AN EMPIRICAL STUDY ON THE CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS OFPRIVATE UNIVERSITIES IN HIGHER EDUCATION

A

SYNOPSIS

Submitted by Ms.Ruchi Agarwal(Enroll.No.1494)

Under the guidance of Dr. Ashutosh PriyaProfessor, Management Studies, Utkarsh College of Management Education,Bareilly.

Submitted to Uttar Pradesh Technical University Lucknow

1. INTRODUCTION The role of higher education has been put as the engine of development in the new world economy (Castells 1994).Higher Education is a very important sector for the growth and development of human resource which can take responsibility for social, economic and scientific development of the country. The University Education Commission (1948-49),under the Chairmanship of Dr. S. Radhakrishnan ,gave foundations of the future of Indian Higher Education.According to the report of the Education Commission (1964-66) under the Chairmanship of Dr. D.S. Kothari higher education plays a varied and complex role in development. Without adequate higher education and research institutions providing a critical mass of skilled and educated people , no country can ensure genuine endogenous and sustainable development.In 21st century we have seen countries like China, Korea and Singapore transform from developing to advanced economies in a decade due to strategic planning and a larger vision that correlated economic development to transformation in the economic sector ,in particular higher education and research, to become globally competitive.The impact of globalization and Indias policy of liberalisation in its wake is visible everywhere, including education. The education sector is enjoying autonomy of sorts .The private players are encashing the students hunger for higher education and establishing private colleges in every Indian state. The crucial question to be asked in this regard is: Should we allow private universities in such large numbers? The answer in a sense is yes because the present state-run universities are incapable of providing enough seats for the willing and serious students, who intend to pursue higher studies. Such void can be filled by private universities.It is the right time to develop and implement a progressive framework that provides for opportunities to deserving private institutions and educational promoters, with relevant and sufficient experience and exposure in the field of higher education, so as to contribute towards the expansion of higher education and research.

The government of India brought the private universities establishment and regulation bill way back in 1995 to encourage the setting up of private universities. Since then, issue has been discussed at various forums. The ministry of HRD also set up a core group of six members drawn from private sector, reputed institutions and expert to obtain their views and recommendations on private sector participation in higher education .The group observed that there was an urgent need to enable private sector to be operative in the field of education in a big way. The unprecedented growth in higher education in past two decades has to a large extent being due to the participation of the private sector .This is particularly true in some of the large states of India and also in much of the professional disciplines .Their presence in the higher education sector is manifesting in many different forms of colleges and universities. Their investment in higher education has considerably supplemented the public investments and helped to enhance the enrollment capacity in selected disciplines as well as employment potential.The private sector is playing a key role in aiding the GER increase from 10% in 2000 to 20 % in 2012,this role can be expected to increase further considering the 30% GER target set by the government till 2020. Nevertheless, it is seen that the preferred options of higher ranking students seeking higher education opportunities are by and large not towards the private institutions with some notable exceptions.This raises a vital question as to what are the initiatives that will contribute to the sustainable ,credible and robust growth of private higher education sector.There are several misgivings about their quality ,fee structure,governance and so on .Time is ripe to look for the models of the Educational Social Responsibility that would lead to greater inclusiveness and affordability of higher education to the disadvantaged.Such issues need to be addressed in a frank manner so that proactive measures can be taken by the private sector itself instead of creating situation for regulatory controls by the governments.In the long run it is anticipated that the proportion of private institutions in higher education will be much larger than at present .Taking this importance of private universities in higher education into consideration ,I have chosen the topic An Empirical Study of Challenges & Prospects of Private universities in Higher EducationAims:The main aim of this study to identify the challenges and prospects of private higher education under the three fundamental challenges of Access, Equity and Quality.Accordingly recognizing the importance of education as a lever for social, economic and political transformation the 12th Five Year Plan places an unprecedented focus on the expansion of education to ensure that educational opportunities are available to all segments of the society .As of 2014 there are 677 Universities among which there are 201 Private Universities with a GER of 20.4%.The overall scenario of higher education in India does not match with the global quality standards .Hence there is enough justification for an increased assessment of the quality of the countrys higher education institutions .This study will highlight the key role of the private sector and challenges faced by them. An attempt will be made to give the suggestions to further encourage the participation of good quality private players to strengthen the higher education.. Objectives:The main objective of my research will be :1) To find out the administrative problems of existing Private Universities .2) To explore the satisfaction level among the students in comparison to their expectations.3) To assess the education quality in private universities in terms of faculty resources .4)To explore the infrastructure facilities those are provided by the Private Universities.5) To suggest areas of action that needs immediate attentions.

