Private higher education in India – changing scenario

Education is one of the dominant sectors of the Indian economy in terms of enrolment of children, employment of adults and investment of financial resources. While school education has a broad base, higher education suffers from a narrow base covering only about 7% of the relevant age group population. With the expansion of school education, the pressure on the higher education system to expand is expected to continue in India. In this context, two criteria of efficiency and mobilisation of resources are put forward in justification of privatisation of higher education. When higher education is left to the market forces, it results in 'elitisation' of a basic need; it puts higher education firmly out of reach of the millions of under-privileged of India who dream of going to the university one day.private education; higher education; Indian economy; third world; education financing; India; universities; elitism.