Government of India’s policy think tank, NITI Aayog, has recently launched a first-of-its-kind report focusing on states and state public universities (SPUs) in India. The report analyses vital indicators of Quality, Funding and Financing, Governance and Employability over the last decade compiled from extensive stakeholder consultations held with state government officers of higher and technical education departments from over 20 states and union territories, vice chancellors, and senior academicians of 50 SPUs, and chairpersons of several state higher education councils.

The policy report offers a detailed policy roadmap including nearly 80 policy recommendations, short, medium, and long-term implementation strategies, actors responsible for implementing the recommendations and over 125 Performance Success Indicators. The recommendations are aimed at improving the quality of research, pedagogy and curriculum, augmenting institutional and systemic funding and financing capacity, upgrading and empowering institutional governance structures, and strengthening industry-academia interface to boost student employability.

NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery said that in many global education systems, public universities set the benchmark for excellence, as seen in the United States and Brazil. While India has institutions like IITs, SPUs must also strive for high standards. He hoped that the recommendations contained in the report would be enthusiastically taken forward by the Ministries in the Central and State Governments. 

Access the report here.