According to India’s Human Resource Development Ministry, the Indian student population in institutions of higher education has skyrocketed as the growth of eight hundred thousand (800,000) was witnessed in the 2018-2019 period.
This information was availed on September 21, whereby the gross enrollment ratio or GER of the Indian student population was depicted to be over twenty-six point three (26.3) as compared to the previous twenty-five point eight (25.8) recorded in the 2017-18 period.
Notably, GER represents the percentage of students found in higher learning institutions of the entire population of persons aged between eighteen and twenty-three (18-23).
Statistics of the Indian student population
The data availed by the ministry illustrated that the Indian student population in higher education comprised of over forty-eight percent (48.6%) female students. This, therefore, showed a positive trajectory as more female learners were being enrolled in institutions of higher learning.
On the other hand, statistics showed that the number of universities in India had increased from nine hundred and three (903) recorded in the 2017-18 period to nine hundred and ninety-three (993) in the 2018-19 period.
Additionally, the total number of higher learning institutions had increased from over forty-nine thousand (49,964) to over fifty-one thousand (51,649) in the same period.
The ministry also revealed that it had developed software intended at tracking plagiarism in any academic research. This project had already been enrolled in nearly one thousand (1,000) colleges, and universities and more would follow later.
The ministry asserted that this initiative would come in handy in propelling education standards among the Indian student population.
The essence of Human Resource Development is education, which plays a significant and remedial role in balancing the socio-economic fabric of the Country. Since the Indian student population is its most valuable resource, India needs to nurture and care for them in the form of basic support to achieve a better quality of life.
Consolidation of authority
The Higher Education Commission of India Bill will replace the UGC (University Grants Commission) and AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education) with a single regulator prepared after consultation with states.
India has been making incredible strides in the education field. For instance, Steve Smith, Chair, Universities UK International (UUKi), has expressed joy with the New Education Policy (NEP) draft proposed by India. The Indian education policy draft has excited the UK academic fraternity as it is a policy that will have positive changes.
Moreover, ASEAN students will be entitled to scholarships being offered at IITs (Indian Institutes of Technology). Expressly, Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) will receive 1000 students for Ph.D. scholarships; courtesy of the Indian government.
