An Analysis of the Status and Growth of Private Higher Education in India

Abstract

This paperfocuses on two aspects of private higher education in India: First, it analyses the different types of private higher education institutions in India; Second, it analyses the growth of private higher education institutions in India over the past three decades. Indian higher education system witnessed a remarkable growth in the post-independence era, especially since the 1990s. At present, Indian higher education system is the largest in the world in terms of its number of higher education institutions and the second largest in terms of its enrollment.The major characteristic of this remarkable growth is the unprecedented surge in the numberof private higher education institutions. As per the recent data available,private higher education institutions account for more than 75% of the total number of higher education institutions in India. Increasing demand and resource crunch are considered to be the major factors behind the rapid growth of private higher education institutions throughout the country. Apart from that, the macroeconomic policy changes that engulfed the major developing economies including India in the late eighties viz the new economic reforms, popularly known as Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization that were introduced in the year 1991 can be traced to have exerted a vital role in ushering the growth of private sector in higher education in India. The paper argues that while the private participation in higher education might be essential for the growth and development of higher education, the over-dependence of private sector might result in the unequal and unsustainable growth in higher education. Hence, it is suggested thatthe public spending for higher education is to be increased substantially and the growth and functioning and private higher education institutions should be regulated in order to create an equitable and sustainable higher education system in India.