In terminal decline
The reality is that higher education in India is in serious trouble. And if India is to be a knowledge society and an economic power in the world, then we must have a higher education system of total excellence, thriving in an atmosphere of freedom and innovation.
Very few of our institutions are in a situation where such a description would apply. On the other hand, societies like South Korea, where even half a century ago educational institutions were far less developed, have now raced far ahead, generating scientific innovation on a substantial scale not only to help industry and business but also to provide benefits of various kinds to society at large.
An effective comparison can also be made with conditions in China. It was a little over three decades ago that the best and most respected institutions in China were devastated by the insanity of the Cultural Revolution. The expertise in the teaching establishment of these institutions was completely decimated, and the system was able to limp back to some semblance of normalcy only after several years.
However, it was really in the 1980s that the Chinese authorities were able to start putting together the fragmented and broken remains of their entire university system. They were assisted in this effort by extremely useful training for faculty and staff in a large number of US universities. In 10 years, the universities in China were on the move towards a much brighter future. Today some of the best universities in China would compare with the best in the world.
An excellent example of China's progress in the field of higher education is provided by Tsinghua University, one of the higher-rated institutions of learning in China. TERI has had a long association with Tsinghua University in the form of collaborative research projects, and I can say that today it is a completely transformed version of the institution that existed in 1981.
Not only does this University boast of high-class infrastructure, but also the quality of teaching and instruction compares with the best in the world. Undoubtedly, this has much to do with the excellent discipline that exists in Chinese institutions, but it is also perhaps a reflection of the continued expansion of the Chinese economy, which has thrown up jobs to suit everybody's interests and aspirations. As a result, the feeling of helplessness that one uncovers in several institutions in this country is not in evidence in China, and university education carries a purpose.
In India, unfortunately, even while the economy has expanded impressively in recent years, no such effort at rebuilding higher education seems to be in hand. Higher education in India is in need of major reform, which should involve much greater autonomy and freedom in our institutions, including the freedom to set salaries and compensation packages. We also need a far more enlightened reward system, by which those who have merit and capability can be promoted out of turn in a university and not have to cross bureaucratic impediments while making the transition to higher levels.
But, most importantly, the university system in India has to undertake much larger research activity. Not only must, therefore, the government's budget for university level research be increased, but perhaps a less complicated system for obtaining research funding, similar for instance to the system followed in the US by the National Science Foundation, is essential.
The Indian economy and our competitive position in the global market will remain below its full potential, unless the system of higher education in India is put on a fast track in attaining higher capabilities and strength through a combination of research and enlightened personnel policies. Merely converting our national research laboratories into deemed universities is not enough. What is required is to see that existing universities are provided adequate support for research, and that, eventually, they make a difference.