Pitfalls in India’s higher education system

Dipak Kurmi

(The writer can be reached at dipakkurmiglpltd@gmail.com.)

In the present day, a college or university degree has become in dispensable for most lucrative careers. It is often considered essential for one’s reputation, akin to the stability of a secure government job. Consequently, it’s no surprise that individuals seize any chance available to pursue higher education.

However, in India, despite a strong desire among young people to obtain degrees and their willingness to invest financially in education, we have failed to develop adequate educational infrastructure. Furthermore, we have struggled to maintain the quality of the existing infrastructure.

What we have effectively achieved is adding to the stress faced by young Indians through unnecessary and seemingly unjust screening tests like those currently conducted by the National Testing Agency. These tests serve only to filter out candidates who have already undergone assessments by school boards or universities. The misconception that students going abroad are solely due to limited job opportunities in India overlooks the underlying issue. The problem runs deeper than that superficial explanation. It’s a little-known fact that Indians are investing significantly in higher education abroad, with expenditures ranging from six to nine times the size of the Union Budget allocated for the same purpose. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the number of Indian students studying overseas has surpassed 1.5 million. Each student typically spends around Rs 20 lakh annually on tuition fees and living expenses, leading to an annual outflow from India of at least Rs 3 lakh crore. This figure could potentially rise to Rs 4.5 lakh crore with a more realistic assessment of student expenditures. In stark contrast, the allocation for higher education in the Interim Budget of 2024–25 was only Rs 47,619.77 crore.

This outflow of wealth is a consequence of our flawed higher education system, which we have allowed to persist. Despite its shortcomings, this system still manages to deliver significant outcomes for those who navigate through it. Even the education offered in India substantially enhances the earning potential of its recipients. This is evident from the fact that individuals with educational qualifications, despite their initial period of non-earning while studying, earn considerably more over their lifetimes compared to those without such qualifications.

Based on the Periodic Labour Force Survey data for 2022–23, investing four years in college education after completing higher secondary education significantly boosts lifetime earnings compared to those with just a higher secondary certificate (HSC). Specifically, graduates earn more than Rs 26 lakh additional over their lifetime compared to HSC holders. Postgraduates, on the other hand, accumulate over Rs 54 lakh more in earnings over their lifetime compared to those with HSC as their highest qualification. For PhD holders, this earnings gap widens further, with an additional Rs 69 lakh over their lifetime compared to HSC holders.

Nevertheless, an intriguing detail often overlooked is that even these educational qualifications may not secure jobs abroad for Indians. While they may facilitate visas for further studies in Canada, the US, the UK, or Australia—highly favoured destinations for Indian youth—they do not guarantee employment. To transition to a job overseas, individuals often need to invest between Rs 20 lakh and Rs 40 lakh annually for at least two years in additional qualifications or skill enhancement.

In essence, degrees obtained from Indian institutions hold little weight outside the country. Even within India, many institutions regard these degrees as meeting only minimal requirements. Graduates find themselves needing to sit for new entrance exams to pursue further education or secure employment. Across various industries, employers lament that Indian degrees no longer assure relevant knowledge or skills necessary for the job market.

Furthermore, in terms of advancing new knowledge, the Indian higher education sector significantly lags behind. Please distinguish between knowledge generation and mere metrics like Ph.D.s or publications. Evaluate how research from Indian higher education institutions is received in the global knowledge community.

The Times Higher Education Rankings, among over a hundred ranking systems developed in the past two decades, assesses various metrics, including ‘research quality’. This metric evaluates citation impact, research strength, excellence, and influence over the previous five years. Top global universities typically score 90 or higher on this measure.

Among India’s institutions of higher education, only the II Sc (Indian Institute of Science) achieves this level, scoring 96. Despite its small size, with fewer than 10,000 students, it stands out in global rankings for research quality.

Following IISc’s lead, the next tier of institutions such as Jamia Millia Islamia, IIT-Patna, IIIT Hyderabad, Jamia Hamdard, NIT-Silchar, Delhi Technological University, and Anna University achieve scores in the 70s range. Subsequently, institutions like Panjab University (67.9), Mahatma Gandhi University (62.3), Alagappa University (64.8), Aligarh Muslim University (61.6), and Banaras Hindu University (66.4) follow suit in the rankings.

Despite its reputation as one of the top universities in India, Jawaharlal Nehru University achieved a disappointing score of 51.4 in the rankings. In contrast, Manipal University, a rare private institution in the rankings, received a score of 46. Many other Indian universities scored even lower.

The lack of knowledge creation appears to be influencing every aspect of education in India, causing a ripple effect throughout the system.