| INDIA: A crisis of confidence in higher education? |
In India, an institution of higher learning should be registered as a non-profit society or trust and approved by appropriate statutory authorities such as the University Grants Commission (UGC) or the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).
But an incoherent regulatory framework and lack of quality standards in Indian higher education are risking the quality and potential of foreign partnerships.
Driven by market opportunities and entrepreneurial zeal, many institutions are taking advantage of the lax regulatory environment to offer 'degrees' not approved by Indian authorities. And many institutions are functioning as pseudo non-profit organisations, developing sophisticated financial methods to siphon off the 'profits'.
Some are effectively misleading students about the validity of their degrees while claiming to offer an alternative choice.
Consider the case of the Indian Institute of Planning and Management, or IIPM, which enrols more than 5,000 students across eight campuses with more than 400 faculty members. Yet it is not approved by the UGC or any other accreditation agency.
Its full-page advertisements in newspapers and magazines display the catchword 'MBA' in large font. It is only on visiting the institute's website that one finds acknowledgement (in fine print) that it does not actually offer MBA degrees. Audaciously, its website Q&A even states: "Students bothered about statutory recognition of IIPMs programmes need not apply to IIPM..."
The UGC issued a notice in 2005, and again in 2010, clarifying that IIPM is not a university and does not have the authority to award degrees. Yet IIPM continues to enrol students.
Institutions like IIPM flourish in India because prospective students do not necessarily understand the implications of attending a recognised or unrecognised institution.
Students are often unaware that credentials offered by an unrecognised institution will be useless should they decide to continue their studies - whether in India or abroad. Attending an unrecognised institution also affects students' migration prospects, as credentials issued by such institutions are not considered valid under immigration requirements.
In response to cases like IIPM and a growing segment of unapproved institutions that appear to be profiteering, the Prohibition of Unfair Practices Bill was approved by cabinet in March 2010. The bill promises to curb malpractice - including misleading advertising, which may result in fines of up to INR5 million (US$110,000). The bill is still awaiting parliamentary approval. Read more
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