*Professor, Regional College of management, Autonomous, Chakadola Vlhar, Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar-751023
India aspires to become a developed nation by 2020, yet, 350 million people or thirty four per cent of population need literacy and, many more have to acquire employable skills. While developed countries march ahead for mass higher education with over fifty per cent enrollment, India tries hard to achieve mass elementary education by 2010. It faces three main challenges in that direction such as: expanding access, raising learning achievement and reducing gaps in education outcomes. Although there has been an impressive growth of primary and upper-primary schools; it still needs 1, 60,000 new schools to solve problems relating to the physical access. But, infrastructure problems like ‘pucca’, ventilated and lighted class rooms, separate lavatories and urinals for girls, safe drinking water, laboratory, play-ground, library and IT access will continue for some time. For this, India needs to spend 6–7% of GDP. In order to improve higher education; student evaluation of teachers, teacher training, devotion to the job and promotion of values through being role models become the call of the hour for achieving developed nation status. Will India be able to do all these by 2020? The article discusses all these points.
