Learning to grow: India needs greater investment in higher education

Overall public expenditure on education (Centre plus states) is also woefully short of the National Education Policy target of 6 per cent of GDP

The NITI Aayog’s policy report entitled “Expanding Quality Higher Education through States and State Public Universities” tackles head-on the key problem that has contributed to the dismal state of academic standards in such institutions. Its broad recommendations are for a greater degree of fee autonomy, a draft research policy, a dedicated infrastructure-finance agency, tax exemptions, and encouraging corporate social responsibility for state public universities (SPUs). NITI Aayog Vice-Chairperson Suman Bery pointed out that in advanced countries public universities set the standard for excellence. This is certainly true of public higher-education institutions in the US, Germany, and China. In India, outside