CHAPTER III

HIGHER EDUCATION IN INDIA: AN OVERVIEW

3.1. Introduction

Education is central to development and a key to attain the millennium

development goals. It is one of the powerful instruments for reducing poverty and

inequality, and lays a foundation for sustained economic growth. Education not

only impacts the human development and economic growth, but is the

fundamental requirement of democracy. Through education, people become more

responsible and informed citizens, and can voice their concerns and issues in the

political system of their society. Education helps people in improving

productivity, thus playing greater roles in economic life and earning a better

livelihood for themselves and the society. It allows people to move up in the

world, seek better jobs and ultimately succeed in their life. In India, the Right to

Education Act, which stipulates compulsory and free education to all children

within the age group of 6-14 years, has brought about a revolution in the

education system. India's higher education system is the world's third largest in

terms of students, next to China and the United States. In ancient times, India was

regarded all over the world for its universities like Taxila, Nalanda, Vikramshila

and its scholars. By independence India had 20 universities, 500 colleges enrolling

about 230000 students. Higher education provides opportunities to the people to

reflect on the critical social, cultural, moral, economic and spiritual issues facing

humanity. Higher education provides specialized knowledge and skilled persons

for national development.

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3.2. Types of Education System

The thrust of World Bank is to help countries integrate education into

national economic strategies and develop holistic education systems responsive to

national and socio-economic needs. The World Bank is committed to help

countries achieve education for all and, through education for the knowledge

economy build dynamic knowledge societies. The various types of education

system are as follows:

Primary Education: Primary or elementary education consists of the first

years of formal, structured education that occur during childhood. In most

countries, it is compulsory for children to receive primary education. It generally

begins when children are four to eight years of age. Schools which provide

primary education are known as primary schools.

Secondary Education: In most modern educational systems of the world,

secondary education consists of the second years of formal education that occur

during adolescence. It is characterized by transition from the typically

compulsory, comprehensive primary education for minors to the optional and

selective higher education for adults. Secondary education occurs mainly during

the teenage years. The purpose of secondary education is to give common

knowledge to prepare for either higher education or vocational education or to

train directly for a profession.

Higher Education: Higher education is also called tertiary, third stage or

post-secondary education, following the completion of secondary education.

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Higher education is normally taken to include undergraduate and postgraduate

education, as well as vocational education. Training colleges and universities are

the main institutions that provide higher education. Higher education generally

results in the receipt of certificates, diplomas or academic degrees. It includes

teaching, research and social services activities of universities, and within the

realm of teaching. It is important to national economies both as a significant

industry in its own right, and as a source of trained and educated personnel for the

rest of the economy.

Adult Education: Adult education has become widespread in many

countries. It is often branded as adult learning or lifelong learning. It takes on

many forms, from formal class-based learning to self-directed learning. Libraries

provide inexpensive informal access to books and other self-instructional

materials. The rise in computer ownership and internet access has given adults

greater access to both formal and informal education.

Alternative Education: Alternative education is also known as non-

traditional education or educational alternative. It may be used to refer to all forms

of education outside of traditional education i.e. for all age groups and levels of

education. This includes both forms of education designed for students with

special needs and forms of education designed for a general audience which

employs alternative educational philosophies and methods.

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3.3. Types of Education Providers

In India, the post-1980 period saw the emergence of new types of providers

of higher education. During this period, the private institutions proliferated, the

distance education programmes gained wider acceptance, the public universities

and colleges started self-financing programmes, and foreign institutions started

offering programmes and the non-university sector grew rapidly.

Private Institutions: In the post-1980 period, a few institutions were set

up by religious and charitable trusts of repute for philanthropic purposes. These

were not financially dependent on the government and came to be known as

private unaided institutions. Such family-style higher education institutions are a

part of a worldwide trend.1 In such institutions, the family members remain

directly involved in the administration, governance, financial control and direct

and indirect ownership of the institution. Such institutions are often referred to as

self-financing institutions.

Distance Education Providers: Distance education in India had its

genesis in the early 1960s. It started as a supplementary method of education to

meet the growing demand for higher education. Each year, nearly 1.30 million

students register for various courses in distance education.2 It is considered an

economical and a quick way of increasing enrolment in higher education.

Nowadays, the boundaries between distance education and on-campus education

1
Altbach Philip, G (2005). “Universities: Family Style”, International Higher Education, No.39,
Spring.
2
Garg, et al. (2006). Four Decades of Distance Education in India: Reflections on Policy and
Practice, New Delhi: Viva Books.
 64

are in a continuous process of convergence, and it is likely that the future

interrelations between them will be marked both by a growing competition and a

growing cooperation.

