CEA Calls For State-LED Push In Higher Education Reform
“Whether this demographic dividend becomes a growth accelerator or a social strain will depend in large measure on the quality, relevance and adaptability of our higher education system”: Chief economic adviser (CEA) V Anantha Nageswaran
NEW DELHI: Chief economic adviser (CEA) V Anantha Nageswaran on Wednesday said that India is at a demographic and economic inflection point and higher education will play a decisive role, as millions of youngsters get ready to enter the workforce over the next two decades. “States hold the key to the next phase of higher education reform in India,” he said at a CII event here.
The CEA also stressed on addressing shortage of teachers urgently through mechanisms such as professors of practice and also improving the quality of education. “Whether this demographic dividend becomes a growth accelerator or a social strain will depend in large measure on the quality, relevance and adaptability of our higher education system,” he said.
Nageswaran further said that other key priorities for states include a shift from control to stewardship, moving from input-based to outcome-based regulation, adopting an entrepreneurial approach in public administration, and financing institutions based on differentiated roles and outcomes. “India being a demographic and economic inflection point, over the next two decades, millions of young Indians will enter the working age population,” he said.
“Whether this demographic dividend becomes a growth accelerator or a social strain will depend in large measure on the quality, relevance and adaptability of our higher education system. The policy groundwork has already been laid. The national education policy (NEP) has opened doors. Regulatory thinking is evolving. What is now required is execution, institutional courage and cooperative federalism,” he said.
The CEA also called for deeper industry engagement in curriculum design, research, and governance. “Industry can co-design curricula, offer credit-bearing internships, support applied research, share infrastructure, and participate meaningfully in governance,” he said, adding that collaboration between government, states, industry, and citizens can help India move from scale to leadership and emerge as a global hub for learning, research and ideas.