Inter State Disparities in Higher Education: An Empirical Analysis

Human resource development is considered as pre-requisite to investment in physical capital. Education play a crucial role in human capital formation which enlarges people's income earning opportunities and enables them to achieve a better quality of life at a given level of income in India. Different five years plans have emphasized on educational development. The National Policy on Education of 1968 initiated a continuous effort to increase educational opportunities, to improve the quality of education at all stages and to develop the science and technology. Priority has been given for human resource development and social sector programmes and policies related to education, health etc., even in the agenda of second generation reforms. In spite of considerable steps taken by government education development particularly higher education is still lope sided. Interstate variations in terms of access and development of education are serious issue of concern in India. Keeping this issue in mind this research has been undertaken to study the interstate disparities in education development particularly higher education in India during the time period 1999 to 2015.