Indian Universities are in bad shape. Here is proof. A list of the top 100 Universities less than 50 years old does not include a single one of them. The Times Higher Education 100 under 50 global ranking attempted an assessment of the performance of relatively young Universities of the world. A comparison was also made with older Universities. Eight countries in Asia made the list but not India. It exposes the severe shortage of human resources inputs in the country. India has a huge youth population, around 50 million between the ages of 10 and 24. It has however few Universities and even fewer quality institutes of learning. Universities in India year after year turn out degree holders down the assembly line. But research is put in cold storage. The vicious circle of poor infrastructure resulting in talented teachers staying away from them is frequently mentioned but no action is taken. Politics is intertwined with appointment at Indian Universities. The bureaucracy in charge has its eyes only on the main chance. The policy of reservation for backward communities has set in force a kind of Gresham’s law with bad students driving out the good.
No doubt this results in a disastrous impact on the economy and society. The corporate sector complains of the dearth of employable and skilled candidates. Most of the unemployed take to anti-social, criminal activities. The emphasis should be on autonomy embracing both funds and teaching quality. Competition alone can hone training and educational skills. It is difficult to understand why the controversial foreign Universities bill has been put on ice.
