Higher education /university: Taking the skills march forward in India – transitioning to the world of work

Abstract

This chapter tries to capture the changing profile of Indian higher education seekers and the system per se. It is argued that Higher Education (HE) in India needs to make a leap from education for the sake of education to education for better livelihood to education for better living to provide for smoother transition to work for HE graduates. The chapter discusses some interesting issues that HE needs to confront. These can be highlighted upfront as (1) on one hand there is excessive dependence on non-formal system of vocational training and on the other hand young graduates coming out of the formal HE system are unable to meet the industry expectations on job readiness.