The higher education challenge before Prakash Javadekar

The new Union HRD minister Prakash Javadekar cannot be unaware of his empire - or the challenges facing him. India's Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education is 23.6 per cent, one of the lowest in the world.

If India is to meet its target - 30 per cent GER by 2020 - about 40 million students need to be enrolled in the higher education system in 2020.On the face of it, the current number of universities in India just does not have the capacity to cope with the demand. There is also a gender imbalance in higher education that has to be corrected.

Added to that are issues of quality, uniformity and standardisation.The central government has limited powers over institutions that are run by private bodies, state governments or are minority institutions.

But while their autonomy must be respected, Javadekar will have to see that they comply with educational standards. On top of all this, there is the contentious issue of the Foreign Education Providers Bill, 2013, that Javadekar's own party opposed vehemently before 2014.

It will fall to the new HRD minister to create a consensus on this legislation. He is likely to have his hands full.