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In all, there are more than 12 statutory professional councils like the AICTE which only adds to the confusion. Contrary to popular belief, the confusion caused by the sheer number of these councils is not the main problem. The major problem lies in the fact that most of these councils are regulators; their job description is to look at the quality of inputs. The importance of monitoring the quality of institutions on the other hand has been greatly overlooked. The need of the hour is an accreditation body, one that guarantees the quality of education in institutions that are already up and running. Many fear that the decentralisation of power that will come about with such a move could bring about the very grave danger of diluting the quality of education. However, this danger can be parried by granting autonomy to each and every college in the country. While accreditation will serve as the yardstick in gauging the academic standards of an academic institution, autonomy will force the same academic institutions to impart quality education, failing which, they will not survive in the very competitive market that will come about with the granting of autonomy. At the moment, colleges belonging to widely divergent points in the quality spectrum are all affiliated to the same university. As a result of this, the colleges that produce better graduates suffer as students of very different standards of capability receive the same degree when they graduate. Opening the door to outside investment in those institutions that are performing well is a great way to separate the institutions of good quality from the mediocre and the bad ones.
With this kind of a system in place, the feared danger of a ‘probable’ commodification of knowledge is the lesser of two evils. The current educational expenditure of the Centre and states is Rs. 91,000 crores. Another Rs. 7,000 crores is collected through education cess (3.32% of GDP). Singapore spends 4% of its GDP on education. Though India spent 150% more on higher education in 2007 - 2008, the fact that India is still paying catch - up to most Asian countries is not likely to change anytime soon. The current 0.5% of GDP spent on education as opposed to the required amount of 1.5% speaks for itself. The additional amount of Rs. 100,000 crores per year required for vocational education and training only adds to the woes of the government. Sadly, the government has not been able to meet this requirement. So, one has to choose between continued stagnation and the ‘possibility’ of commodification of knowledge. It is obvious that unless the government comes up with a miracle, sub - standard services will continue to be the norm in the field of higher education. The foreign exchange outflow of about 10 billion US dollars caused by the exodus of nearly 160,000 students from India is an amount which would easily solve the current dilemma. The lack of quality seats in higher education has now led to the menace of capitation fees and the cornering of the market by a select few.
The current trend that has really picked up momentum is the rush for specialized courses. Most students, upon passing their 11th standard opt for technical courses and other specialized courses which are targeted at certain markets for example BCA and call centre training. Who can blame these students or their parents for opting for what they see as an almost assured employment opportunity that these courses promise after a maximum time of three years of study or training as opposed to the limbo of uncertainty even after receiving one’s master’s degree in the normal stream of higher education which takes a minimum of 5 years to complete?
These vocational institutions are doing their part in easing the pressure of unemployment and one has to applaud them for it. The question though is what becomes of our higher educational system when it has crumbled under the pressure of its own ineffectiveness? The rudiments of culture are a big part of the scope of study of the arts. History, cultural heritage, morals, ethics, these are the very building blocks of society. Now, one must keep in mind that the arts are a field of study that most of the vocational institutes do not deal with. They are primarily technologically inclined. The chief patron of the arts is our mainstream educational institutions. With the way things are, one’s greatest fear is that the importance of mainstream education is overlooked and bypassed for more lucrative options. In due time, these educational institutions may even cease to exist as the number of students dwindle to nothingness. What then happens to us in a society lacking morals and ethics and devoid of roots and culture? What happens to the very fabric of society itself?
The silver lining here is that North Eastern Region which had absolutely zero facilities is really gearing up. Though late, North Eastern Hill University at Shillong has become a Centre of Excellence whereas Assam University at Silchar, Tezpur University at Tezpur, Assam and Rajiv Gandhi Institute at Itanagar are the central universities fully funded by the Government of India. This, no doubt, is going to provide some relief to the deserving students of the North East. But, we cannot deny that much is needed to be done on the front of higher education particularly the area of relevance.
