The Indian Education System - Problems and Solutions

Education in India

Why do our institutions of higher education focus predominantly on transfer of knowledge (Teaching) and less on creation of knowledge (Research)? What does it take to make truly great educational institutions? This book attempts to answer questions such as these.

We can take pride in our elite institutions, which admit only one in a thousand. Do we care about the rest?

Numerically, India has the world's largest education ecosystem, yet it ranks low in public education spending per student, and even worse in proper utilisation of scarce resources. While government schools languish with abysmal infrastructure, billions are being poured by private equity funds into elite private school chains, which are already flush with funds.

If we produce "unemployable" graduates, it suggests the suboptimal state of our institutions, not the ability of our children, who, despite all odds, continue to excel at home and abroad, making India the undisputed IT powerhouse and the world's largest talent pool. Imagine what they would do if they had the benefit of affordable, truly world-class education in India.

Three decades ago, India catalysed the emergence of a strong, innovative, and globally competitive indigenous industry by championing 'ease of doing business' and dismantling restrictive controls. However, education, especially higher education, still remains hampered by stifling governmental and regulatory constraints. It is imperative that policymakers now break these shackles and champion 'ease of providing education' also.