'India lacks leaders in higher education'

Economist and chairman of the West Bengal State Council for Higher Education Sugata Marjit said Thursday that the state was unable to find leaders in higher education.

Commenting on the dearth of people capable of providing leadership in higher education in the nation as a whole and in the state in particular, Marjit said: "They don't want to come to administration. Those who could have led in higher education are aghast and frustrated at the way things were functioning in the last 30 years (in West Bengal)."

"It is difficult to convince them that this will not happen now. They have had a bad experiece with the previous administrative head," Marjit said while participating in an interactive session on "Educating the Future Mind" at the Bengal Chamber here.

To encourage young educators in West Bengal, the state council for higher education is planning to introduce a series of awards and honours for budding teachers.

"We are planning to introduce a series of awards and recognitions for young educators so that it can help their research work," said Marjit.

For starters, in the field of mathematical sciences, an award will be instituted in the name of eminent educator Ashutosh Mukherjee.

On the need to encourage more students to take to higher education, Marjit said: "Gross Enrolment Ratio is low at 13 percent. Nationally, it is 18 percent. We have to increase enrollment in higher education."

"The new universities and colleges, private institutes are all directed towards increasing that ratio so that our people don't go out of the state. The central government wants it to go up to 30 percent by 2025," she said.