2.REVIEW OF THE PREVIOUS WORK: Higher education helps individuals achieve their potential. Just as no child should be left behind in getting a good education no worker should be left behind in having the skills necessary to find a good job in the 21st century workplace. (Sampson 2002 P.3) In the recent years because of interdependence & integration of world economy the Indian higher education system has a new role and new challenge to provide to the nation & the world at large,skilled human power at all level, having breadth of knowledge and confidence to effectively confront the social & economic realities(UGCs recomm.2003) .For India to maintain its economic growth in global market place fueled by the knowledge economy,it needs to nearly double its number of students by 2012.Fifty-one percent of Indias population is under the age of 25.Without proper access to education the countrys demographic dividend could turn into a demographic disaster. (Dukkipati,2010) Establishment of privates universities has been a major milestone in the field of higher education in India. Private universities is a new concept where self-financed private universities can be established by private players without financial assistance from the state. A number of private universities has been established in various state as also central government of India has granted deemed universities status to a number of educational institutions. (Mujumdar, Swati -Director SCDL).Private Universities are contributing in the higher education scenario in the country .Although the most prevalent shortcoming is that ,some of the universities have limitations in flourishing fully the academic scenario and do not have policy for teachers remuneration .( Jewel.M.R. 2013 ). Access ,Equity ,Accountability and Quality should form the four guiding principles ,while planning for higher education development in India in 21st century.An institutional effort should be made to co-ordinate the activities of Assessment and accreditation bodies like NAAC ,so that in togetherness they can address the issues of higher education in a broader societal prospective (UGCs recomm.2003) One fourth to one third of the private higher education institutions experience financial difficulty ,and hence the govt.should require periodical review by the Secretary of Education to assess the financial condition of the institution(ERIC).The overall scenario of higher education in India does not match with the global Quality standards. Hence, there is enough justification for an increased assessment of the Quality of the countrys educational institutions.(Tewari,Asha.2011)

There is a direct coorelation between gross enrollment rate(GER) in higher education and the per capita GDP of a nation.(Prakash ,V.2007)The inconsistency in the growth of higher education over the years has resulted in negatively impacting access,equity,relevance and excellence in higher education.This variation in higher education manifest itself not only in the governments allocation of fund but that it is also pronounced in other spectrum such as demographic divides across gender ,caste,and religion, disparity in the quality of education across institutions etc.(Prakash,V.2007).

There is a need for accountability in higher education and also for the administrative,academic and financiall autonomy for the institutions.It is necessary to attain a balance between two mutually complementary aspects of autonomy and accountability.(Bhalla,V. & Panda,S.).

Lewis & Smith (1998) in their book ,Total Quality in Higher Education ,focused four pillars of quality.According to them four pillars are serving the customers,continuous improvement, managing with facts,and respect for people.All are distinct but equal in potential strength.All four must be addressed ,minimizing one weakens the others.By not addressing one;the entire house of quality will fail. International Conference on higher education in the Asia ,Pacific Region was organized by UNESCO in Macao held in 25-26 September ,2008. In conference report highlighted some key issues,such as, statement of intent,institutions & policy,curricula,equity & services etc.

A study of Jamal(2002) explored the role of private universities in human resource development.The aim of the study is to analyze the effectiveness of private universities in promoting quality higher education.Andrea Bonaceorsi et.al (2007) in their book Universities:Strategic knowledge creation identified variables in six broad areas to analyze the quality of higher education.Those areas are general information on higher education institutions, revenues, expenditures, personnel education production & research & technology production.

Andaleeb (2003) says that higher education is of stragegic importance not only as an engine of human resource development and as a facilitator of growth through forward & backward linkages,it also serves as an incubator and repository of knowledge with untold potential.Today ,it is under intense scrutiny in many countries of the world. Governmental and societal group are taking a hard look, among other factor,at the performance of higher educations institutions and the quality value they deliver.(Kember,1994,Nordvall,1996.,Pounder,1997)The objective of a higher education institution is not only to create and disseminate knowledge,but also to develop higher resources that will accelerate the socio-economic development of nation.(Hafiz-2002)By 2030,India will be amongst the youngest nations in the world. With nearly 140 million people in the college-going age group,one in every four graduates in the world will be a product of Indian higher education system,By 2030 , the already existing challenges for Indian higher education access,equity and quality will only be greatly exacerbated unless we significantly transform our higher education model.(FICCI 2013,summit)

3. IDENTIFICATION OF RESEARCH GAP AND PROBLEM: It is evident from numerous studies that private sector plays a vital role in the development of higher education in India however to best of my knowledge inadequate facts and studies are available regarding the contribution of private universities in enhancing the quality of higher education .So this study will focus on the problems and prospects of private universities in imparting the higher education.

