This book focuses on the theory and practice of financing higher education in India.

Contributed papers presented at the National Seminar on Financing of Education at New Delhi in 2003.

Besides analysing the various contours of financing of higher education, the book brings into sharp focus the likely impact of privatization and marketization of higher education with particular reference to access, efficiency and equity in the system. It also discusses implications of globalization and internationalization on higher education. The book is expected to help academic community, educational planners and administrators to work out strategies to promote private participation, in view of the continuing resource crunch the university system is facing. It also deals with the challenges posed by globalization and internationalization of higher education.

This is one of the first volumes to comprehensively discuss resource constraints and institutional challenges in realizing the Fundamental Right to Education (RTE) in India. It looks at various aspects of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), the primary vehicle to implement RTE and a flagship programme to universalize elementary education in the country. The book presents a comparative perspective across regions and states and evaluates the effective delivery of SSA at the grassroots level. Using rich empirical data, not yet available in the public domain, it provides valuable lessons for the planning and financing arrangements of SSA-RTE between the centre and the states, and towards understanding access, equity and quality of education. The work will be a major resource for scholars and researchers of education, economics, public policy, development studies, and politics.

This book critically examines the questions related to the access to and financing of higher education in India. The rapid expansion of knowledge economy in the neo-liberal era of globalisation has created an unprecedented demand for higher education, especially skill-based advanced learning. However, the inability of the government to meet the demand for public education, the massification of the higher education and the rapid privatisation of the education sector have now created concerns over financing education and ensuring its equitable access. The volume discusses the challenges faced by aspiring students to meet the rising cost of higher education, as educational policies increasingly favour marketisation of higher education. It sheds light on several alternative and innovative methods of financing, with a focus on educational loans, to highlight how inequities and inequalities affect access to educational loans in countries like India. The book thus explores how this impacts students from the deprived/disadvantaged sections of the society who are unable to access courses and institutions of their choice, and therefore remain unsuitable to get absorbed in the evolving market economy. An incisive read on the economics of education in India, this book will be useful for scholars and researchers of education, higher education, public policy, sociology, development studies, political science and governance, as well as for the policy-makers.

The book analyses various challenges emanating from privatization, globalization and public financial crunch to understand the future directions of higher education in India. The book presents a careful understanding of structure, finance and governance of higher education and advocates a new way to look at increasing the capability of students to secure their future. Attention has also been drawn to the inequalities prevailing in the system of higher education and pursuing inclusive approach so as to have sufficient employment opportunities for students in the labour market. The book is divided into three parts. Part 1 deals with the future in terms of university structure and functions, Part 2 deals with the future of financing higher education and Part 3 deals with capabilities required by teachers for the future of universities. It is an interesting collection of various themes in different chapters which are authored by serious researchers. All policy makers, university administrators and teachers and researchers of higher education interested in governance, financing, teaching as well as research in the area of higher education will find the contents of the book relevant. The book will benefit in understanding the challenges of higher education and help remodel the future of higher education in India.

This volume provides an in-depth analysis of the critical dimensions of higher education in India. It focuses on the growth and expansion of private higher education and public policy. The volume discusses issues related to the growth of for-profit and not-for-profit private higher education institutions and their implications at the policy level. It outlines the role of such institutions towards the internationalization and global ranking of the Indian higher education system. The book discusses the trends in internationalisation adopted by private higher education institutions and explains the resulting impact on aspects such as the diversity of programs, skill formation, employability, pedagogic practices, standards, curriculum development, and research and development, as well as the wider externalities in terms of promoting India’s soft power and international relations with other countries. While outlining the challenges of Open Distance Learning (ODL) and online education in India, the book also discusses the use of ICT, OER, and MOOCS among others to address the challenges of the ODL system. This volume will be of interest to teachers, students, and researchers of education, public policy, political science, international relations, law, sociology, economics, and political economy. It will also be useful for academicians, policymakers, and anyone interested in the internationalization of Indian Higher Education.