SKILLING INDIA: THE WAY AHEADIndia has over 35,000 institutions of higher education, a number that is one of the largest in the world.The central and state universities together still comprise a substantial percentage of them. However, over the next decade or two, this is likely to shift towards private institutions as more and more Indians decide to get higher education.India today is a rapidly changing country, which is markedly different from what it was 20 years ago when it started on a new path to liberalisation. With a large number of companies in the other hemisphere outsourcing jobs to India, the country has virtually become the world’s back-office. This has also spurred the demand for quality graduates in multiple disciplines.With the number of middle class Indians swelling, the requirements of careers changing and a new breed of young Indians leading the clamour for world-class education at home, India’s education sector is also changing rapidly.The Gross Enrolment Ratio or GER in higher education in India is still a little less than 15 per cent. This too varies from region to region.According to a McKinsey report on Indian demography, 590 million people will live in Indian cities by 2030, almost twice the current US population. There will be 91 million urban homes by 2030 in India, as against 20 million today. A large number of rural residents would be shifting base to urban centers, giving up their age-old family profession of farming and cultivation in favour of new avenues for their children.These create a never-before seen demand for higher education in India. This is where the role of the private sector will and is proving to be crucial.It is not just the numbers that are increasing. Another major shift is in the demand for quality. More globally-exposed Indians are today asking why a greater number of Indian educational institutions cannot provide world-class education, comparable to prestigious foreign institutions.Consequently, not only are more and more private universities and colleges emerging everywhere, but also there is an increasing consciousness among ‘education providers’ that quality education is what the young Indians are looking for. Private universities are also breaking new paradigms in education by offering wide options of learning to students and developing new mechanisms of learning. The teaching techniques and the quality of learning have also been transformed. Indian institutions today are also working to cater to a growing international clientele of students that are looking for new pastures to get an education. Some prestigious institutions today also attract foreign students to the country, with their state-of-the-art infrastructure and world-class education. It is time the government recognises the role of private sector education in building a sound future for India.Questions1. Does India have a high number of institutions of higher education? 2. Where will more and more Indians decide to get higher education in the coming decades? 3. How has India virtually become the world’s back office? 4. What are the requirements of careers changing in India? 5. How is the government responding to the requirements of higher education? 6. What will be the condition of Indian cities by 2030? 7. What is the thing in higher education that the young Indians are looking for? 8. What role can the private sector education play in the future?