Private Universities in India – Pros and Cons

 

India’s higher education system is a saga of some blunt and contradictory truths. Indias Top Colleges are run by governments but private universities run the smartest of the universities of the country. The reality is that by combining seats from both the sectors, education industry cannot accommodate millions of students graduating each year. Since supply is not in line with the demand, quality turns into serious danger and Indians face a major disadvantage. Most of the top Colleges are still concentrated in the advanced economies and India is an emerging market. Private universities like Jain University, Christ University, Amity University, and Manipal Academy of Higher Education have existed for a long and have gathered higher rankings year on year. Since it takes time for universities to establish a reputation, Government should allow more universities to be created immediately. Over time, these private universities will be able to establish themselves as reputed institutions. Simultaneously there is a requirement of sound regulation of new universities to save students from below average institutions and to abolish the paranoia about private institutions. The only parameter to attract students should be the upward trajectory and not the race to the bottom.

The British had started university system in India in 1857 as they established the Universities of Madras, Calcutta, and Bombay. By 2019, India recorded about 1000 universities and 51000 institutes for higher education and 3.74 crores students in this sector. The rules and regulations for the formation, financing, and functioning of such organizations are dimmer.  There is a requirement of legislative enactments in the state assembly in order to set up a private university. Also, there are some non-favorable consequences of privatizing higher education. In 2005 when the Supreme Court hit down a law, 112 private universities and 30,000 students were affected.

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The rapid growth of private universities is even clearer from the statistics that since 2008, more than 15 universities were created every year and more than 30 universities started in 2013. These universities are to a great extent clustered around particular cities or areas.

In the recent years, Indian economy is being restructured with a few reforms, Education policy changes and is moving towards liberalization, privatization, and globalization. Consequently, privatization in education sector has brought in some path-breaking changes in the higher education sector. Privatization now allows private parties like individual organizations and other non-government bodies to run education institutes. This gave a whole new dimension to the education system in India.  The privatization took place to address so many issues like:

• Competitive efficiency: There arose a need for efficiency to pave way for a more competitive environment. Private ownerships and controls ensure better allocation of resources and work efficiently.

• Population: Considering India’s population and its growth rate more private institutes are needed to cater to the needs of higher education among population.

• Increasing number of schools: As the numbers of schools are growing in the country, the demand for higher education is also pushed further. Since the government will not be able to meet such a rapid growing demand, the private universities need to set in to accommodate this demand and supply.

• Need for fulfillment of skilled manpower: Public institutes have limited freedom; hence there is a lesser initiative in this sector. The private players are usually quick in responding to the changing demands of the market. So they can freely initiate modern and advanced courses to fulfill the demand of the upcoming student force. 

Now let us understand a few boons and banes of the private universities

Pros of Private Universities in India

 As the government is decentralizing in the education sector, the burden for higher education in the country will be reduced for the government. The government alone had to invest in the huge capital, resources and technology for the advancement in the field to stand steady in the global competition. Private participation will guarantee better infrastructure, competition, and quality in this sector.

· More employments will be joined in education sector as the industry will grow left and right as per the demand of the situation.

· Some public sector colleges have not been able to impart quality education, which is visible from the fact that only 3 Indian institutes reached the top 200 universities of the world according to “Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings” 2018. The private sector universities will at least approve quality education to the ones who can afford it. As more universities are introduced, the competition between them will lead to an improvement in the quality of education. The curriculums in private colleges are rigorous and learning is emphasized upon more.

· The private colleges have a closely knit community, therefore the students can communicate closely with professors. The classrooms will be dynamic, unlike a public college. Students are also much committed to their academics and active in classroom discussions. Complete coursework gives a full insight into the coursework.

· The lecturers at private universities have proven track records and are more interested in the achievements of their students.

· Private institutes also offer merit scholarships. With good academic scores, students get a preference and subsidized fee structure to be able to join these schools.

· Most of the large private colleges also have a limited class size to make certain that the students grasp the subjects well. There is a low professor-to-student ratio which would mean more engaged student participation. A small group of students has quality discussions.

· An important attraction of the private universities is their training and placement facility. Training and placements are important activities in private universities. They collaborate with industries for students’ internships and placements. The student placement cells are very efficient in interacting with companies and organizations to nurture the university.

·Students are supported by industry professionals who are made to interact with the students for larger exposure. They provide mentoring and career guidance through their lectures and seminars etc.

·Privatization gives way to many initiatives in educational reforms. Teaching methods are innovated and evaluated to provide better quality education. The courses and subjects are provisioned according to the market demands. Students get a provision of a wide choice of courses and subjects.    

The curriculum is shaped according to global, national, and local needs. Private universities offer courses that are market driven and have a better scope in the long run. 

· here is a proper allocation of human and physical resources.

Cons of Private Universities in India

·         The tuition fees are too high in Private universities and it makes it difficult for all students to access the kind of education they need. Poor is affected badly due to this disparity in fee structure.

·         There is always some apprehension among staff about job security.

·         Many private colleges do not provision graduate or doctoral degrees. There are students who want to pursue doctoral degrees.

·         Colleges that are small may not be able to offer a wide range of major subjects like larger public universities do. Small private schools have smaller departments and less course offerings.

·         Funds by the organization for running the education institutes may be misused by the owners.

·         Reservation in educational institutions is a positive action. It helped backward sections of society to compete with privileged classes. Purely autonomous organizations do not offer reservations. 

 Conclusion:-

Private higher education has turned very competitive with an increase in the number of academic institutions. Due to this, they put continuous and relentless efforts for their survival. The private universities in India have responded to higher demand in higher education by absorbing a substantial number of students. 

Private universities have earned a good name over a period of time. They also provide job oriented professional courses and offer dual degrees. Their links with corporates, placement efficiencies, pass percentage, quick decision making process attract more students.

But Private universities also face the absence of senior experienced teachers, inadequate financing and not getting quality students. They emphasize professional subjects rather than traditional ones. Many of these universities are in their initial stages of growth. A lot of research work is still required. More research-oriented facilities, identifying core areas of expertise, motivating faculty to do research needs to be done by finding time and sources of funds.

Privatization supports higher competitive advantages in the education sector. Although there are some manipulations they can be managed by proper rules and regulations. Pros and cons will always be there but governmental interventions can groom private sector institutions effectively.

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