Self-financing Courses in Public Institutions: Since the 1990s, there has

been an acute resource constraint in public financing for higher education. This

put a brake on the expansion of the public university system. Enterprising public

institutions had no option but to start self-financing courses to meet the student

demand. Higher education institutions charge the students tuition fees not only to

cover the operating costs, but even generate surplus from self-financing courses.

The fee structure in conventional courses in public institutions is low. The revenue

from fees is often adjusted from government grants. As a result, the revenues from

self-financing courses along with distance education courses form the main source

of revenue for most public universities and colleges.

Foreign Education Providers: There is a trend for foreign education.

Sensing a huge unmet demand for professional education, a number of small

operations have sprung up in different parts of the country. The majority of the

foreign education providers offer vocational or technical education. These were

twinning arrangements. There is no major foreign education provider operating in

India through its offshore campus or branch campus. Vast majority of students

enrolled in programmes offered by foreign providers were financed from personal

funding sources. Though, in terms of its size and impact, the foreign education

provision is small in the country, there is necessity to regulate foreign providers

due to serious concerns about its quality.

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Non-university Sector: The post-1980s saw the growth of the non-

university sector to meet the immediate demand of skills from a growing

economy. There was rapid expansion of polytechnics and industrial training

institutes for the training of supervisors in industrial setting and training of

workers in various skills, respectively. The capacity addition in these institutions

was largely through private sector.

3.4. Higher Education System in India

India is fast emerging as one of the biggest knowledge economies of the

world. It has the largest pools of talent with excellent educational background,

qualifying them for numerous higher educational programs in India and abroad.

The Government of India is extending an active support, by relaxing the norms for

granting educational loans to students and pushing the public sector banks to

extend loans. Due to the discretionary actions of the state, the education system

remains suspended between over-regulation by the state on the one hand, and a

discretionary privatization that is unable to mobilize private capital in productive

ways, leading to a sub-optimal structuring of higher education. The academic

inflexibility has boosted the rapid development of private initiatives in higher

education; and perhaps, the providers/stakeholders in many of these private

institutions are the loners who struggled to change the formal system to cater to

the needs of the students.3

3
Singh R. Kaur, I (2008). “A Study on the Effects of Privatization and Globalization on Indian
Education System”, The ICFAI Journal of Higher Education, Vol.3, No.1, February, pp.53-58.
 66

Indian higher education sector has grown by leaps and bounds since

independence. In India, higher education is the shared responsibility of the centre

and state governments. Highly bureaucratized system with multiple controls and

regulations exercised by central and state governments, statutory bodies like

University Grants Commission, All India Council of Technical Education and

others, university administration and local management. System is heavily

subsidized by the government. Upto 90 per cent of the operating costs are paid by

the state. As far as the quality is concerned, the University Grants Commission

has laid down indicators under provision 12(f) and 12 (b). These two together

assess the minimum quality requirements to provide the grants to the universities

and colleges. The college is recognized under 12(f) if it is a registered body with a

temporary affiliation and carrying undergraduate program. The recognition under

12 (b) is granted provided the college has a permanent affiliation with the

university. Thus, 12(f) and 12 (b) are the initial and presumably the minimum

framework of regulation of quality for the colleges. Besides the UGC has set up

National Assessment and Accreditation Council to asses the quality of higher

education institutions, which used fairly expanded criteria of quality for

universities and colleges in the country.

3.4.1. Category-wise Number of Universities

The category-wise universities functioning in India are given in Table 3.1.

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TABLE 3.1

Category-wise Universities in India

No. of Universities

University Type

2011-12

2012-13

2013-14

2014-15

2015-16

2016-17
State Public University 286 292 309 316 329 345

State Private University 105 122 153 181 197 233

Deemed University-Private 79 80 80 97 97 97

Institute of National Importance 59 62 68 75 75 100

Central University 42 42 42 43 43 44

Deemed University-Government 38 36 36 32 32 33

Total 609 634 688 744 773 852

Source: All India Survey on Higher Education, 2016-17

There are 864 universities in India as on 2017. Among them 313

universities are privately managed and 338 universities are located in rural area.

