*Junior Research Fellow, Department of Commerce, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, India
**Research Scholar, University Business School, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, India
***Professor, Department of Commerce, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, India
Online published on 15 September, 2015.
A sound higher education sector assumes an imperative role in economic development and advancement of a country. Higher education, regarding its pertinence and significance, enjoys a significant position in the instruction framework as it outfits individuals with learning and aptitudes to be productively utilized. In the connection of the present demographic structure of India where the dominant part of populace is underneath the age of 25 years, higher education had a significant role to play in serving to realize the broad social changes fundamental for sustainable development. The present paper gives an overview regarding the current status of higher education in India. Further this paper throws light on the crisis prevailing in the higher education sector in terms of lower budgetary allocation, inequalities in access and equity, privatisation of higher education, lack of autonomy, bureaucratic control, quality and accreditation of higher educational institutions etc. The study revealed that there is an urgent need to revise the existing education policy with comprehensive and broad new education policy to meet the needs of present situation in effective manner. In the end this paper provides suggestions to make India as a centre of excellence in providing higher education to the society.
Higher education, Crisis, Reforms, India, Funds, Privatisation
