Beginning as the inter Universities Board at its inception in 1925, the AIU is over eight decades old and has seen a growing role and relevance in the changing national and international scenario. It was established with the primary objective of promoting University activities. However, this role has expanded today given the fact that human resources are witnessing a global change at the fundamental level, which is necessitated by changes in the way we perceive, communicate and internalise our cognitive, cultural and educational aspects and needs.

Speaking to EP, one of the participants in the seminar Mr. Ulrich Podewils, team leader of the India-EU Study Centres Programme, New Delhi, said that the centre forms an integral part of the India-Eu Joint Action Plan which was adopted by the EU and India in September 2005. According to him the action plan is based on the decision of fostering, an India-EU strategic partnership and to promote acedemic cooperation for enchancing knowledge about each other.

The India-EU Study Centres Programme aims at the promotion of higher education, inter institutional links and academic cooperation between the EU and India through the development or the creation of contemporary study centres in both the regions. The programme will support joint academic activities and provide technical assistance to promote EU studies in India and contemporary Indian studies in the EU.

The education system of India is one of the largest education systems in the world. The Government of India has been focussing not only on spreading education but encouraging the people to be literate. The literacy rate has increased from 18 percent in 1951 to 65 percent in 2006-2007. India accounts for 438 universities, nearly 22,000 colleges, about 5 lakh teachers and nearly 130 million students. But, according to the National Knowledge Commission, we will need 1500 Universities to attain the gross enrolement ratio of just 15 percent by 2015. China is far ahead of India, it has created 1250 Universities in the last three years to enhance the academic opportunities at the higher level.

Ninety percent of employment opportunities require vocational skills, but ninety percent of our colleges dish out only bookish knowledge. Our colleges and universities have become mass production units of degree holders without the wherewithal to empower the youths with the skills for employment.

The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) at present in India is just 13 percent which is much below the global 23 percent. To achieve 25 percent GER at the higher education level throughout the country, the Central Government is planning to establish 2500 new universities, both public and private and some more need-based colleges.

The problems plaguing higher education in India is the unemployability of our youths in the job market and secondly the issue of access and equity in the field of modern higher education. According to the Indian Labour Report, 2007, Indian youths are simply unemployable. Failure in quality education and skills, lack of technical and vocational training and policy blunders make it imperative for structural change in our system of education. Ninety percent of employment opportunities require vocational skills, but ninety percent of our colleges dish out only bookish knowledge. Our colleges and universities have become mass production units of degree holders without the wherewithal to empower the youths with the skills for employment.

Another problem faced by the higher education system in our country is the unemployability of our professionals, despite Indian IT Professionals being in high demand in the world market, only about 30 percent of them are actually employable in the IT sector. Likewise, only 25 percent of engineering graduates, 15 percent of finance and accounting professionals and 10 percent of professionals with any kind of degree are suitable for employment in global organisations. This has led to a paradoxical situation in the country, in the base of the education pyramid, there are already some 200 million youth seeking jobs whereas there will always be a short fall of porfessionals with requisite skills.

Meghalaya has made a humble beginning by permitting private players to establish professional educational institutions, the Martin Luther Christian University is planning to set up a private medical college in the state under the public-private partnership (PPP) mode. Meghalaya in general and Shillong in particular already has institutes of repute like the IIM, NIFT, NEIGRIHMS and Institute of Hotel Management which are already producing professionals and are rendering yoeman service to the society.

The second problem of access and equity in the field of modern higher education, has been rightly taken up by the UGC as its primary concern during the Eleventh Plan Period. Thousands of youths are denied access into the higher education system due to various reasons and social divisions. Our vast human resources should be harnessed to their true potential, other wise we may be building isolated islands of excellence and exclusive citadels of learning which would be in danger of neither being socially relevant nor socially engaged. Globalisation should lead to sharing of knowledge and not in the creation of a divide between those who have knowledge and those who don’t. Growing disparities between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’ will lead to social tensions and strife, which would be detrimental not only for the education system but for the nation as a whole.

In the end higher education in India shoud act as an agent of meaningful and powerful change in training manpower and creation of skilled resources. With support from the government and strong links with industry our universities and other professional institutions can become the primary engines of fuelling growth which will propel a confident and resurgent India. Education must also satisfy human quest for knowledge, it is as much about acquiring skills and techniques as it is about learning to live together.