15 universities are exclusively for women with 4 in Rajasthan, 2 in Tamilnadu, 1

each in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Delhi, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha,

Uttarakhand and West Bengal. There are 278 affiliating universities. In addition to

1 central open university, 13 state open universities and 1 state private open

university, there are 112 dual mode universities, which offer education through

distance mode also. Out of 112 dual mode universities, 17 are located in

Tamilnadu. In Jharkhand, neither there is any open university nor any dual mode

university.
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3.4.2. Growth in Student Enrolment

Total student enrolment has been classified in 8 levels namely, Ph.D,

[Link], postgraduate, undergraduate, PG diploma, diploma, certificate and

integrated. The student enrollment in above 8 courses for the period from 2012-13

to 2016-17 is given in Table 3.2.

TABLE 3.2

Student Enrolment in Various Courses

Student Enrolment

Certificate

Integrated
Graduate

Graduate

Year
Diploma

Diploma
[Link]

Grand
Under
Ph.D.

Total
Post

PG

2012-13 95425 30374 3448151 23890309 194072 2207551 191871 94664 30152417

2013-14 107890 31380 3822219 25500325 276502 2285576 187340 125002 32336234

2014-15 117301 33371 3853438 27172346 215372 2507694 170245 141870 34211637

2015-16 126451 42523 3917156 27420450 229559 2549160 144060 155422 34584781

2016-17 141037 43267 4007570 28348197 213051 2612209 166617 173957 35705905

CAGR 8.1 7.3 3.1 3.5 1.9 3.4 -2.8 12.9 3.4

Source: All India Survey on Higher Education, 2016-17

The student enrolment has grown considerably during the last 5 years,

which increased from 3,01,52,417 in 2012-13 to 3,57,05,905 in 2016-17.

Enrolment at all the levels increased over the years. The compound annual growth

rate is 3.4 during the 5 years, but in case of integrated courses, the CAGR is

12.90. The highest number of students is enrolled at undergraduate level. Out of

the total enrolment of 3,57,05,905 students, a vast majority of 2,83,48,197

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students are enrolled in undergraduate that is a sweeping 79.40%. On the other

hand, 11.20 per cent students are enrolled in postgraduation which is

approximately 40 lakh students. There are 173957 students enrolled in integrated

and 141037 students enrolled at Ph.D. level. There is a small share of 7.30 per

cent students enrolled at diploma level that amounts to around 26.10 lakh students.

However, a small share of 1.60 lakh and 2.150 lakh students are enrolled each at

certificate and PG diploma levels respectively.

3.4.3. State-wise Number of Universities

State-wise number of universities functioning in India during the 2016-17

is given in Table 3.3.

TABLE 3.3

State-wise Number of Universities in India

Institute under State
Institute of National

Deemed University-

Deemed University-

Deemed University-
Government Aided
State Private Open
Central University

Legislature Act
Central Open

State
State Private

Government

Grand Total
State Public
Importance

State Open
University

University

University

University

University

Private

Andhra
- - 6 21 1 - - - 1 - 4 33
Pradesh
Arunachal
1 - 1 - - - 5 1 1 - - 9
Pradesh
Assam 2 - 3 11 - 1 4 - - - - 21
Bihar 3 - 3 14 1 1 - - 1 - - 23
Chandigarh - - 1 1 - - - - 1 - - 3
Chhattisgar
1 - 2 12 - 1 8 - - - - 24
h
Delhi 4 1 5 7 - - - - 8 1 1 27
Goa - - 1 1 - - - - - - - 2
Gujarat 1 - 3 27 - 1 28 - - 1 1 62
Haryana 1 - 2 14 - - 17 - 2 - 3 39
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Himachal
1 - 3 4 - - 17 - - - - 25
Pradesh
Jammu and
2 - 2 7 1 - - - - - - 12
Kashmir
Jharkhand 1 - 2 8 - - 5 - 1 - 1 18
Karnataka 1 - 2 25 - 1 11 - 4 - 11 55
Kerala 1 - 5 13 - - - 2 - - 21
Madhya
2 - 8 18 - 1 18 - 1 - - 48
Pradesh
Maharashtr
1 - 5 20 - 1 1 - 7 2 12 49
a
Manipur 2 - 2 1 - - 1 - - - - 6
Meghalaya 1 - 1 - - - 8 - - - 10
Mizoram 1 - 1 - - - 1 - - - - 3
Nagaland 1 - 1 - - - 3 - - - - 5
Odisha 1 - 4 14 - - 3 - - - 2 24
Puducherry 1 - 2 - - - - - - 1 4
Punjab 1 - 4 9 - - 12 - 1 - 1 28
Rajasthan 1 - 4 22 - 1 42 - - - 8 78
Sikkim 1 - 1 - - - 5 - - - - 7
Tamil
2 - 7 20 - 1 - - - 2 26 58
Nadu
Telangana 3 - 2 15 1 1 - - - - 2 24
Tripura 1 - 2 1 - - 1 - - - - 5
Uttar
4 - 6 27 1 1 24 - 2 3 4 72
Pradesh
Uttarakhan
1 - 3 9 - 1 11 - 1 1 1 28
d
West
1 - 6 24 - 1 8 - - - 1 41
Bengal
All India 44 1 100 345 5 13 233 1 33 10 79 864
Source: All India Survey on Higher Education, 2016-17

