While quantitative analyses of higher education in India are plentiful, informed research on higher education policy at the State level remains limited. This volume seeks to fill that gap. It is the outcome of a multi-state study sponsored by the ICSSR, examining higher education policies in four southern States—Andhra Pradesh (pre-bifurcation), Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu—and the western State of Maharashtra. Set against both historical contexts and contemporary realities, each State-specific case study offers a critical assessment of higher education policy and reflects on the factors that have significantly influenced policy processes.A common feature across these States is the overwhelming presence and influence of unaided private educational institutions, whose dominance has shaped policy orientations and enabled their largely unchallenged expansion within the higher education system. However, the factors shaping State policies on expansion and qualitative development vary considerably. In Andhra Pradesh, political affiliations and caste considerations have influenced policy directions; in Karnataka, policy responses have oscillated in reaction to expert recommendations; in Tamil Nadu, higher education policy has been shaped by competitive politics centred on vision, access, and affordability. Maharashtra provides a striking example of an education-politics nexus that has weakened university autonomy, while Kerala stands apart with relatively slower growth but a sustained focus on equity-driven expansion through regulated privatisation.Together, these States account for more than 40 percent of all higher education institutions in the country. The policy trends explored in this volume, therefore, offer important insights into the evolving trajectory of higher education in India as a whole. This work will be of considerable value to planners, administrators, researchers, and students engaged in a deeper analysis of education policy in India.
A. Mathew
Dr A. Mathew has served as a National Fellow and ICSSR Senior Fellow at the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), New Delhi. He previously worked with the Directorate of Adult Education and the National Institute of Adult Education. Over an academic career extending across more than four decades, he has produced an extensive body of work, including numerous research papers and monographs. His areas of specialization include Elementary Education, Literacy, Adult and Continuing Education, Non-formal Education, Educational Developments in Historical Perspective, and State Policies in Higher Education in India.
Kuldeep Mathur
Kuldeep Mathur is Former Director, National Institute of Planing and Administration, New Delhi.
Editorial Reviews
“Privatization and commercialization of higher education, especially in professional and technical education, is a rampant phenomenon in the post-reform (1991) phase in India. The southern States of Andhra Pradesh (pre-bifurcation), Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and the western State of Maharashtra have been leading these reform initiatives. This is one of the first books that uncovers the ramifications of this under-researched area in comparative perspective. This is a must-read book for policymakers and researchers.”
—Sukhadeo Thorat, Former Chairman, University Grants Commission, New Delhi