'Less than 30 per cent pursue higher education in India'

Only 3.5 crore of the 14 crore students eligible to pursue higher education in India make it to that level, founder-chancellor of VIT University, Vellore, G Vishwanathan said here today.
Addressing students of Sri Krishna group of institutions on the 14th graduation day here, he said less than 30 per cent students opt to go for higher education. It was not easy to secure an engineering or medical degree, he said.
As far as quality and standard of education across the world was concerned, India ranked below 100th among 150 countries, he said quoting a 2010 UNESCO survey.
Considering the standard as well as the poor intake, the Medical Council of India had downsized the number of seats by 4,000, he said, adding that over one lakh seats had fallen vacant in engineering seats just a year ago.

Moreover, the Gross Enrolment Ratio in India was as low as 20 to 21 per cent compared to 70 per cent in developed nations, he said and urged the youth to not only concentrate on themselves and their families, but take efforts to bring in changes in society, plagued by corruption, tax evasion and black money.
About 2,138 graduates from three colleges, part of Sri Krishna Institutions, received degree certificates and 79 rank holders were honored by Vishwanathan.