COUNTRY REPORT- INDIA 12 TH SESSION OF THE REGIONAL COMMITTEE FOR RECOGNITION OF QUALIFICATIONS IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN ASIA & PACIFIC SHAKILA SHAMSU - 21 ST MAY,2013 Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India
OUTLINE OF THE PRESENTATION Constitutional provisions and existing policy on higher education Overview of the Indian Higher Education System Existing Regulatory mechanisms for recognition of foreign qualifications in higher education Status and challenges in recognition of foreign qualifications Foreign Education Providers Bill, 2010 International Cooperation Progress made in the ratification process of the revised AP Convention
CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS AND NATIONAL POLICY ON EDUCATION 1986 MODIFIED IN 1992 Indian Constitution is quasi-federal and distribution of powers is on the basis of Central List, State List and Concurrent List. Education was in the State List till 1976 and was brought under the Concurrent List (Entry No. 25 of the Seventh Schedule) in List III by the Constitution (42nd Amendment Act, 1976). Entry 66 of the Concurrent List provides for co-ordination and determination of standards in institutions for higher education or research and scientific and technical institutions. Para 5.25 of NPE : In the context of the unprecedented explosion of knowledge, higher education has to become dynamic as never before, constantly entering uncharted areas.
OVERVIEW OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN INDIA Indicators Enrolment in universities and Colleges (Regular Streams) (2010-11) Enrolment in Distance learning Enrolment of women (Regular Streams), (2010-11) Enrolment in post school Diploma/PG Diploma Percentage of women in professional courses (2010-11) Intake in Technical Education Achievements 16.98 millions 3.75 millions 0.71 millions 1.86 millions 23.53 Institutions in Technical Education 11809 Number of Universities (as on Aug. 2011) Number of Colleges 33,023 (as on Aug. 2011) Faculty 2.62 millions 523+200(DTUs) 33023(3982 women colleges) 0.82 millions 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 30 55 103 133 190 256 723 Universities Academic Staff Colleges 66 National Assessment and Accreditation Council 576 Colleges and 16 Universities in 2010-11 4
STATUS OF GROSS ENROLMENT RATIO (GER) IN HIGHER EDUCATION Presently, India s GER in higher education (age cohort 18-23 years) is 18.8 %. The Government has set a target of increasing the GER to 25.2 % by the end of XII Five Year Plan (2017) and to 30% by 2020. 5
STATEMENT INDICATING PUBLIC EXPENDITURE ON EDUCATION S.No. Year GDP at current prices (at factor cost) on the basis of 1993-94 year (Rs. in crore) Expenditure on Education by Education & Other Departments Expenditure on Education by Education & Other Departments as % of GDP Education is a not for profit activity. National Policy on Education is against commercialization of education. 1 2001-02 2097726 79865.71 3.81 2 2002-03 2261415 85507.33 3.78 3 2003-04 2538170 89079.18 3.51 4 2004-05 2971464 96694.12 3.25 5 2005-06 3389621 113228.71 3.34 6 2006-07 3952241 137383.98 3.48 7 2007-08 4581422 155797.27 3.40 8 2008-09 5303567* 189068.84 3.56 9 2009-10 6091485* 242504.82 (RE) 3.98 10 2010-11 7157412* 272137.44 (BE) 3.80 *Provisional Source: Analysis of Budgeted Expenditure on Education 2008-09 to 2010-11, MHRD Pronouncements of the Supreme Court of India have also cautioned against commercialization of education, even though reasonable surplus for institutional development are permissible. Growth in private institutions was significant during the Eleventh Plan period (2006-2011)- 98 private state universities, 17 private deemed universities, 7,818 private colleges, and 3,581 private diploma institutions were set up. Private higher education now accounts for 58.5% of enrolments. The Policy envisages 6% of the Gross Domestic Product (public spending )would be spent on education. 1.5% of GDP would be spent on higher education. 6
EXISTING REGULATORY AND STATUTORY BODIES University Grants Commission (UGC) All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) Bar Council of India (BCI) Indian Nursing Council (INC) Medical Council of India (MCI) Dental Council of India (DCI) Council of Architecture Central Council of Homeopathy (CCH) Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) Distance Education Council (DEC) Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) Indian Council for Agriculture Research (ICAR) Association of Indian Universities (AIU) State Councils of Higher Education 7
STATUS AND CHALLENGES IN RECOGNITION OF FOREIGN QUALIFICATIONS Student mobility, cross border higher education is a growing reality. Creation of qualifications framework with modular courses which allow credit transfers among regional networks is essential. This becomes challenging in a country like India which is still evolving a National Higher Education Qualifications Framework(NHEQF). Once NHEQF is formulated, this could be aligned to suit the qualifications frameworks in other regions thereby facilitating global academic mobility. AICTE supports twinning programmes of collaboration between local institutions and foreign institutions where part of the time is spent in both the campuses. It also promotes interaction of faculty and students with world class universities. UIS latest data on global mobility of tertiary students, the number of foreign students studying in India would be in the range of 40,000 and 200,261 students from India are studying abroad. 8
THE FOREIGN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS (REGULATION OF ENTRY AND OPERATIONS) BILL, 2010 A number of Foreign Educational Institutions are operating in the country. No comprehensive and effective policy for regulation on the operations of all these foreign educational institutions. Given rise to adoption of various unfair practices besides commercialization. The object of the proposed legislation is to regulate entry and operation of foreign educational institutions imparting or intending to impart higher education or technical education or practice of any profession in India The foreign educational providers shall have national treatment in the application of all laws as they are applicable to private educational institutions. The Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha on 03.05.2010 & referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee (PSC) on HRD. Based on their recommendations, certain amendments have been carried out in the Bill. The amended Bill will be moved for consideration of Parliament in the next session after approval of the Cabinet. 9
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION Developing institutional linkages Working towards mutual recognition of qualifications Educational Exchange Programmes- 46 countries Jointly funded collaborative programmes USA, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Israel and Germany Exchange of scholars/ students/ researchers Organizing joint seminars/ workshops/ conferences Sharing of information/ publications 10
INDIA AND REGIONAL CONVENTION OF UNESCO India ratified the Regional Convention of UNESCO for recognition of studies, diplomas and degrees in higher education in Asia and the Pacific adopted at the conference of states in Bangkok in 1983, on 2nd August 2000, which came into force on 2nd September 2000. Although the regional convention has promoted a congenial atmosphere to remove the procedural bottlenecks to make cross border mobility possible, this does not guarantee automatic recognition of qualifications, and the national institutions continue to follow their own screening mechanisms and criteria. In the process of screening, the reservations expressed by the institutions are on three major issues: (i) Inconsistency in the levels and structure of the different national systems of higher education, (ii) Lack of appropriate mechanisms that assure the quality of educational provisions in some countries, and (iii) Absence of a reliable mechanism or nodal agencies that can be referred to on mutual recognition issues. 11
THANK YOU Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India