A critical appraisal of higher education and economic development in India

Today, the stark reality is that even after 62 years of independence, India still has not been able to ensure a minimum quality of life to its citizens. The million-dollar question confronting India is whether leading economic power with poor show of human development can present a model of sustainable, equitable and inclusive growth that the nation aspires for? Certainly not, there is a need for some turn around strategies, which primarily include a change in the education system. Education which is a pre-requisite for all type of development recipes is presently in a bad shape in India. Why is India still a developing country? What is stopping it from becoming a developed country? These questions strike the mind every time when one considers the state of India’s educational system. Therefore, this research paper throws light on the ‘ins’ and ‘outs’ of higher education in India.   Key words: Economic system, higher education, human development.