It is inferred from the above table that in several states such as Gujarat,

Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal,

a large number of universities have come up. However, in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar,

Delhi, Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir, Telangana and Himachal Pradesh very

few universities have been started. In Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and

Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu and Lakshadweep, there are no universities.
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3.4.4. Ownership Pattern-wise Number of Colleges in India

Ownership pattern-wise number of colleges functioning in various states

of India based on their actual response to All India Survey on Higher Education,

2016-17 is given in Table 3.4.

TABLE 3.4

Ownership Pattern-wise Number of Colleges in Various States

Ownership Pattern

Government
[Link]. State/UTs Total
Un-Aided
Private

Private
1 Andaman & Nicobar Islands - Aided
- 7 7
2 Andhra Pradesh 2084 171 305 2560
3 Arunachal Pradesh 5 1 14 20
4 Assam 53 14 424 491
5 Bihar 87 95 484 666
6 Chandigarh 2 7 16 25
7 Chhattisgarh 315 67 337 719
8 Dadra & Nagar Haveli 4 - 3 7
9 Daman & Diu 3 1 4 8
10 Delhi 62 16 96 174
11 Goa 12 20 23 55
12 Gujarat 1310 491 292 2093
13 Haryana 666 115 186 967
14 Himachal Pradesh 136 24 166 326
15 Jammu and Kashmir 132 22 142 296
16 Jharkhand 123 25 152 300
17 Karnataka 2335 440 654 3429
18 Kerala 833 200 229 1262
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19 Lakshadweep - - - -
20 Madhya Pradesh 1177 211 611 1999
21 Maharashtra 2268 982 816 4066
22 Manipur 181 13 44 75
23 Meghalaya 13 15 22 50
24 Mizoram 2 - 28 30
25 Nagaland 8 35 21 64
26 Odisha 293 413 350 1056
27 Puducherry 46 2 27 75
28 Punjab 621 180 199 1000
29 Rajasthan 1946 180 517 2643
30 Sikkim 5 1 11 17
31 Tamil Nadu 1789 249 322 2360
32 Telangana 1673 118 220 2011
33 Tripura 6 2 43 51
34 Uttar Pradesh 4951 634 808 6393
35 Uttarakhand 158 62 131 351
36 West Bengal 511 222 473 1206
All India 23647 5028 8177 36852
Source: All India Survey on Higher Education, 2016-17

In All India Survey on Higher Education, 2016-17, 795 universities, 34193

colleges and 7496 standalone institutions have uploaded the form on the portal.

Out of 40026 colleges, 34193 colleges have uploaded the form on the portal.

Majority of the colleges (77.80 per cent), are privately managed, 64.20 per cent

are private unaided and 13.60 per cent are private aided. There are wide variations

among states in number of private colleges.

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3.5. Profile of the Select Colleges

The profiles of the select colleges are narrated below:

3.5.1. K.S.R. College of Technology

The foundation of the K.S.R. College of Technology was laid in the year

1994 in Tiruchengode. A vital part of the enormous K.S.R. Group of

Institutions, it is carving a distinct place for itself under the tutelage of

Lion Dr. K. S. Rangasamy. It is the ninth largest intake of students among the

self-financing engineering colleges in Tamilnadu. It has well developed facilities

for a holistic learning experience. Be it accommodation, sports facilities, library

and other technological amenities, the academy has the best of them all. K.S.R.

College of Technology impressive infrastructure backed by the most

contemporary lab equipped with highly sophisticated equipment is testimony to its

uniqueness. The institution offers 10 graduate courses, 14 postgraduate courses

and research programmes in engineering and technology.

Facilities

Library: The main library has a collection of above 56760 books and 225

international/national journals. The library has a good collection of audio and

video cassettes on management and engineering subjects. The air-conditioned

library with reading room, reference room, discussion room, and a digital library

is situated in a 3 storied building.

