Challenges of Higher Education

Higher education in India is at crossroads. While the identity of the system is protected through an indigenous approach to education, the onslaught of globalization has set in. The WTO regime particularly the GATS is threatening the very existence as several international operators are entering the field on the basis of market. The structure of higher education in the English speaking countries is undergoing a change through NQF, NVQ etc. This will have an impact on the Indian system because it is with these countries the country is interacting now. The quality of higher education depends upon the type of staff development programmes initiated for teachers In is necessary to introduce quality assessment in staff development to ensure better results. The policy changes like the Free and Compulsory Education attempt by the government in 2003 are expected to influence higher education in quantitative terms in future. Therefore, the educationist and the social sciences researchers are expected to approach the system with innovative questions. In the process, the experiences of states like Andhra Pradesh might help to throw light on the kind of problems that one can encounter. The book is written in the context of rapid developments in higher education in India. This will serve as a textbook and reference material for educational policy, planning and development scholars and teachers. This is also useful as a general study of contemporary problems.