Discuss this table in the classroom and answer the following questions:
Number of Institutions of Higher Education, Enrolment and Faculty
Year | Number of Colleges | Number of Universities | Students | Teachers | |
1950-51 1990-91 1998-99 2010-11 2012-13 2014-15 | 750 7,346 11,089 33,023 37,204 40,760 | 30 177 238 523 628 711 | 2,63,000 49,25,000 74,17,000 186,70,050 223,02,938 265,85,437 | 24,000 2,72,000 3,42,000 8,16,966 9,25,396 12,61,350 | |
Source: UGC Annual Report 1996-97 and 1998-99 and Selected Educational Statistics, Ministry of HRD.
1. Is the increase in number of colleges adequate to admit the increasing number of students?
2. Do you think we should have more number of universities?
3. What is the increase noticed among the teachers in the year 1998-99?
4. What is your idea about future colleges and universities?
1. No, the increase in number of colleges is not adequate to admit the increasing number of students, because the percentage in which the number of students have increased is far greater than the comparative increase in the number of colleges. Also, as the number of colleges is small, maintaining a healthy student-teacher ratio is a challenge.
2. Yes, we should have more number of universities to raise the level of higher education in India. The students who have attained education on the primary and secondary levels require to be trained in the vocational courses, which makes it essential to have an ample number of universities to accommodate the rising number of students.
3. The increase is noticed among the teachers in the year 1998-1999 is 3, 18,000(3, 42,000-24,000). This increase is important to note as the number of students rose to a great extent by 1998-99 and thus to manage a healthy student-teacher ratio is important beyond discussion.
4. The number of colleges and universities are required to increase both in quantity as well as quality standards. This means that while the new colleges must have new and advanced courses, the older institutes must also be updated in order to cater to the increasing number of students. The future colleges and universities must make it a point to recruit able and willing teaching as well as support staff to ensure that the quality of education keeps on enhancing.