Expanding Higher Education in India: The Challenge for Equity

India has a vast higher education (HE) system, in terms of both students and institutions, and there are ambitions to greatly expand it further. However, it is one riven by inequality which reflects a society that, although it has aspirations to become one of the leading economic nations of the twenty-first century, is also grappling with social structures with their origins in feudal eras. India is one of the largest HE systems across the world, second only to China in terms of absolute numbers, with over 25 million student enrolments (including open and distance learning), a GER of around 19 per cent (for age group of 18–23) and an anticipated increase in capacity of 10 million seats by 2020 (Planning Commission, 2012). The Indian HE system comprises (as of 2011) 645 degree-awarding institutions (DAIs), 33,023 colleges affiliated to 174 universities, 43 central universities, 289 state universities, 94 state private universities and over 12,000 diploma-granting institutions. Although India has such a large system, only a fraction of students who enrol in grade 1 are able to complete their schooling and participate in any kind of tertiary or post-secondary HE.