BRIDGING THE GREAT DIVIDE

WINDS OF CHANGE SWEEP INDIA'S HIGHER EDUCATION ARENA AS NEW COLLEGES RISE UP TO THE CHALLENGE OF GIVING QUALITY EDUCATION

- By KAUSHIK DEKA / Imaging by NILANJAN DAS/AI

Enormous scale, lofty aspirations and endur-ing contradictions. That is the ongoing story of India's higher education system. Over the past few decades, it has expanded significantly, with tertiary education becoming accessible to a broader and more diverse segment of the youth population than ever before. Key milestones—such as a Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of 28.4 per cent, a favourable Gender Parity Index and a rising intake from socially disadvantaged groups—signal progress towards greater democratisation. The proliferation of academic spaces, including premier hubs like the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), alongside a growing re-search footprint, reflects a country eager to claim its place on the global academic stage.

Yet this impressive growth in numbers masks persistent challenges in quality. And among the most significant is the risk that a narrow focus on excellence in a few elite institutions may deepen mediocrity across the rest.

Website: https://bestcolleges.indiatoday.in/ India’s higher education ecosystem remains uneven, with stark contrasts between the long-established and the emerging colleges, between urban centres and smaller towns.

NO. 1 COLLEGES IN INDIA

If there is one marker on which there is marked progress, it is in terms of global visibility. Over the past decade, India has recorded a 286 per cent increase in the number of institutions featured in global university rankings—reportedly the highest among G20 nations. In the QS World University Rankings: Asia 2026, India tops the continent with the most institutions (163) in the rankings; four Indian universities now feature in the Top 100.