4. EXPECTED IMPACT OF RESEARCH:

This study will focus on various challenges & prospects of private universities . Educational institutions have been offering professional education to students ,scholars and professionals of all across India and other countries of world since ancient times.Today also there are large no.of colleges & universities which collectively perform the noble role successfully ,in all across the states. Over, the years,the private higher education infrastructure has grown and matured into one of the prominent one in the country.As per the latest statistics (Indias HRD Ministry,2014) there are 201 Private Universities in India .This research will reveal the various problems & will provide the insight to the stakeholders and management of private universities that by providing better infrastructure and maintaining quality education at minimal and affordable cost,they can enhance the role of private universities in the expansion of higher education.This study will serve as a clarion call for all stakeholders in private universities to move beyond the limitations of the present & work towards realizing the very real potential for transformation that the future holds. This study will indeed provide valuable information to understand the current higher education landscape and assess the scope for future opportunities ,.

5. METHODOLOGY OF RESEARCH WORK:The methodology which will be used to carry out the study is as follows:For research work primary as well as secondary data will be used .Various statistical tools will be used to suggest and analyse the primary & secondary data. The study will be using Simple Random Sampling .The primary data will be collected through questionnaire and surveys which will include range of response questions, closed ended questions providing limited answers or on a numeric scale .All these data will help in formulating a very comprehensive case study.To collect Secondary data various sources like Document Reviews, Observations, Web Search will be used & analysis will be done with help of various statistical tools.Various policies from national organizations will be dealt in detail by refering various government publications,reports of various committees related to higher education & reference books, journals,published data from time to time.

Limitations:This study was conducted to access the education quality of Private Universtity to know the quality ;few universities will be taken .But the question is whether only few universities can represent the whole sub-sector.This is the major limitations of the study.Among the Private Universities there are difference in terms of size,enrolment,course offered,teaching quality,budget,some are new and some are old comparatively.So ,it is tough to draw a line whether ones quality of education represent others.

6.MAJOR INPUTS REQUIRED:* I will be requiring a certain number and type of resource. These could include: books, magazines or journals, encyclopedias, reference books, newspapers, letters, interviews, blogs, etc. * I will use an academic library.* Essential statistical tools will be used accordingly.

7.LIST OF UP TO DATE REFERENCES:

Anbalagan,C, Challenges & prospects of Indian higher educational services-A Global Technology(IJRMT)VOL.1NO.2 2011. Andaleeb ,Syed Saad.(2003).Revitalizing Higher Education in Bangladesh.:Insights from Alumni and Policy Prescriptions.Higher Education Policy, Vol.16,No.4(December) Bonaccorsi,Andrea and Daraio,Cinzia,2007 Universities and Strategic knowledge creation;specialization and performance in Europe.Massachusetts:Edward elgar publishing ltd. Dukkiapati,U.(2010).Higher Education in India:Sustaining Long-term Growth.In Center for Strategic Studies and International Studies,Washington D.C.Retrieved from http://esis.org/files/publication/sam 141.pdf ERIC- Problems & Outlook of small private art colleges report to the congress by the Comptroller General, General Accounting Office,Washinton DC. FICCI (2013) Summit:Higher Education in India:Vision 2030. Higher education in India and Yashpal committee recommendations. http:/www.jnu.ac.in/yash_pal_committe_pdf.April 2009,available on 25.01.2011. Higher Education In India: Issues,Concerns and New Directions.http://www.ugc.ac.in/pub/heindia.pdf. Jamal,Shawkat A.N.M.(2002),Role of Private Universities in Human Resorce Development Retrrieved February 24,2009 MHRD(2011): Annual Report. Ministry of Human Resource Development,Department of Secondary & Higher Education,Govt. of India,New Delhi. MHRD(2013): Annual Report. Ministry of Human Resource Development,Department of Secondary & Higher Education,Govt. of India,New Delhi. Mujumdar ,swati.:Articles on Analysis of Private Universities Laws & Recommendations for Policy,Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning. New India Express,Articles on the business of education/Chattisgarh Government working on a new improved avatar of the Private Universities Bill,(June 28,2005 report). Prakash,V.(2007).Trends in Growth and Financing of Higher Education in India.In Economic and Political Weekly .Retrieved from http://eledu.net/rrcusrm Pounder,J.(1999).Institutional Performance in Higher Education:is Quality a Relevant Concept? Quality Assurance in Education. Recommendations of UGC Golden Jubilee Seminars-2003,Higher Education in India-Issues,Concerns & new directions,Printed & Published by the secretary,UGC,N.Delhi. Rockefeller Institutes report 2010,Higher Education plays growing role in Economic Development,2010 Sampson D. June 10 2002.Remarks for economic development EDA Denver regional forum,Denver Co. Sharma, Rita (2004) Assessment & Accrediation in Higher Education AIU. Singh,J.D, Higher Education In India-Issues ,Challenges and Suggestions. www.indiaedumart.com/statewise-universities/uttarpradesh www.collegesinup.com/universities/index.php Tewari, Asha , Implementing Quality in higher education , http://www.qcin.org/org/nbqp/quality india/ volume-2-no-2/specialreport.htm(2011)

8.SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES(PERT CHART)