The scope of higher education in the country has increased rapidly in the last years. New colleges were opened, new universities were built and more students than ever before were involved in studies. The picture looks quite bright on paper. But a big question still stands in front, did this increase reach every student equally? Despite having such a large number of institutions, are the youth of every district getting the opportunity for good education?

The State of Working India 2026 report shows that the numbers we are seeing today are many times higher than at the time of independence. In 1950, there were about 1,600 colleges and universities across the country. Most of these were government. Gradually this number increased and by 2022 there would be more than 69,000 colleges and universities in the country. Hearing this figure it seems that now there will be no shortage of education.

But the story does not end here. A large part of this increase has happened in recent years and private institutions have played a greater role in it. This means that now a large part of education is in private hands. On one hand this increased the seats, but on the other hand the fees also increased, due to which access to education is still not easy for poor and rural students.

Number of colleges increased rapidly

Another important thing has come out in the report that the number of colleges has increased, but their distribution is not equal in the entire country. While in 2010 there were 29 colleges per one lakh youth, in 2021 this number increased to 45. That means, on average, the situation has improved. But when the district wise figures were seen, the picture appeared different.

In many districts of North and East India there are still less than 18 colleges per 1 lakh youth. This means that the students living there have to go far to study. Many times they leave further studies due to distance, expense and lack of resources.

What is the major drawback?

That is, on one hand there is abundance of colleges in cities and some states, while on the other hand there is still a shortage in many areas. There are seats in many private colleges, but not good teachers. There are buildings at many places, but laboratories and libraries are weak. In such a situation, students take a degree but do not get as much knowledge as is required.

This report clearly shows that merely increasing the numbers is not enough. It is important that equal attention be paid to both quality and access to education. There is still a great need for government colleges in rural and backward areas. The need of the hour is to provide good education there at low fees. Also, strict rules and monitoring are necessary for private institutions also, so that they do not become mere businesses.

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