Globalization and scope of Higher Education in India.

IntroductionIndia has been advancing to the final stage of Census India 2011. Shortly with the availability of new data on all the economic, social, geographical, demographic, tribal, religious, regional and academic facets of human capital, a new perception and presumptuous and informational database will be built up and compiled accurately. The methods used in Census 2011 of India will not help only India with its statistical requirement, but also help the global entities to come out with new conclusions and recommendations. What is worthwhile to talk about is the contribution of new methods and technologies that were helped by the revolutionary Information Technology. With the onset of information technology and its computing, compiling, filtering options have generated sophisticated results and helped the globe in destroying distances. Needless to repeat that the historical watershed in the field of Information Technology has brought the sea change in the world social science and economic map of the globe. The role of social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook and Orkut cannot be ignored that have brought the dramatic and drastic change in the social and global mingling of minds; and obviously the term globalization is attributed to the revolutionary onset of information and technology and internet. Globalization is attributed as unleashing progressive liberalization of trade in services including public services like education.( Glenn Rikwoski; Globalization and Education) UNESCO 2009 World Conference on Higher Education defines globalization as the reality shaped by an increasingly integrated world economy, new information and communicative technology, the emergence of an international knowledge network, the role of the English language and other forces beyond the control of academic institution. The role of WTO and GATS gets impetus in the new context of liberalization and globalization. The globe has always been under pressure since its very beginning of its own existence as integral and global. With the introduction of economic downturn few years back has posed challenges to the world economy in general and Indian economy in

particular. The new economic downturn has brought the globe more close to the third world in general and to India in particular. India is significantly proving a good destination for the world in scaling their economy a little up or sustained. As far as the higher education is concerned, the introduction of the bills like The Foreign Education Institution ( Regulation of Entry and Operation) Bill, 2010, the government has shown its intention and inclination towards the growing demands of academic skills in the international domain and the interest of the academic global entities in the Indian expertise and market. The aim in introducing such bills is to open new avenues for Indian students to access and assimilate into the competitive and standardized international academics and research establishments of higher education.

Higher Education in IndiaThe phenomenon of globalization has not left any human facet intact. Education has been under a constant shape under the influence of globalization bridging the gaps of evergrowing human demand and supply. Modern India has been receiving new methods and systems in the name of education to work out new benefits and advantages for the young economically strengthening and IT enabled India. India is coerced to receive and accept the multi dimensional changes appearing in the physical and cultural values of the globe. The globe is unconventionally acclaimed as a social universe ( Postone 1996) with multiple visions. Education as service sector had always been recognized as a valuable asset of growth. India who stands at par with the old civilizations in its rich history and culture, had been an epicenter of higher learning. An old India had been eminently recognized as flourished India with many higher learning centres established in various parts of India. Among them still some of them have their relevance and importance culturally and historically. The universities or higher learning centres like Nalanda, Takshila, Ujjain, Vikramshilla and Vallabhi are significant to name which once attracted the students and scholars from almost all parts of the world. With the dawn of Buddism till the dusk of the British regime, India witnessed myriad of changes in the academic institutionalization and its implementation.

The modern India traces its academic history with the period beginning with the process of Indian colonization. The British establishment started establishing the higher institutes in India for boosting their own personal objectives. Despite their own objectives, the setting up of new universities in India precipitated a new era of self leading and self determination in administration. Modern India since its independence started its academic trajectory with the meager number of universities( 20 universities) and colleges (500 colleges) to drastically increased number of universities ( 500 plus universities) and colleges (25,951 colleges). India retains 243 state universities, 53 state private universities, 40 and plus central universities, 130 and plus deemed universities, and 33 and plus institutes of national repute. ( Annul Report on Higher Education 200910 by Ministry of Human Resource and Development). In 1950-51 the total number of students enrolled in higher institutes were 2,63000, that now has swelled to 22 million in both degree and vocational colleges till 2006. In 2001 census, the gross enrollment ratio was 11 percent and has been targeted to increase it upto 20 percent by 2020 and 33 percent till 2030. The allocation of 2200 crore in the budget 2011( The Tribune, march 2011) for higher education does not seem a big chunk to lead but would help in attaining goals set to improve Indias skill and competencies that is going to be a true Indian asset by turning its 70 percent young population into a skilled workforce by 2025. In IT as industry, India has become a superpower even near to surpass America in generating jobs and market. Indias IT has ushered a new era of growth and self reliance. To keep the trajectorial pace, India has to consistently contribute in the segment of higher education and planning. The provisions like extended funding, opening FDI in service sectors,

sanctioning privatization and public private partnerships will enhance Indias image as competent, competitive and innovative part of the globe.

