GROWTH OF EDUCATION

       GROWTH OF EDUCATION

LITERACY RATE:- At the time of independence, the school dropout rate was quite high but it has currently reduced to 12.6 per cent. Female students face significantly higher dropout rates as compared to male students. The reasons for the dropouts are the prevalence of early marriage and education not being considered a priority for girls. The literacy rate in urban areas is higher as compared to rural areas. It stands at 88.9 per cent in urban India while in rural areas, it is 77.5 per cent.

Various government schemes like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), National Programme for Education of Girls at Elementary Level (NPEGEL), Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDMS), Mahila Samakhya, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), Samagra Shiksha Scheme and more policies and schemes are ensuring increased access to better and good quality education.

Through an analysis of historical data, policy frameworks, and case studies, the research highlights the multifaceted role of education in bolstering productivity, innovation, and employability. It scrutinizes key indicators such as literacy rates, enrolment ratios, and public expenditure on education in India to illustrate their direct and indirect impacts on GDP growth. Furthermore, the paper observed the number of institutions such as universities and colleges, enrolment of students and expenditure on education by state and centre. Ultimately, the findings underscore that a robust educational framework is vital for sustaining India’s economic growth trajectory and achieving inclusive development. This study aims to analyze the relationship between the growth of the higher education sector and economic development in India. The analysis will use regression analysis and other statistical techniques based on secondary data collected from various published sources

The principle of operation follows a clear logic: Users can attend almost all courses free of charge in the so-called audit mode, which allows access to videos, reading materials and often ungraded exercises. Only when they earn an official certificate or want access to graded exams and graded assignments will a fee be due. In this way, the entry is designed to be as low-threshold as possible in order to achieve the greatest possible reach. Monetization then kicks in at a point where the user no longer just wants to acquire knowledge, but needs a recognized record of achievement.

The platform has differentiated this basic model through several extensions. In addition to individual certificates, Coursera offers so-called "Specializations" or "Professional Certificates", which bundle several courses thematically and depict a continuous learning journey. In addition, there is a flat-rate model called "Coursera Plus", which grants unlimited access to thousands of courses and certificates for a monthly or annual fee. In parallel, Coursera generates significant revenue in the B2B segment by selling corporate licenses for continuing education programs, as well as in the higher education segment by offering fully online degree programs in cooperation with universities.

In scientific analysis, it can be stated that open source radicalizes the logic of the "economy of generosity". The core of the product is free, and the economic value is created through services that only a small proportion of users need. In this respect, the model is very similar to the freemium principle of platforms like Coursera, but differs in its more community-oriented creation logic. While Coursera or MrBeast deliberately use the free content strategically, altruism in the open source movement initially arises from the intrinsic motivation of the developers. Only secondarily do companies develop a business model from this generosity.

Diverse Participation Enhances Policy Quality: Evidence from World Bank Country Partnership Framework processes shows that broad stakeholder participation "leads to more responsive and inclusive policies that better address the needs of all citizens". However, achieving meaningful diversity requires proactive strategies beyond open invitations. As consultation evaluation research indicates, "going through local community structures" and using "quotas to ensure fairer representation" prove more effective than general calls for participation.

Policy Implications for Development Institutions

Consultation as Investment in Policy Quality: Rather than viewing consultation as compliance requirement or procedural necessity, institutions should recognize consultation processes as investments in policy quality and implementation success. Evidence suggests that well-designed consultation processes reduce implementation risks and enhance policy sustainability by incorporating local knowledge and building stakeholder commitment.

Resource Allocation Strategies: Effective consultation requires significant institutional resources for design, implementation, and follow-up activities. The ADB's six-month, 881-stakeholder consultation process represents substantial institutional investment that produced documented policy improvements. Institutions should budget consultation resources proportionate to policy importance and complexity.

Eessential skills for the future:

1. Bharatiya Bhasha Pustak Scheme: To provide digital-form Indian language books for school and higher education. This aims to help students understand their subjects better.

2. National Centres of Excellence for Skilling: Building on the July 2024 Budget, five National Centres of Excellence for skilling will be established with global partnerships to equip youth with skills. These centres will focus on curriculum design, trainer training, skills certification, and regular reviews.

3. Expansion of Capacity in IITs: Additional infrastructure will be created in the 5 IITs started after 2014 to facilitate education for 6,500 more students. Hostel and other infrastructure capacity at IIT, Patna will also be expanded. Total number of students in 23 IITs has increased 100 per cent from 65,000 to 1.35 lakh in the past 10 years.

4. Centre of Excellence in AI for Education: A Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence for education will be set up with a total outlay of 500 crore.

5. Expansion of Medical Education: The government had added almost 1.1 lakh UG and PG medical education seats in ten years, an increase of 130 per cent. In the next year, 10,000 additional seats will be added in medical colleges and hospitals, towards the goal of adding 75,000 seats in the next 5 years.

Contribution In The Education Sector

Since its evolution, the EdTech industry has provided innovative solutions to address the challenges faced by the education sector. Education has become more accessible because of the integration of technology.

i.EdTech has enabled learners to educate themselves flexibly from the comfort of their homes and study at their convenience.

ii.EdTech has made it convenient and easy for learners to join online classes through smartphones.

iii.Learners are able to get a personalised learning experience, depending on their own pace of learning.

iv.As the online courses are available in vernacular languages, learners can learn in their own language, thus helping them understand better.

v.The burden on teachers has also been reduced due to the simplification of data management. Teachers can now focus on what actually matters. As teachers get real-time data on their student progress, they can support students as per their needs.

vi.EdTech has enabled creativity, critical thinking and collaboration. Educators are able to create a learning space where the students feel safe and inspired.

