Higher education, social demand, and social equity in india

Abstract

During more than six decades since independence, Indian higher education has undergone remarkable transformation from an elite to a mass system. Today, India possesses a very large and diverse higher education system with programmes in almost all areas of traditional and modern learning. Despite this growth, the issue of deteriorating quality and social inequity in access is still persisting. An insight into prospective higher education demand stresses an explicit focus on the supply parameters that influence the higher education from the perspectives of various stakeholders. These supply parameters include not only sources and quantity but also quality and access. With the increase in the number of students who complete higher secondary schooling, the transition rate from secondary to higher education in absolute terms is also increasing. The demand from disadvantaged groups will rise dramatically through their increased participation along with women.