Higher Education and Privatization- its role, need and scope The period of 1990 marked the beginning of commoditization and consumerism under the new regime of WTO and Free Trade principle that influenced both the service and non-service sectors. A drastic boom in the population, governments inaccessibility to reach to all sectors in a short period of time, lack of funds and infrastructure, global challenges and the utmost need of uplifting the general social mass were some of the factors that pulled the government to incline towards the private hands to balance the economic trajectory of India. Beside these factors, the world bodies like WTO and GATS came forward with the idea of more liberalization, globalization and privatization to reach to global goals of global competitive prosperity acquired through setting common goals and frameworks underpinned with the help of skilled human capital and knowledge based economy. The concept of privatization in the United States of American and United Kingdom set precedents for other international communities to pave the ways for private hands. Almost 40 percent universities and institutes in the US and UK were privately owned and had been functioning successfully. Till 2009 the world annual enrollment in higher education stands for 30 percent. The phenomenal surge in private enrollment has been reported across the globe. Some of the Asia Pacific countries have above 70 percent private enrollment and developing countries have been witnessing the same surge in private enrollment and institutes. The concept of privatization of education sprang from the developed countries like the USA and the UK. In the index of worlds 100 best universities, the 40 private universities of America share the top chart of best universities.( K D Raju, Private Universities in Higher Education)

In context of India and its widening economy, the privatization has been recognized as one of the factor to supplement the demand side of growth and economy. The young

population of more than 1.2 billion people in needs an effective assimilation into the academic framework. This massive assimilation needs to boost up more infrastructural set ups. Since 1990 the government of India came out with the policies upholding the need to roll out privatization under its monitoring regulators. The Parliament and other state legislatures offered private players to participate under its framed norms and regulations for the following objectives To provide the general mass all the optimal chances to access into the global competitive market and growth with their employability. Teaching the best methods, practices, techniques, curriculum universally applied and accepted to prepare for the future growth with the acquired skill based knowledge. Affording the best infrastructure and fund for education and research. Opening access to other national and trans national agencies, centers and institutes to work with, to coordinate, to collaborate and interact. Complete access to foreign students and hiring faculty across the nation and borders for the growth of academic goals and framework.

Government of India and PrivatizationWith the implementation of GATS and Indias agreement to provide access to its market has opened vistas for fair institutionalizations of service sectors including education. The phenomena of LPG ( Liberalization, privatization and globalization) has forced India to match parallel its social and economic growth with the globe by imbibing the self approach of the globe. India cannot deny the assertive role of globalization and its tangent impact and cannot sustain its needs without upholding and participating in its inevitable process to connect the global axis. Since India had begun liberalizing its policies and laws since 90s, India expects a complete partnership with the international

communities and entities in unfolding the new and diverse opportunities beneficial for Indian social and general masses. The Government of India has taken multifold initiatives to pace along with the rest of the world. Special Economic Zones, liberalizing FDI in retail and wholesale, the model of Public Private partnership, IDR, allowing foreign fund managers to operate, allowing foreign player to invest in Mutual funds are some of the frameworks that testify that how the phenomenon of globalization is inevitable and responsible to sustain growth and economic impetus.

The period of 90s avers that how government of India started showing interest in privatizing institutes and tertiary education colleges. The introduction of the bills like Private Universities ( Establishment and Regulation ) Bill 1995 ( the bill remained under legislative procedures due to heavy opposition from the opposition parties) and UGC ( Establishment and Maintenance of Standards in Universities) Regulation,2003 heralded a hope to cater a consistently burgeoning young population of India. The Constitution of India under its Directive Principles of State Policy binds the central and state government to unleash steps to promote education from Primary to tertiary level. Since 1976 education has been a mode of partnership for central and state governments to promote it with meaningful purpose. Various National Policies (1963 and 1986) envisage this sector of public good as organized, maintained, coordinated and well implemented. The post scenario of these visions can be gauged with the data that reveal that till 2005 the southern states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andra Pradesh retain only 5 percent institutions/ colleges as government institutions/colleges. ( Kaul,2005).

Undoubtedly the governments call to private players has widen the scope for Indian general masses to upgrade their competencies to get share in the global economy as an active stakeholders. The problem of massification can be addressed only by inviting the corporate entity to be stakeholder in the collective social responsibilities. The privatization has spurred a dramatic growth in India till 2010. Along with this boom in the educational sector, the sector has undergone through some challenges and foils. The

long list of cases in various courts of India and the verdicts delivered verify that smooth growth of this sector seems debatable. The governments in India , time to time, have instituted many academic watchdogs to monitor their operations and to bring uniform standards in their delivery. Foreign Participation- role and need Under the WTO and GATS regime, the government of India is bound to open its boundaries to allow foreign and private players to tap the untapped sector of education for meaningful global competition and meaningful affordability of all levels of education. The government of India has been in the process of liberalizing its conditions to promote its level from being national to be global or international entity. The US has been the major destination for international entities through their money and funds and the US with its knowledge based economic frameworks dominated growth in all the major sectors. The globalization is consistently straining the world with various economies offering tough competition in production and management. These economies have been surpassing each other or in constant endeavour to control the competitive dynamics in its favour. The world economies have resorted to knowledge economy by laying down the best and competitive higher educational frameworks. India though innate in ushering itself into new complex economic structures, but have started processing need based requirements. India knows that without skilled human capital it would fail to roll out its growth and impetus as it has already started. India has the largest IT skilled workers and market after the US; and India knows that to maintain the steady and dynamic pace it has to stimulate its educational ( vocational and professional) policies and strategies.