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Hostel: There are three hostels, each one for undergraduates, post

graduates and girl students. Nearly 2000 students are housing in the hostels.

Students are encouraged to workout their own menus. Monthly mess bill is

calculated on dividing basis.

Conference Halls: Fully air-conditioned conference rooms, mini air-

conditioned auditoriums and five air conditioned seminar halls are available. Each

department is provided with a seminar hall for conducting recruitment

programmes, interviews, personality development seminars, association meetings,

etc.

Transport: 100 buses are available for the transport of day-scholar

students and staff members. A full fledged automobile service station is available

inside the campus.

Internet: K.S.R. College of Technology has merged with the information

super highway by providing internet facilities round the clock. Students and

faculties enjoy unlimited internet access.

3.5.2. Muthayammal Engineering College

Muthayammal Engineering College is located at Rasipuram.

Muthayammal Educational Trust and Research Foundation has run the institutions

effectively since 2000. Muthayammal Engineering College has been granted

autonomous status by University Grants Commission, with effect from the

academic year 2016-17. The National Assessment and Accreditation Council

accredited four programmes of Muthayammal Engineering College for a period of

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5 years. It has received 2 (f) and 12 (b) recognitions from the UGC. The

Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India in association with, the

Education Post, New Delhi has awarded Education Excellence Award. The

college offers 6 undergraduate courses, 8 postgraduate courses and Ph.D.

program.

Facilities

• Ten academic blocks with spacious classrooms.

• Exclusive laboratories with 1200 systems of latest configuration supported by

64 Mbps internet connectivity.

• Full-fledged computer aided language laboratory with 120 systems.

• Central library with 44891 volumes of books on 12662 titles.

• 174 national and international journals and 62 national and international

magazines.

• Membership in DELNET, British Council Library, American Library and

Information Centre National Digital Library and INDEST.

• Three air-conditioned seminar halls with a seating capacity of 600.

• Hostels for boys and girls with all in-house facilities.

• Purified mineral water facility in college and hostels.

• Ample opportunity to nurture sporting talent.

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• Gym facilities for boys and girls.

• Auditorium.

• Qualified faculty members.

3.5.3. Annai Mathammal Sheela Engineering College

Annai Mathammal Sheela Engineering College was founded in the year

1996 by Smt. Mathammal Sheela and Sri. [Link] Devasagayam. The

college, extending over a hundred acres of land, is located at Erumapatty. Their

commitment to the academic excellence and global quality is today a benchmark

for the field of engineering, technology, management studies and computer

applications. It is a community of students, staff and faculty striving to be vibrant

with learning creative with their energy. The core values of the Annai Mathammal

Sheela Engineering College include the belief in the individual as the primary

vehicle for initiative. The college offers quality education through 12 departments.

Facilities

Library: The central library provides digital library with high speed

internet facilities including multimedia setup and document printing machine. The

library consists of 13465 volumes and 4273 titles, 725 CDs and 300 back

volumes, 87 national, 16 international and 29 magazines for the beneficial of both

staff and students.

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Internet Facility: The college is equipped with 10 Mbps internet

connection from Airtel service provider. The internet connection is distributed

across the college and hostel through LAN and Wi-Fi networks.

Extra Curricular Activities: The college has NSS, YRC and RRC which

provide social contribution to the nation. Some of the important programmes are

blood donation awareness programme, blood donation camps, special camps, road

safety programme, free medical camp, yoga and meditation awareness programme

and tree plantation programme. Camps and awareness programmes are organized

at rural villages to promote social upliftment, literacy, self awareness, health

education programmes, women's education, youth welfare, family planning, etc.

Games and Sports: In order to strengthen the students physically, the

sports activities of the college are enabled through well trained physical directors

with the aid of modern sports equipment and full fledged spacious courts for

indoor and outdoor games.

Class Room and Seminar Hall: All classrooms are airy, spacious and

equipped with LCD projectors so as to facilitate audio-visual and power point

teaching and also specially furnished for comfortable seating. There are 3 seminar

halls provided with LCD projectors, audio and video facilities, etc. to seat more

than 300 students each at a time.

Hostel and Mess: Separate hostels are available for both boys and girls

accommodating around 3000 students. The hostel rooms are well ventilated and
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spacious. The hostels provide hygienic food facilities in the modern kitchens and

dining halls for the hostel students.

Canteen: To feed the students and staff with delicious food, the canteen

functions regularly and provides a range of food and eatables at a nominal rate.

