Higher Education in India: GER Target, Access Challenges and Scholarship Reforms

India aims to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education to 50%, but access remains limited despite the growth of institutions.

Current Status and the Enrolment Gap

• Institutional Growth: According to the Economic Survey 2025–26, the number of higher education institutions increased from 51,534 in 2014–15 to over 70,000 today.
• The GER Challenge: Despite this expansion, the Gross Enrolment Ratio for the 18–23 age group stood at 29.5% in 2022–23.
• The Core Issue: Merely increasing the number of institutions is insufficient if student enrolment does not keep pace with the expansion of colleges and universities. 

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Three Main Challenges to Higher Education

• Access Challenge: Persistent regional and social inequalities lead to unequal opportunities, limiting access to higher education for several disadvantaged groups.
• Affordability Challenge: Rising costs of education make it increasingly difficult for many families, including sections of the middle class, to afford higher education.
• Quality Challenge: Uncertainty regarding employment opportunities after completing a degree reduces students’ confidence in the value of higher education. 

Historical Precedent: The Takshashila Model

The ancient Takshashila model reflected a flexible and inclusive approach to financing education:

• Full Payment: Students who could afford it paid their fees upfront.
• Learn and Earn: Those lacking funds could serve their teachers or assist in academic work while pursuing their studies.
• Defer and Pay: Students were allowed to complete their education first and repay the fees later after securing employment.
• Regional Scholarships: Villages or hometown communities often sponsored promising local students.
• Charity Support: Wealthy patrons and the broader community contributed donations to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds. 

Existing Government and Private Initiatives

• Interest Subsidies: The Department of Higher Education provides interest subsidies on education loans. 
  • Example: If the interest rate is 8%, the student may pay 3%, while the government covers the remaining 5%.
• National Scholarship Portal: The National Scholarship Portal serves as a unified platform to integrate and manage various scholarship schemes.
• Central Sector Scheme: Under the Central Sector Scheme of Scholarships for College and University Students, about 82,000 scholarships are awarded annually for Undergraduate, Postgraduate, and professional courses.
• External Support: Additional financial assistance is also provided through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives and support from various non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

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Reforms to Make Scholarships More Effective

• Beyond Financial Aid: Scholarships should evolve from mere financial assistance to comprehensive pathways that support access to education, mentorship, and long-term career development.
• Fixed Duration: Scholarships should cover the entire duration of a course (3–4 years) instead of requiring annual renewals, ensuring financial certainty for students.
• Regional Focus: Greater scholarship allocation should target economically weaker and underserved regions where access to higher education institutions remains limited.
• Program-Specific Pathways: Scholarships should be aligned with emerging and market-relevant fields such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve employability outcomes.
• Tax Benefits: Providing tax incentives for educational endowments and donations can encourage greater private and philanthropic funding for scholarships. 

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Conclusion

If the objective is to enhance not just enrollment but also social mobility and national capability, scholarships must move from being peripheral support to the centre of India’s higher education strategy.

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