Title: Private higher education in India – changing scenario

Authors: Vibhuti Patel

Addresses: Department of Economics, SNDT Women's University, Churchgate, Mumbai, India

Abstract: Education is one of the dominant sectors of the Indian economy in terms of enrolment of children, employment of adults and investment of financial resources. While school education has a broad base, higher education suffers from a narrow base covering only about 7% of the relevant age group population. With the expansion of school education, the pressure on the higher education system to expand is expected to continue in India. In this context, two criteria of efficiency and mobilisation of resources are put forward in justification of privatisation of higher education. When higher education is left to the market forces, it results in |elitisation| of a basic need; it puts higher education firmly out of reach of the millions of under-privileged of India who dream of going to the university one day.

Keywords: private education; higher education; Indian economy; third world; education financing; India; universities; elitism.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEED.2009.028937

International Journal of Education Economics and Development, 2009 Vol.1 No.1, pp.36 - 46

Published online: 14 Oct 2009 *

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