Transport: There are 20 buses plying from the college campus to various

places for easy mobility of the students and staff members

Medical Facilities: A medical centre with dedicated team of health care

professionals to cater to the health issues of the wards is operating inside the

hostel. 24 hours van with driver facility is available in the campus to take the

hostel students to consult specialists at Namakkal.

ATM: City Union Bank has been operating with 24-hour ATM facility

inside the college campus. Money transactions such as transfer, withdrawal and

saving are carried out here. Hostel students are able to use the ATM at any time.

RO Water: Well maintained 24 hours RO water plants with a capacity of

500 litres of 4 plants are operated at each block of the college and 1000 litres of 2

plants, one in boys hostel and another in girls hostel.

Group Insurance Scheme: Students are protected with an elaborate

insurance cover upto Rs.1 lakh. It protects them from possible accidents and

disasters.
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Auditorium: There is an auditorium, which is fully furnished with a

seating capacity of 1500 members at a time. The auditorium is equipped with

LCD projectors, surround sound systems, etc.

3.5.4. Paavai Engineering College

Paavai's history started in 1998, when Paavai Educational Institutions was

created and down its timeline has become an eminent educational institution in

South India. Paavai Institutions induct over 4500 students per year in engineering,

technical education, educational training, arts, science, and management studies

with a mission towards quality education and discipline. The college has 12000

plus students, 800 plus faculty and 1200 plus staff.

Facilities

Library: The library has got an extensive collection of 25021 books, 109

national journals, 62 international journals and magazines, and 520 online journal

subscriptions in Springer link and non-book material CD and DVD.

English Communication Skills Laboratory: The state-of-the-art

language laboratory has been established, facilitating the students to gain mastery

in the use of English. The lab intends to develop the confidence level of students

and motivate them to use their language skills outside the classroom as well. The

language lab room would be used for about 6 hours per week.

Medical Centre: A medical centre with all facilities is maintained for the

benefit of students and staff. Specialists are visiting the centre in the evenings.
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Other Facilities: The college has a playground on par with international

standards, well-equipped conference halls, 24 hours internet facilities having 350

computer systems, air-conditioned auditorium with a seating capacity of 2000

members, and four functional halls.

Hostel: It has four hostels, namely Bliss House, Sri Annai Illam, Sri

Aurobindo Illam, and Sri Ramanar Illam.

3.5.5. PGP College of Engineering and Technology

The PGP College of Engineering and Technology was founded by

[Link] [Link]. The founder’s vision is to make this institution a center of

academic excellence in the areas of science and engineering and to transmit moral

values, with a focus on the development of rural people. The college offers

courses such as Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering and Science, Electrical

and Electronic Engineering, Electronics and Communication Engineering,

Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Science

and Humanities, Maser of Business Administration, and Master of Computer

Applications.

Facilities

One lake in the midst of a 2 hectare garden, vast greenery and sports

ground are some of the special features of PGP College of Engineering and

Technology. The campus offers live-in facilities of world class standards with

shopping banking, 24 hour medical, communication and recreation.

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Library and Information Centre: The library has been set up with

centralized air condition and has state-of the-art standards. It has 50000 books,

500 e-journals, 200 national, international journals and magazines. A well-

equipped video lecture hall has been established with lectures delivered by

professors of national important institutions to improve the knowledge and skills

of students and to provide them with a good exposure to study and research

materials.

Laboratories: All labs are air-conditioned and have access to the modern

equipment. The campus has independent internet labs for different courses.

Sports and Games: Special emphasis is placed on sports and games. Well

laid out sports fields for cricket, foot ball, volley ball, basket ball, kabaddi, khokho

and gymnastics help students unwind.

PGP Scholarships and Awards: The PGP Educational Institutions has

instituted a number of endowments and scholarships. PGP offers merit

scholarships to deserving students. Besides the community scholarships, a student

who secures a minimum of 85 per cent marks and stands first or second in his/her

branch is awarded this scholarship.

Hygienic Canteen: A well catered canteen to meet the needs of all

students is maintained in a neat and hygienic manner.

Training and Placement: The subsidiaries of the college such as sugar

factories, hospitality industry, tour and travel, offer immense training and

employment opportunities to the students. Further, close tie-ups with other

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organizations provide an added advantage to the students. The training and

placement cell is committed to optimal student placement.

3.5.6. Gnanamani College of Technology

Gnanamani College of Technology was established in the year 2006. It is a

leading institution with state-of-the-art facilities. The college is providing

dedicated service to the students of rural and urban areas. It has grown in a short

span of 12 years with 5 undergraduate, 9 postgraduate courses and Ph.D. program

with 2500 students and 160 staff members.

