By Prof Sukhadeo Thorat
India’s higher education system has witnessed one of the world’s largest expansions since Independence. From a small, elite-oriented system in the 1950s, it has evolved into a vast and diversified network aimed at mass participation, including historically underrepresented groups.
Around 1950, India had nearly 20 universities and about 500 colleges. By 2022–23, the system had expanded to over 1,200 universities and more than 53,000 colleges, along with growth in institutions such as IITs, IIMs, and medical colleges. Higher education has also diversified from traditional arts, science, and commerce streams to professional and technical disciplines including engineering, agriculture, management, and healthcare.
Expansion has increasingly been supported through distance and online education. Online enrolment reached nearly 6.5 million students in 2024, accounting for a significant share of total higher education enrolment. Regulatory reforms allowing top-ranked universities to offer online degree programmes have further accelerated growth in digital education.
A major structural shift has been the growing dominance of private self-financing institutions after the 1990s. Earlier, higher education was largely led by government and aided institutions. Today, private self-financing universities, colleges, and standalone institutes account for a substantial share of enrolments, particularly in professional education. A majority of students in engineering and management programmes are now enrolled in private institutions, while the role of public and philanthropic institutions has comparatively declined.
The rapid expansion of institutions has improved the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) significantly. From less than 1 per cent in the early years after Independence, the GER has risen steadily to nearly 30 per cent in recent years. This reflects the gradual massification of higher education in India.
Despite this progress, several structural challenges remain. Access to higher education continues to vary sharply across income and social groups. Students from lower-income households, Scheduled Castes (SCs), and Scheduled Tribes (STs) remain underrepresented compared to higher-income and socially advantaged groups.
The gap is even more visible in private and professional education, where high fees create barriers for economically weaker sections. Fees in private unaided institutions are several times higher than in government colleges, making professional courses less accessible for disadvantaged students. As a result, low-income groups and marginalised communities continue to face limited access to courses linked to better employment opportunities.
Higher education is also struggling with issues related to employability and quality. A significant proportion of graduates do not meet industry expectations because of skill mismatches between academic training and labour market requirements. The digital divide further deepens inequality, as many students from rural and economically weaker backgrounds lack access to reliable internet connectivity and digital devices needed for online learning.
Another major concern is the shortage of faculty in public institutions. Many colleges and universities continue to operate with large vacancies in teaching positions, resulting in poor faculty-student ratios that affect teaching quality and academic mentoring.
Addressing these challenges requires stronger public investment and inclusive policies. Equal access to quality higher education, especially professional education, can be improved through scholarships, freeships, subsidised hostels, and affordable or interest-free education loans for disadvantaged students.
At the same time, public funding for higher education needs substantial enhancement. Government expenditure on higher education remains well below recommended levels. Increased investment is essential not only to improve infrastructure, faculty strength, and digital access, but also to achieve the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 target of 50 per cent enrolment in higher education by 2035.
India’s higher education journey reflects remarkable progress in expansion and diversification. However, the next phase of transformation must focus on equity, quality, employability, and affordability to ensure that higher education becomes a genuine instrument of social mobility and national development.
This article is written by Professor Sukhadeo Thorat former Chairman of the University Grants Commission.
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are solely of the author and ETEducation does not necessarily subscribe to it. ETEducation will not be responsible for any damage caused to any person or organisation directly or indirectly.
