Prime Minister Modi’s patriotic appeal for Swadeshi Bharat for Viksit Bharat is a wake-up call for those dreaming elsewhere and living in Bharat. Modi’s “Garv Se Kaho Yeh Swadeshi Hai” is a proud roar of a tiger economy that is experiencing the second coming of its first leadership position in the global comity of nations. The re-imagination of India towards Viksit Bharat @ 2047 is a multi-dimensional policy prescription that cuts across all socio-economic growth sectors like public infrastructure, defence, manufacturing, healthcare, education, Agriculture, etc. With active public and private participation in various economic spheres spurring growth, the push for alternate models of engagement with social sectors like education and healthcare cannot come at a time more appropriate than now.
The National Education Policy (NEP 2020) is a steaming appetiser already served for a healthy main course that is yet to be served in full. The various reforms by way of regulations and guidelines initiated by statutory bodies like the UGC, AICTE, NCTE, etc. need to fire on all cylinders. As the institutional launchpads are getting ready, there is a sense of urgency in the countdown for action. As the systemic (re)assembly of various educational parts begin through the proposed Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) Bill, there is also a need to ensure that the growth engine is six-stroke making a departure from the conventional two or four. Here is why this six-stroke engine is important for a successful long-term journey for India’s higher education reforms.
Admissions: The nation is gravitating towards One Nation One Action policies and education is no exception. Though there is a handful of such schemes in education, the important missing is the One Nation One Admission ecosystem. The multiplicity of entrance exams and chaotic counselling is creating avoidable distortions. On one hand the National Medical Commission is still conducting the 2025 admission while some institutions have started their plan for 2026. Be that as it may, it is always a good idea to nationalise entrance exams assets like JEE, GATE, CLAT, CAT, with multiple opportunities and time-windows. Along with an option for state governments to creatively mix the entrance exam scores with school or UG education scores to craft their own admission policies will put an end to the exploitative and mystic entrance exam tamasha of many private HEIs.
Academics: The proposed HECI promises to be a goldmine for academic freedom that provides the much-needed oxygenation freeing many deserving HEIs form the regulatory strangulation. A creative mix of NIRF-NAAC combo-based identification to provide more academic autonomy shall uncork the true potential of many institutions and its supportive stakeholders.
Administration: Governance of HEIs is an issue that clearly distinguishes the best from the rest. There are good and bad public and private HEIs and the need to create autogenous policy filters to separate both from both categories is a non-negotiable must. Reforms influenced by sweeping assumptions leading to generalisations may yield counter-productive results. There is need to ensure a fair governance mechanism as laid down by the Supreme Court in the TMA Pai Foundation Case necessitating a compelling need to understand that owner-led and ownerless institutions cannot have one omnibus policy for governance.
Atmanirbharta: The euphoric excitement in foreign universities establishing campuses in India is understandable. The competitive response mechanism needs a framework that promotes ease of running HEIs with an intent to progressively climb the ladders of academic supremacy which is swadeshi driven. Indian HEIs need equal, if not more, autonomy when compared to its global peers to inject the prideful sense of atmanirbharta. Till such time, the foreign university bill is an unprescribed pill.
Arogya: The growing concern on mental and physical wellness of students and staff of HEIs is taking a toll on the demographic dividend of India. The (P)Ranking race amongst HEIs and the cranking pathway of students to achieve exotic outcomes need a middle ground. We cannot afford to spoil the demographic health of India at a time when it needs to be enriched and not impoverished.
Anushtana: HEIs cannot be in the asking mode always. They are also responsible for being compliant to basic norms and standards which is possible only through self-discipline. This is possible only through consistent academic anushtana (genuine practice) to operate with military precision and regimental overview.
These six aces form the perfect ingredients for NEP 2020’s main course menu to be served along with HECI Bill. Along with other side supplements, its time for a swadeshi six-pack growth for Indian Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).
