Indian Education System - A Hamster’s Wheel!

sanjeev

Feb 14, 2024

5 min read

‘Basant Panchami’, dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, reminds us that with education we can break the chain of poverty and ignorance. Yellow, the colour of this very day, represents spring, spiritual knowledge, light and prosperity. Saraswati’s sacred symbol, the Veena, represents the harmony and balance that knowledge and education brings to our lives. But is it our education system really breaking the chain of poverty and bringing prosperity, harmony and balance in our life? The increasing suicide rates among the students and escalating inequalities is telling the different story. Every year Students are succumbing to the high expectations and intolerable pressure to compete and crack the exams like JEE, NEET, UPSC, etc. The 27 suicide cases recorded in single year 2023 at Kota city alone1 has left the entire nation in shock.

As per the 'World Inequality Report 2022', India is among the most unequal countries in the world, with rising poverty and an 'affluent elite.' The report2 highlights that the top 10% and top 1% in India hold 57% and 22% of the total national income respectively while the bottom 50% share has gone down to 13%. Moreover, as per the Forbes India3, the overall unemployment rate in India in the year 2022 & 2023 remained hovering between 7 to 8 percent, though it has declined to 6.6 percent in January 2024. The most populous developing country of the world with a young demography cannot afford this.

Today, India is the 5th largest economy of the world with a GDP of $3.7 trillion (estimate FY24) and expected to become the third-largest economy by 2027, with a GDP of $5 trillion and will touch $7 trillion by 2030. The government has, also set a higher goal of becoming a 'developed country' by 20474. With the ongoing reforms, the above goal also seems achievable, though it won’t be easy. We have to compete a long way to the developed nation, as far as education is concerned. If Indian economy is to grow and become the 3rd largest economy by 2027 and developed nation by 2047 as envisaged by our Hon’ble PM, all the entities i.e. Union Govt., State Govt., Public & Pvt players have to give due impetus on Education.

All economically advanced nations are equally advanced in education. Even the Asian countries, like Japan, South Korea, China, etc. whose per capita income used to be very similar to ours during Eighties, have become far ahead from us due to education. In 1980, China was just $20 ahead of India in per capita income. But now the difference has increased to more than $10,000 (Per Capita Income: Tear 1980 : China $244, India-$224; Year 2022: China-$12500, India-$2600). South Korea, whose per capita income was almost equal to us, has become 15 times more than India now.

When it comes to higher education, it’s also not very encouraging. Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER), which is used to measure the level of participation in higher education and serves as a valuable tool to assess the accessibility, inclusivity, and overall progress of the education system in any country, is 27.3% (AISHE 2021-22)5 in India, which is low as compared to developed nations. It indicates that approximately 27.3 percent of the eligible population was enrolled in higher education institutions in 2020-21.The GER for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes is 23.1 percent and 18.9 percent, respectively, highlighting the existing gaps in educational opportunities among different social groups.

India since long time is spending just around 3% of GDP in education, while as per recommendations of different groups, including the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 it should be at least 6% of GDP. Over 140 countries of the world are spending more than India in education. Around 35 countries of the world spend more than 6% while over 80 countries spend more than 5% of their respective GDP. NEP also talks about spending more than 6% in education. Unless it is done, Education, especially higher education to lower and middle-income groups and marginalized sections will be a distant dream.

As Govt. spends less, a huge chunk of income of every household is spent in education. But how the marginalized section will afford if the major cost to be borne the family. It’s perhaps the reason that child of a marginalized family takes birth wish for a quality education but ultimately gets out of the Education System. In a house, if two students pursue higher education, around 30-40% of the total parent’s income is spent in the education of their children, which is a big burden. A part of this financial burden must be borne by the Govt. – both Union & State, which unfortunately is not happening so far.

Hence, India must focus on increasing expenditure on education, including the higher education and both Union & State should spend enough money for the same. There are 35 countries in the world which offer free higher education. So, why can’t we? In India, about 20 lakhs students wish to study medicines every year but available seats is merely around one lakh distributed in about total 700 Medical Colleges. Similar is the case in Engineering. Due to limited seats in Govt. colleges, the private engineering colleges are mushrooming and charging huge fee from the parents. In 1980, only 15% of students were taking admission in Pvt. College, but now it’s over 90 percent. So, unless India increases the number of seats in govt. colleges/Govt. aided colleges, the students will continue to succumb to the pressure of not clearing the fiercely competitive entrance exams.

The economic development of a nation depends heavily on educational development, especially the development of higher education, technical education, research works, etc. Education can cut down the inequalities by creating jobs. India is already grappling with social inequality due to caste system, and now increasing economic inequality is making the situation more worse.

The Right to Education Act guarantees the access to education for children of 6-14 years, but without sufficient expenditure on education, it will be just an eye-wash. While the developed countries spends in school education in thousands & ten thousand dollars (OECD Countries expenditure > $10,000 in school education), India’s per capita expenditure is in hundred dollars {Bihar - $120 (lowest) & HP - $750 (Highest)}.

Education is magic and has the power to cut both social & economic inequalities. When a student gets a job, the family income increases by 20-30 percent. Govt. of India must recognize this fact and do the needful for making the quality education accessible to each and everyone. Otherwise an average poor man shall die poor and our nation shall always be crippled with skill deficit human capital. Moreover, education system should be such that it increases the employability because as per a study only 45% of Indian graduates who apply for jobs are employable6, with the readiness to meet industry’s fast-changing demands. In addition to this education system should be such that it obviates rote-learning and incorporates humanism, compassion & ethics as these are the things which matters the most at the end of the day.

Mahatma Gandhi Ji had told a lot about ‘’ANTODYA’ i.e. ‘Uplifting of the last person’. I also firmly believe that unless until the children of the most economically deprived section like our domestic help, drivers, gardeners, etc. get the affordable quality higher education and becomes employable for lucrative jobs, the significance of becoming advanced nation will be obviated.