Facilities

• Aesthetically constructed buildings.

• Wi-Fi enabled Hi-tech smart classrooms with interactive electronic boards.

• RO drinking water facility.

• Smart class room with LCD projectors

• Sewage treatment plant.

• High speed internet facility in the campus including the hostels.

• Full time mother care medical facilities.

• An excellent and hygienic canteen.

• Well furnished hostel for both boys and girls.

• 50 buses to provide transport facility to students and staff.

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• A library with 30000 volumes of text and reference books and 137 national

and international journals.

3.5.7. King College of Technology

The trust “Sheela Christian Charitable Trust” was started in the year 2003.

The main object of this trust is running educational institutions in the name of

King Educational Institutions. The primary objective of King Educational

Institutions is to provide quality education and enable the students to excel in the

field of their choice. The college has well-furnished air-conditioned classrooms,

state-of-the-art laboratories, computer centers and a well-stocked library. King

Educational Institutions have made the presence keenly felt in the field of

education at all levels from postgraduation to research level. The trust started the

King Educational Institutions in the year 2006-07 with 500 students. Now there

are 3000 students. The institution is situated in 22.45 acres. The institution is

offering 7 undergraduate courses and 8 postgraduate courses.

Facilities

Laboratories, wall magazine and bulletin, alumni association, placement

and information bureau, library, sports facilities, well furnished class rooms with

modern teaching aids, labs as per curriculum needs, seminar halls, hostel facilities,

air-conditioned library, transport facility, canteen facility, on campus medical

service and cultural activities are the facilities offered to the students at King

College of Technology.
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3.5.8. Sengunthar Arts and Science College

Sengunthar Arts and Science College was founded in 1991 by Sengunthar

Education Trust. It was formerly affiliated to the University of Madras and now to

Periyar University. The college spreads over 22.50 acres of land. The college

offers 13 undergraduate courses, 8 postgraduate courses and 5 research

programmes. All the PG Departments are housed in a separate block with modern

laboratory facilities. Department wise air-conditioned conference halls are

established to cater the academic needs of aspirants. The Sengunthar Arts and

Science College has a separate, spacious library with a good collection of books

and magazines and journals of national and international repute. A placement and

training block is functioning well under a placement director. With its fine

infrastructure and ability to maintain high academic standards, the college has the

unique honour of being acclaimed as one of the outstanding colleges under Periyar

University. The college has been striving to provide quality education to the rural

folk, thereby unveiling the new horizons of knowledge to them and brightening up

their lives.

3.5.9. Selvamm Arts and Science College

Selvamm Arts and Science College was established in 2000 under the

auspices of [Link] Educational and Charitable Trust. The college is fully

self-supporting and it has been founded to serve the youth of the agricultural,

underprivileged and downtrodden families in the neighbourhood. The college has

a student strength of about 2500. A team of 130 qualified competent and dedicated

faculty members is committed to duty, discipline and service. The college offers
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18 undergraduate courses, 10 postgraduate courses, 7 [Link] programmes, 4

certificate courses and 35 skill based courses with the aim of making the students

employable.

Facilities

• Three blocks with 72 well-furnished lecture halls.

• Ten department staff rooms with computer facilities.

• Seven well-equipped laboratories.

• Three well-equipped computer laboratories.

• One central library with 18909 books, 45 journals and 55 magazines.

• Department library.

• An auditorium with a green room.

• Selvamm cafeteria.

• Day scholar center.

• Internet facility.

• Telephone and intercom facility.

• Separate hostels for men and women.

• 83 buses covering nearly 50 routes.

• Full infrastructure for all sports and games.

• Placement cell.
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3.5.10. Thiruvalluvar Government Arts College

Thiruvalluvar Government Arts College, Rasipuram, has been functioning

in a sprawling campus of 40.05 acres of land since 11th July 1968. The college

was started with five pre-university courses. Within a year it was upgraded with

degree classes so as to provide education to the students of the nearby villages

who were economically backward. Local philanthropists were generous enough to

donate liberally to the establishment of the college. The college is looking for

ways and means to develop further in all possible dimensions. The enhancement

of quality is consistently attained by providing better facilities to the student

community, in traducing new avenues and programmes for their better growth.

The college offers both undergraduate, postgraduate and research education in 12

departments.

Facilities

• Computer literacy programme to enrich all undergraduate non-computer

science students.

