Higher Education in India: A Study on Marginnalised Community

Abstract

Indian education has a long history of being exclusive. Boys who were Brahmin were taught to read and write by a Brahmin instructor, and their traditional Hindu education was adapted to their requirements. India was ruled by the British from the 1700s until 1947, and during that time, the education policies there strengthened the aristocratic inclinations already there by linking progress in government service to academic knowledge, Cheney, (G. R., Ruzzi, B. B., & Muralidharan, K. (2005). (Public Report of Basic Education, 1999.) Higher and more affluent castes have always had their interests served by post-primary education. Post-primary students in the nineteenth century were predominantly Brahmins; British educational systems favored them because of their long-standing commitment to study. 2 Public Report of Basic Education, 1999. Most children who go to high school are still from upper-class, middle-class, and high-caste families living in metropolitan regions. is not unexpected that India has the highest percentage of illiterate individuals in the world given this historical barrier and the post-independence concentration of the educational system on secondary school rather than basic education (compared to the number of students in each category). Moreover, one in three Indian people (including 16.9% including male and female) are illiterate, according to the NSSO report 2022. Despite being a difficulty, the difference in illiteracy rates between men and women is narrowing: men are 25% less likely than women to be illiterate. The rates of literacy in various States vary greatly as well. Although the government has put more of an emphasis on primary education, The present inefficiency in delivering public services in education, marked by substantial teacher absenteeism of 6 percent and limited teaching engagement even when teachers are present, is expected to continue to hinder educational attainment levels in the coming times. A student must pass the senior secondary test administered by the state or the federal board of school education in order to enroll in a higher education program in India. Three years are spent on the first degree's general education requirements in the arts, sciences, and business, followed by two years of master's degree-level coursework and three to five years of doctorate study in the area of interest. According to current statistics, 37% of students are majoring in the arts, 19% are majoring in science, 18% are majoring in commerce, and 61% are majoring in engineering. Compared to other developing nations, this represents a major advancement in the area of higher education. After independence, the higher education system in India saw incredible growth and became the biggest in the world. In 900 institutions throughout India, more than 25 million students are enrolled in higher education, according to a recent MHRD study. Additionally, there are 40026 colleges that provide degrees. 1800 of them are all-female institutions. About ten state universities for women exist. About 11669 freestanding institutions exist. This presents a tremendous opportunity for the nation's research and development to advance quickly.