Quality Higher Education: A Need for Sustainable Development

Abstract

The National Policy on Education was framed in 1986 and modified in 1992. Since then several changes have taken place that calls for a revision of the Policy. In past efforts had already been done for primary and secondary education. It is the Higher Education which is to be looked upon if India wants to grow. A Sustainable Development could not be achieved if Higher Education is neglected at any cost. The Higher Education system in India is complex. With a Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of 23 per cent, India is still below the world average. With relatively stagnant growth of public sector, private sector now accounts for 75 per cent of the total Higher Education institutions and 65 per cent of the total enrolments in Indian Higher Education. This paper is a study to find out how three pillars of SD- economy, ecology and society can be interlinked by the Higher Education of a country. Moreover to have a sound Sustainable Development it is necessary to have a quality Higher Education in order to effectively interlink these three areas. This can be achieved if we bring desired changes in the teaching-learning process and in learning environment also. This paper is a study of present condition of Higher Education in India and improvement needed to make a sound Higher Education system to attain SD.