Highlights:
- National Education Policy 2020 which has been approved by Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi and allocated Rs 59,845 crore to the Department of School Education and Literacy.
- The higher education sector is expected to increase to Rs Rs 2,44,824 crore by 2025.
- India ranked 34 out of 100 countries in English Proficiency Index 2019.
- India has more than 250 million schools going students that is more than any country in the world.
- Government of India taken some initiatives such as national accreditation regulatory authority bill for higher education and foreign educational institutions bill.
- Between Jan to Aug 2020, the venture capital investors invested 409 million US dollar against 43 deals
- The Edtech market in India is expected to reach 3.5 billion US dollar by the end of 2022
About Education
India’s education sector provides a great opportunity because 29 per cent of the Indian population in the age group of 0 to 14 years, currently India has more than 250 million schools going students that is more than any country globally, as well as India, provide the highest education institution network in the world. Currently, India has 39,931 colleges and 993 universities respectively. India had 3 crore74 lakh student enrolled in higher education in 2018-19 session.
India’s higher education is full of opportunity for the Indian government and for the world as well, the higher education sector is expected to increase to Rs Rs 2,44,824 crore by 2025. If we check the English proficiency index, India ranked 34 among the 100 countries. The gross enrolment ratio in higher education reached 26.3% in the fiscal year 2019. Internet penetration in the higher education sector also helps the sector to boost and enhance the education delivery system. As of Dec 2019, penetration of internet in India reached 54.29 per cent. In the fiscal year 2020, the education sector will rise and expected to reach 180000 million.
The education sector in India is in a growing phase and government of India is still making strategy and planning to improve and make better overall. Since 2002, the government allowed the 100% FDI in the education sector through the automatic route.
According to Union Budget 2020-21, government-sanctioned Rs 59,845 crore to Department of School Education and Literacy and also sanctioned Rs 3,000 crore for revitalising infrastructure and education system by 2022.
Ministry introduced the Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship (MGNF) where the fellow will be sent to districts for two years where they will work with the district administration closely to create State Skill Development Plans’.
The various initiative is being adopted to boost the growth of distance education market and also focusing on new education techniques such as E-learning and M-learning.
Contact Details of Ministry of Education
| Name | Designation | Tel / Email | Official Address |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' | Honorable Minister of Education | 91-11-23782698 / 23782387 (office) 91-11-23382365 (fax) E-mail: minister.hrd @ gov.in for general request: request-hrd @ gov.in for appointment / invitation: app-hrd @ gov.in | |
| BVRC Purushottam | Private Secretary to Honorable Minister of Education | 91-11-23782698 (Office) 91-11-23382365 (Fax) E-mail: pstohrm @ gov.in | 302-C, Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi |
| Shri Sanjay Dhotre | Minister of State for Education | 91-1123384073 / 23386163 (Office) 91-1123385112 (Fax) E-mail: mos-mhrd @ gov.in | 126-C, Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi |
Government Initiatives and Achievements
- In September 2020, under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana, the union cabinet approved the establishment of a new AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) at Darbhanga, Bihar.
- In September 2020, UGC ( regulator body for controlling colleges in India) declared guidelines related to distance learning courses, no college, no university or deemed to be a university, can offer its course by franchising agreements with private coaching institutions, can conduct their course through online mode or distance learning.
- SWAYAM-Prabha – Ministry of Education facilitating the schools and higher educational institutions by providing them with 34 educational TV channels which cover educational contents respectively.
- ShikshaVani – It is another government initiative with the help of radio, community radio and CBSE podcast, student get updated with the latest information.
- DAISY – Digitally Accessible Information System provide special e-content for visually and hearing impaired student.
- The government proposed apprenticeship enabled diploma and degree courses in 150 higher educational institutions by Mar-2021
- CBSE introduced artificial intelligence as a subject in class 9th from session 2019-2020.
- In Feb 2020, IIT Delhi signed an MoU with New Zealand universities to establish a New Zealand Centre at the institute where both the party invest 50,000 US dollar each.
Government Other Important Schemes:
National Scheme of Incentive to Girls for Secondary Education:
On May 2008, the government launched a centrally sponsored scheme “National Scheme of Incentive to Girls for Secondary Education. The main aim of this scheme to give incentives to those students who enrolled in class 12th. Hence, they complete their 12th class without any hindrance especially fees related. Scheme another objective to retain the SC/ST communities girls from drop out and ensure their retention up to 18 years of age. The scheme is now boarded on National Scholarship Portal. A sum of Rs. 3000 deposited by the government in the name of eligible girls as a fixed deposit when she enrolled in class 9th and she can withdraw the same amount with interest when she passed class 10th. The role of National Scholarship Portal to control the releasing of scholarships across ministries and departments with full transparency, reliability and efficiency.
National Awards to Teachers:
This scheme was incorporated in 1958, the objective of the scheme is to celebrate the unique contribution of some of the best teachers and honour such teacher for their commitment
National Means-cum-merit Scholarship Scheme:
This is another centrally sponsored scheme launched in May 2008 by the government of India, the objective of the scheme is to provide scholarships for deserving students of classes IX to XII. This scheme also boarded on National Scholarship Portal.
Providing Education to Madrasas / Minorities:
This scheme mainly comprises of two schemes namely Infrastructure Development of Minority Institutes and another is Scheme for Providing Quality Education in Madrasas. The main objective of the scheme is to provide high-quality education to a student who they are part of Madrasa and also built good infrastructure as well and both the schemes are optional in nature and are being executed at the national level.
Padhna Likhna Abhiyan:
This scheme is a centrally sponsored scheme with an investment of Rs.224.95 crore including central share of Rs.148.74 crore and State Share of Rs.76.21 crore. The main objective is to literate 57 lakh learners in FY 2020-21. A separate portal (pla.mhrd.gov.in ) has been designed to manage and monitor this scheme.
DASA:
The admissions to various UG and PG programmes of premier Institutes of India under the DASA scheme will be coordinated by National Institute of Technology Karnataka, for more information about this scheme, check here (https://dasanit.org/dasa2020/)
Distance Education Bureau:
https://www.ugc.ac.in/deb/aboutDEB.html
Swayam Prabha:
https://swayamprabha.gov.in/
In Conclusion:
As of now the government of India taken various steps toward enhancing the education sector in India, offering new IIT’s and IIM’s in new locations. In the upcoming years, India’s education sector is ready to set for new growth.
Source: (www.india.gov.in/topics/education, www.ibef.org/industry/education-sector-india.aspx)