EQUITY AND INCLUSION IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Higher education in India is passing through a phase of unprecedented expansion, marked by an explosion in the volume of students, a substantial expansion in the number of institutions and a quantum jump in the level of public funding. The enormity of the challenge of providing equal opportunities for quality higher education to ever-growing number of students is also a historic opportunity for correcting sectoral and social imbalances, reinvigorating institutions, crossing international benchmarks of excellence and extending the frontiers of knowledge. The12th FYP shall focus on utilizing this historic opportunity of expansion for deepening excellence and achieving equal access to quality higher education. 11th FYP Achievements: India has made enormous strides in achieving these goals in more than six decades since independence, and the success milestones of its higher education system are recognized globally. Yet, considerable challenges remain. To meet these challenges, the University Grants Commission (UGC) called for a major thrust for expansion of higher education and promotion of greater regional and social equity in the 11th FYP. During this Plan, provision was made for setting up of 16 new Central Universities and 374 Model Colleges in low Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) districts. The Government of India (GoI) provided for concomitant expansion with equity through implementation of the recommendations of the Oversight Committee. There was also a continued focus on achieving quality and supporting reforms in higher education and promoting excellence. But considerable challenges remain.