality improvement program (teqip) which provide a framework for engineering institutes to pursue excellence gained momentum during the government?s first innings wherein more research, innovation and industry participation opportunities were generated on engineering campuses.

Current state of affairs?

The problem in the education sector is of two types. At one level the government is trying to do too many things at one go. It wants to develop world-class universities without world-class budgets and also ensure higher GER. The other issue is an unwillingness to relinquish control. There is no ?one key fits all? formula and it would behoove policy makers to let the better universities loose, by relaxing the rules for investment in higher education-fdi et al, while focusing on the laggards. Initiatives like that of Mumbai university to raise equity from the markets, and giving the central universities the space to raise additional funds -at present prohibited by rules, and allowing competition from universities abroad, is necessary.

World class universities are defined by the number of Nobel laureates, patents and research studies they produce. A Ficci study says India which thus far has none should aim for at least 5 world-class universities in the top 100 universities of the world. China has two and seven more of their universities are slated to be world class.

While it is not relevant to compare the condition of education in India with that in the US as the US had a head start of over a century in the field of education, the type of investment pumped into education explains their strong overall standing in education. For instance, the US accounts for 25% of the world?s cumulative spend on education whereas India?s public spend on education is about 5.2% of the world?s cumulative spend on education. What makes it more stark is that whereas US has just 4% of the target population group on whom it doles out this investment, India is home to 40% of the population in the target group.

It comes as no surprise then that the best students in India are voting with their feet about the quality of higher education in India. In 2007-2008 students of international origin in the US touched 623,805 of which 94,563 students were of Indian origin. By contrast the number of US students who pursued studies abroad in 2006-2007 were 241,791 of which just 2,627 came to India. And it is not as if US is the only destination for Indian students. There are four lakh Indian students going abroad for higher studies at the cost of more than $12 billion a year.

Allowing foreign universities to establish their campuses in India would be part of the solution of retaining the best talent in India. Countries such as China and Malaysia have already opened their doors to American universities and though there are continuous evaluations and modifications being made, for instance, Chinese policy makers are now evaluating the practice of allowing fdi in education and also insisting on norms such as half the governing board members on foreign universities be Chinese, India is yet to take the first leap in this endeavor. Two hurdles inhibiting foreign universities from entering India include the issue of repatriation of profits and autonomy in running the institute. The pending foreign education bill in parliament will address these issues.

Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER)?

GER is a problem and the 11th Plan highlighted the intent to increase the GER across India to 21 by the end of the 12th plan with an interim target of 15 by 2012. Improving GER not just in urban but also rural India wherein 373 of 600 districts in India have a lower GER of 3 to 9 than the all India enrolment average and also across minority groups and gender groups is where the UPA should sharpen its focus.

Skill development?

Inculcating skill development in educational programmes is critical. Rajeev Katyal, Director – Education, Microsoft speaks of the ?90/90 Syndrome? which implies that while 90% of the jobs are skill oriented, 90% of the workforce has a knowledge orientation. Only 7% of young Indians (15 to 22 years) get any vocational training. Compare this figure with 96% in South Korea, 80% in Japan, 75% in Germany, 68% in UK, and even developing countries such as Mexico with 28% and Botswana with 22% are doing much better. On the positive side, skill development is an area wherein public-private partnerships have partnered with some success. Last year the government of India under the finance ministry along with industry partners formed the national skills development corporation which would like to see 500 skilled Indians by 2022.

?malvika.chandan@expressindia.com