Where do universities fall short?

Why do Indian institutes fail to meet global standards of education despite several measures taken by the Government of India? Here are some views.

May 26, 2018 03:24 pm | Updated 03:24 pm IST

Deepali Sarda, I, B.Com (P), School of Open Learning, Delhi University

The comparison of Indian institutes with international institutes has been going on forever, and there has been only one conclusion — Indian institutions lag behind. Creativity must be fostered. But, in fact, it is neglected. Grades and certificates should be considered, but must not override skills. Nothing is all right, but we have still managed to make peace with what we possess as institutes. Effective reforms are needed in order to bring about a change.

Vaibavi J, III, Chemical Engineering, Rajalakshmi Engineering College, Chennai

The reason for Indian universities to lag behind internationally is that the education system is flawed. It imparts only what is described in textbooks, and fails to teach any conceptual knowledge. The functioning of any university should be reframed in such a way that it builds life-ready people, and be more than a machine that churns out people who are tailored for only certain kinds of work. The goal of meeting the global standards requires a reform of the framework of education which now is guided by corrupt government organisations.

M.Shantanu, III, Biotechnology Engineering, Rajalakshmi Engineering College, Chennai

The Indian education system is ineffective with the changing times. It differs from education overseas in that it doesn’t focus much on ‘actual’ learning, but merely on marks and results. It only focuses on theoretical knowledge, not teaching necessary life skills to survive in a competitive world. Like many sectors of the country, unfortunately, education has also become a business, which has tainted its purpose.

Tripti Rustagi, III, Symbiosis Centre for Management Studies, Noida

The government in power had promised to bring Indian institutes to match the quality of foreign universities, and this has led to desperate attempts on their part. Students suffer under privatisation and delegation of autonomy to private players. We need student and faculty exchange programmes where we can learn from foreign professors and also study outside India. Also, Indian universities would gain by more focus on research and introducing a learning-oriented, rather than a rigid teaching environment. Adequate student-faculty ratio must be maintained with qualified faculty.

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