Advantage India's Factors:-

1.Robust Demand

India has the largest population in the world in the age bracket of 5-24 years with 580 million people, presenting a huge opportunity in the education sector.

India has over 250 million school going students, more than any other country.​

India K-12 segment growth was valued at US$ 48.9 billion in 2023. It is, currently, estimated to grow at a rate of 10.7%. Projected to reach an impressive US$ 125.8 billion by FY32.

2.Competitive Advantage

In the QS World University Rankings: Asia 2025 India stands out with two universities in the top 50 and seven in the top 100, led by the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) at 44th place.

Nine Indian institutes - the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru and eight Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) - were among the top 500 universities in the QS World University Rankings 2023

3.Policy Support

100% FDI (automatic route) is allowed in the education sector in India.

The Government of India has taken initiatives like National Accreditation Regulatory Authority Bill for Higher Educational and the Foreign Educational Institutions Bill.

4.Increasing Investments

The education market in India is expected to amount to US$ 225 billion by FY25.

From April 2000-December 2024, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) equity inflow in the education sector stood at Rs. 71,532 crore (US$ 9.90 billion).

Indian edtech startups have received total investment of US$ 3.94 billion across 155 deals in FY22.

The Union Budget FY26 allocates Rs. 500 crore (US$ 57.57 million) for a Centre of Excellence in AI for Education, aiming to enhance skills, personalize learning, and transform education.

Importance of Education Growth in India :-

However, education is crucial for more than just bidding a progressive nation. In India, education is crucial for several reasons, including:

• Every Indian citizen has the right to get an education, irrespective of gender or social background.
• It encourages democracy in a nation that contains a civilized society.
• Education also contributes to the upliftment of economically underprivileged populations and results in the creation of numerous jobs and employment prospects.
• An effective education leads to the exchange of concepts, information, and ethical behaviour.
• Moreover, education ensures educated people a prosperous future.
• It also helps in the reduction of crime and terrorism.
• Education encourages people to think and act critically.
• People with higher levels of education benefit society, as they care more about things like education, cleanliness, social progress, etc.
• Education promotes cultural abilities in the individual.
• It develops a human personality.
• It enables people to make better choices in life and provides knowledge to understand several changes taking place in society.
• It develops science and technology that plays a significant role in enhancing productivity and efficiency.

Development of Research Facilities

Since 1950-51, attention has been paid to the development of research facilities and India is moving in the right direction. There has been a rise in the number of research institutions, research facilities, and researchers. The number of scientists and technicians in the country is approximately 2.5 million. In this context, India has been placed third in the whole world. To promote research in social sciences the country has four research organizations, they are:

(i) India Council of Historical Research; ICHR (1972)

(ii) India Council of Philosophical Research; ICPR (1981)

(iii) Indian Institute of Advanced Study; IIAS (1965)

(iv) India Council of Social Science Research: ICSSR

The Central Government set up the National Council of Rural Institute to promote higher education in rural areas in the vein of Mahatma Gandhi's revolutionary ideas.

The vocational courses are, programs introduced in six areas like agriculture, business and commerce, health and paramedical, engineering and technology, home science, humanities, and others. Several programs have been introduced for vocational education:

1.Integrated Education for Disabled Children (IEDC): This scheme was launched in 1974. The primary objective is to provide educational opportunities to disabled children in the school system to increase their retention and integration into the education system. The scheme provides 100% assistance for the education of disabled children. The components include educational aids, supporting equipment, and special teachers' salaries.

2.National Open School (NOS): The NOS, an autonomous organisation, was established in 1989 by the Central Government. This aims to provide education to the school and those who can not attend dropouts regular school. It was an innovation in formal education. It focuses on enhancing social equity, and justice and creating a learning society. During the 11th plan, the National Institute of Open Schooling was developed to pen new schools in states.

3.Navodya Vidyalayas: The scheme was introduced in the National Policy on Education on an average of presently one in each district. Earlier it was started with two experimental schools in 1985-86. There are presently 661 such schools in India.

4.Kendriya Vidyalayas: The Government of India approved the scheme of Kendriya Vidyalaya in 1962. This aims to cater to the needs of education of the transferable central government employees, which includes RBI officers, to defense personnel. There are 1,248 Kendriya Vidyalayas in India as per 2021.

Education Growth in India

1. Every Indian citizen has the right to get an education, irrespective of gender or social background.
2. It encourages democracy in a nation that contains a civilized society.
3. Education also contributes to the upliftment of economically underprivileged populations and results in the creation of numerous jobs and employment prospects.
4. An effective education leads to the exchange of concepts, information, and ethical behaviour.
5. Moreover, education ensures educated people a prosperous future.
6. It also helps in the reduction of crime and terrorism.
7. Education encourages people to think and act critically.
8. People with higher levels of education benefit society, as they care more about things like education, cleanliness, social progress, etc.
9. Education promotes cultural abilities in the individual.
10. It develops a human personality.
11. It enables people to make better choices in life and provides knowledge to understand several changes taking place in society.
12. It develops science and technology that plays a significant role in enhancing productivity and efficiency.