Lok Sabha Question No. 3179 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-12-05
Subject: Improvement of Higher Education
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: SANTOSH AHLAWAT, SUMEDHANAND SARASWATI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3179 TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.12.2016

## Improvement of Higher Education

## 3179. SHRIMATI SANTOSH AHLAWAT: SHRI SUMEDHANAND SARSWATI:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT  be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  the  key  challenges  related  to  demand-supply  gap, enrolment, privatisation etc. indicate that the situation of higher education sector is not encouraging;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the key initiatives from the Government side provide comprehensive solutions in this regard; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF   STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (DR. MAHENDRA NATH PANDEY)

(a) & (b):  As a result of several initiatives taken by the Government, there has been a significant improvement in the higher education sector over the years in the country. As per All India Survey on  Higher  Education  (2014-15)  report,  51,534  institutions  of  higher  education  including  760 Universities  have  been  set  up  in  the  country  which  is  significantly  higher  as  compared  to  the corresponding figures of 17,332 institutions of higher education including 350 universities in 200506. Also, with the increase in the number of institutions of higher education, Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER),  which  is  calculated  for  18-23  years  of  age  group,  is  showing  an  increasing  trend  from 11.6% in 2005-06 to 24.3% in 2014-15.

(c) & (d): To improve the quality of higher education in the country, Government has announced its resolve to  promote  20 universities  to  become world-class teaching  and  research  institutions  -  10 public  and  10  private  through  a  liberalised  regulatory  framework.  Accordingly,  UGC  has  issued draft  guidelines  and  invited  suggestions  from  all  stakeholders.  Apart  from  this,  various  schemes, namely, Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), Global Initiative for Academics Network (GIAN), Impacting Research, Innovation & Technology (IMPRINT), Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme(TEQIP), Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya National Mission on Teachers and  Teaching  (PMMMNMTT)  Study  Webs  of  Active-Learning  for  Young  Aspiring  Minds (SWAYAM), National Digital Library, campus connect programme, Uchhatar Avishkar Abhiyan, Unnat  Bharat  Abhiyan  are  being  implemented  to  improve  the  quality  of  higher  education  in  the country.

Under  Rashtriya  Uchchatar  Shiksha  Abhiyan  (RUSA),  financial  support  is  provided  to States  on  cost  sharing  basis  to  open  new  institutions. The  scheme  supports  components  such  as upgrading autonomous colleges to universities, clustering colleges to establish a university, setting up  of  new  professional  colleges  in  un-served  and  underserved  areas  as  well  as  providing infrastructure grants to universities and colleges to scale up capacity.

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