Last decade boomed and exploded with numbers of new programmes and institutions operating trans nationally. The countries like Qatar, Singapur, and the United Arab Emirate stimulated the growth by incorporating the phenomenon of internationalization. These countries facilitated the foreign universities to establish campuses with the goalposts to achieve surge in skilled human capital and their employability in international markets. The European Community long before had

accepted and affirmed the positive role of opening access to other countries in their local service and non service sectors. The clear political and economic aim of the Bologna process , as supported by the European Commission , is making the EU, indeed the most competitive and dynamic knowledge based economy in the world. ( Daniel Lincoln, 2005) . The phenomena of achieving high growth and spur in these above countries can not be challenged. The only inclusive growth can be underpinned with the help of establishing high quality and competitive institutions and universities based on high research and innovation to make the production and management of a economy a knowledge based production and economy.

FDI and Higher Education India received USD 35 billion FDI in the month of January 2011 ( The Economic Times, feb 2011). Major automobile, telecom, financial and pharmaceutical firms have turned their faces toward India that expects to sustain a growth rate of 9 percent in 201112. The booming economy of India is motivating the developed countries to recover their collapsed economic structure since their crash in their domestic economies. India and China are being coveted as their recuperating economies. The US has been the largest FDI receiver till 2005 (approximately USD250 billion) that helped its industry to shoot up into new trajectories of growth and prosperity. The 40 percent of its higher education is privately managed and funded and these private players have reputedly been sought for. The government of India spends very less amount, say 3.55 percent of GDP, on education. The countries like the US, the EU and some of the Latin countries have better graph in their public expenditure towards promotion of higher education. The lack of infrastructure and non robust funding stress the need to pave ways for foreign and private players under uniform regulations both of national and international level.

Along with meager public funding, the FDI contribution in education sector has been dismal. Since India has allowed 100 percent FDI in education sector, and currently is

being considered the best destination to fund due to global economic downturn, and its robust need to cater a big chunk of young population, India has received a dismal FDI growth in education. As per the fact sheet ( 1991-2011)issued by the Reserve Bank of India (2010-2011), India received USD 3,29,726 million FDI inflow and out of which USD 1,18,274 million inflow was recorded in service sector ( financial and non financial) that accounts of 21 percent of total inflow. The FDI inflow in northern zone is comparatively more dismal. It received only USD 4176 million and that accounts only 1 percent of the total. The most dismal position is of education sector that received only USD 383 million and that accounts only 0.30 percent of the total FDI inflow in India till 2011 since 1991. ConclusionThousands of students every year migrate to the US and Australian universities to study and high level skill enhancement. On contrary, a very few number of students of these countries turn up to India for higher education and skills up gradation. India has some national level institutions that have earned reputation at international level and accredited with the best skill up grading institutions. Needless to say that national development rely on the strong foundation of education and higher education is nothing but a commodity changed with a vision of public good to national and global growth. Public universities have to shed their traditional roles of imparting quality education to impart industry based skills and competency. Earlier education was solely afforded by the states, but now industries and corporate world are joining hands with government and public universities and academic entities to be at par with other global competent entities posing constantly robust competition and contest. Indian government has to provide more optimal options to the international entities to set up their establishment for the booming young population to acquire skills and proficiency of international level to assimilate into the global market of employability. We need to collect the inputs begotten with this strong wind of globalization to give momentum to our economy. India still has been reeling with the shortage of world class research, trained scholars, scientists or managers to sustain high tech development.

( Selvam) The government has to set aside substantial chunk of fund to roll out its plans of world class universities( as Kapil Sibal expressed in his media interaction after being inducted as Cabinet minister), world class centre of excellence, research institutes and faculty with high tech infrastructure. The schemes like Sarve Shiksha Abhiyan and National Literacy Mission will prove promising in future and will set a base. The laws like RTE( 2009 ) and RTI (2005) are new strength of Indian democracy. Indias collaboration with SAARC member countries to establish South Asian University as world class university and UNESCOs collaboration with India in establishing Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) will mark a new beginning of internationalization of diverse culture and intellect.

References: Annual Report, Ministry of Human Resource and Development and Department of Senior and Elementary education.(2009-10) Raju, K D, Private Initiatives in Higher Education; Enabling Legislations, Regulations and Judicial Interpretations in India. Vergehese, N. V., Globalization, Economic Crisis and National Strategies for Higher Education Development 2009. Kaul, Sanat, Higher Education in India: Seizing the Opportunity. (2006) Farrignton, Dennis, Legislative Initiatives in the Context of the Bologna Process. A Report On UNESCO 2009 World Conference on Higher Education. Selvam, Jesiah, Does Globalization Affect Higher Education? Empirical Evidence from India.