• A central library with a huge collection of books, periodicals, and newspapers.

• Career guidance and placement cell for identifying the job vacancies/

opportunities in various government/private sectors.

3.5.11. Arignar Anna Government Arts College

The college was started in the year 1968-69. It was affiliated to the

University of Madras in the academic year 1968-69. At the beginning, four

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courses were started. The college is now offering 13 undergraduate degree, 8

postgraduate degree, 6 [Link] degree and 6 Ph.D. degree courses.

Facilities

Library: There are central and digital libraries. The central library was

established in the year 1968-69. It has nearly 40000 volumes of text and reference

books. The library subscribes to 60 journals and magazines and 9 leading news

papers. The library has various sections such as circulation section, reference

section, text book section, periodicals sections, book bank sections, books for

competitive examinations, reprographic section, etc.

Placement Cell: The placement cell was established in 2009 with the aim

to provide employment opportunity for all the outgoing students with degree.

Sports: Sports is all forms of usually competitive physical activity which,

through casual or organized participation, aim to use, improve physical ability and

skills. Hundreds of sports exist, from those requiring only two participants,

through to those with hundreds of simultaneous participants, either in teams or

competing as individuals.

Hostel: Hostel facilities are provided by the Welfare Department of

Tamilnadu. One BC and SC boys’ hostels are functioning in the college premises.

One girls’ hostel is also run by the Welfare Department.

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3.6. Challenges in Higher Education

The system of Indian higher education is the second largest in the world

which fulfills the educational requirements of millions of students who come from

different sections of the society. However, there are basic problems faced by the

higher education system in India. These include lower level of teaching quality,

financing of higher education, more concentrated on theories rather than practical

knowledge, traditional methods of teaching, privatization, inadequate facilities

and infrastructure quota system. Many of the issues like lack of faculty, poor

quality teaching, traditional teaching methods, outdated curricula and pedagogy,

lack of accountability and quality assurance and separation of research and

teaching are raise questions about the Indian education system. Despite these

numbers, international education rating agencies have not placed many of these

institutions within the best of the world ranking. Also, India has failed to produce

world class universities. Professors still stick to those older methods of teaching

like board and marker. They don't like to make use of audio visual aids in

teaching. Also they are not upto date with the information available and what

global industry demands.

In India, both public and private institutions operate simultaneously.

Approximately 50 per cent of the higher education in India is imparted through

private institutions, mainly unaided involving high cost. Private providers, in the

interest of maximizing profit, have every incentive to minimize costs by

compromising on the quality of education provided in their institutions. Quality of

teaching staff is one of the considerable issues for higher education sector to
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sustain in the future. The gross enrolment ratio of India in higher education is only

15 per cent which is quite low as compared to the developed as well as, other

developing countries. Ensuring quality in higher education is amongst the

foremost challenges faced in India today. Still large number of colleges and

universities in India are unable to meet the minimum requirements laid down by

the UGC. Poor infrastructure is another challenge to the higher education system

of India particularly the institutes run by the public sector suffer from poor

physical facilities and infrastructure. Most of the educational institutions are

owned by the political leaders, who are playing a key role in the governing bodies

of the universities. Faculty shortage and the inability of the state educational

system to attract and retain well qualified teachers have been posing challenges to

quality education for many years. Further, not even 25 per cent of the total higher

education institutions in the country were accredited. Among the accredited, only

30 per cent of the universities and 45 per cent of the colleges were found to be of

quality to be ranked at 'A' level. There is inadequate focus on research in higher

education institutes. Most of the research scholars are without fellowships or not

getting their fellowship on time which affects their research. Moreover, Indian

higher education institutions are poorly connected to research centers.

Management of the Indian education faces challenges of over centralization,

bureaucratic structures and lack of accountability, transparency, and

professionalism. As a result of increase in number of affiliated colleges and

students, the administrative functions of universities have significantly increased

and the core focus on academics and research is diluted.

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3.7. Summary

In this chapter, the present scenario of the Indian higher education system

and the profile of the select colleges are reviewed. Higher education in India plays

many roles. Indian higher education system is growing very fast irrespective of

various challenges, but there is no reason that these challenges cannot be

overcome. With the help of new-age learning tools, it is easy for country like India

to overcome these problems and bring a paradigm shift in the country’s higher

education sector. If knowledge is imparted using advanced digital teaching and

learning tools, and society is made aware of where we are currently lagging

behind, India can easily emerge as one of the most developed nations in the world.