Context:
India’s higher education landscape is undergoing structural reforms under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, emphasizing multidisciplinarity, research, regulatory restructuring, and global competitiveness.
Key Highlights:
- Research & Innovation Push
- Establishment of Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF).
- Launch of ₹1-lakh-crore Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme.
- Encourages industry-academia collaboration and private sector participation.
- Regulatory Reforms
- Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025 proposes:
- A single-apex regulatory structure.
- Independent councils for:
- Regulation
- Standards-setting
- Accreditation
- Addresses fragmentation in current oversight.
- Academic & Institutional Developments
- 54 Indian universities in QS World University Rankings 2026 (up from 11 in 2015).
- Introduction of:
- Four-year undergraduate programmes.
- Bachelor’s with Honours in Research.
- Focus on:
- Well-being and life skills.
- Hands-on science education.
- Campus makerspaces.
- Four Centres of Excellence in AI:
- Education
- Health
- Agriculture
- Sustainable cities.
- Systemic Goals
- Target: 50% Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) by 2035.
- Increased globalization of Indian higher education.
- Leveraging AI for localized learning applications.
Relevant Prelims Points:
- National Education Policy (NEP) 2020:
- Emphasizes multidisciplinary education.
- Multiple exit options in UG programmes.
- GER (Gross Enrolment Ratio):
- Percentage of eligible population enrolled in higher education.
- ANRF:
- Promotes research culture across disciplines.
- Accreditation:
- Quality assurance mechanism for HEIs.
- QS Rankings:
- Global university performance index.
Relevant Mains Points:
GS 2 – Governance & Social Justice
- Education as an instrument of:
- Social mobility
- Demographic dividend utilization.
- Need for trust between:
- State and institutions.
- Regulators and universities.
- Balancing autonomy with accountability.
GS 3 – Science & Technology
- Strengthening R&D ecosystem.
- Industry-academia linkage for innovation.
- AI integration in education for scalability.
- Challenges:
- Funding constraints.
- Faculty shortages.
- Regional disparities.
- Regulatory over-centralization risks.
- Way Forward
- Ensure predictable and sustained public funding.
- Encourage global partnerships and faculty mobility.
- Strengthen digital infrastructure.
- Maintain regulatory independence with transparency.
- Prioritize inclusivity to meet GER targets.
UPSC Relevance:
Education reforms, Institutional autonomy, R&D ecosystem, AI in governance, Demographic dividend.