Latest news with #SPUs
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
BM Education: India's global influence in higher education continues to rise
India's higher education sector is undergoing a profound transformation, with statistical evidence pointing toward consistent and inclusive growth across the country. From a modest start in 1947, when the nation had only 17 universities and 636 colleges catering to just 2.38 lakh students, India now boasts a vibrant academic landscape. According to the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2021-22, the country has 1,168 universities, 45,473 colleges, and 12,002 stand-alone institutions. State Public Universities (SPUs), in particular, have emerged as pivotal players, accounting for 81% of student enrollment and catering to over 3.25 crore to education experts, this remarkable expansion is reflected in India's global academic standing as well. Over the past decade, the country witnessed a staggering 318% increase in its representation in international higher education rankings—the highest among G20 nations. The release of NITI Aayog's recent report, Expanding Quality Higher Education through States and State Public Universities, underscores the vital role SPUs play in democratising education, especially in underserved and remote regions.'India's Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) surged from a mere 0.4% in 1950-51 to 28.4% in 2021-22—a 71-fold increase. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 aims to take this further, targeting a GER of 50% by 2035. Enrollment across disadvantaged groups has also seen commendable growth. Between 2011 and 2022, enrollment among OBCs rose by 80.9%, SCs by 76.3%, and STs by 106.8%. Muslim student enrollment increased by 60.6%, while other minorities saw a 53.2% of students with disabilities in SPUs grew by 6.6% over the same period',said an education department teaching departments and constituent units saw a rise in enrollment from 24.5 lakh in 2011-12 to nearly 29.8 lakh in 2021-22, marking a 21.8% decadal increase. Meanwhile, State Private Universities experienced explosive growth, with enrollment skyrocketing by 497%—from 2.7 lakh in 2011-12 to 16.2 lakh in 2021-22. Central Universities reported a more modest growth of 26.4% over the same inclusivity has also improved significantly. India's Gender Parity Index (GPI) in higher education rose from 0.87 in 2011-12 to 1.01 in 2021-22, indicating that female enrollment now slightly exceeds that of males—an encouraging step toward gender-balanced education, according to the data from the education terms of faculty, India has around 16 lakh teachers in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Lecturers and Assistant Professors form the largest share at 68%, followed by Associate Professors (10%), Professors (9.5%), and other categories such as Demonstrators, Temporary, and Visiting global academic impact is further highlighted by its rising contribution to research. The country's share in global research publications grew from 3.5% in 2017 to 5.2% in 2024. According to the NIRF 2024 rankings, the IITs collectively account for 24% of the total publications, followed closely by Private Deemed Universities, which contribute 23.5%.
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
PU VC proposes overhaul of state higher education at national workshop in Delhi
Chandigarh: A two-day national workshop on multi-disciplinary education and research universities (MERU) concluded in New Delhi on Thursday with a strong call for reforms in state higher education, led by Panjab University vice-chancellor Prof Renu Vig, who unveiled a 10-point roadmap to transform state public universities (SPUs). Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The workshop was inaugurated by Union minister of state for education Dr Sukanta Majumdar at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi. Addressing the concluding session on 'Providing Quality Education: Accreditation and Ranking', Prof Vig unveiled a 10-point roadmap to enhance the academic and research standards of SPUs. She emphasised the need for mandatory accreditation by 2030 and advocated a shift from compliance-based evaluation to outcome-driven assessment models aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and global standards. The workshop, held under the Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA), was attended by VCs of 64 state universities and state project directors of RUSA 2.0. Panjab University coordinated a consortium including Himachal Pradesh University, GJU, Hisar, Gondwana University, Gadchiroli, and Kannur University, under the guidance of Chandigarh's director of higher education Rubinderjit Singh Brar. Prof Vig's plan called for academic flexibility, research infrastructure, digital libraries, innovation hubs, and stronger governance frameworks. She urged institutions to pursue international partnerships and adopt performance monitoring systems. The session was chaired by NBA member secretary Prof Anil Kumar Nassa and NAAC director Prof Ganesan Kannabiran. Prof Nassa discussed the expansion of NBA accreditation to tier 2 institutions, while Prof Kannabiran spoke of NAAC's push for a 'Light but Tight' accreditation model and the upcoming maturity-based graded levels system. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Senior education officials including Dr Vineet Joshi, Sunil Kumar Barnwal, Prof T G Sitharam, and Prof M Jagadesh Kumar also participated. The workshop addressed themes such as digital governance, university clustering, faculty development, and access to higher education. Concern raised over alleged irregularities in PU law entrance exam Chandigarh: Allegations of irregularities have surfaced in the entrance exam for Panjab University's five-year BA LLB programme, with student representatives calling for an investigation. According to a letter submitted to the university registrar, candidates reported that the legal aptitude section contained 50 questions — more than double the 20 stated in the official prospectus. Some of these were allegedly of postgraduate-level difficulty, raising concerns about fairness. Archit Garg, vice-president of the Panjab University Campus Students' Council (PUCSC), submitted the complaint after receiving grievances from students. He also alleged that some coaching institutes may have had prior information about the exam pattern, potentially giving their students an undue advantage. Garg has urged university authorities to look into the matter and ensure transparency in the examination process. He said restoring students' trust is essential for the credibility of admissions in the future.
