Higher Education in India

India's higher education system is the third largest in the world, after China and the United States.[41] The main governing body at the tertiary level is the University Grants Commission (India), which enforces its standards, advises the government, and helps coordinate between the centre and the state.[42] Accreditation for higher learning is overseen by 12 autonomous institutions established by the University Grants Commission.[43]

As of 2009, India has 20 central universities, 215 state universities, 100 deemed universities, 5 institutions established and functioning under the State Act, and 13 institutes which are of national importance.[42] Other institutions include 16000 colleges, including 1800 exclusive women's colleges, functioning under these universities and institutions.[42] The emphasis in the tertiary level of education lies on science and technology.[44] Indian educational institutions by 2004 consisted of a large number of technology institutes.[45] Distance learning is also a feature of the Indian higher education system.

Some institutions of India, such as the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), have been globally acclaimed for their standard of undergraduate education in engineering .[45] The IITs enroll about 8000 students annually and the alumni have contributed to both the growth of the private sector and the public sectors of India.[46] However IITs barely has any contribution in fundamemtal scientific research and innovation. Some Institute of Basic research like Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science(IACS), Indian Institute of Science IISC), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TFIR) has acclaimed for their standard of research in basic science. However, India has failed to produce world class universities like Harvard or Cambridge.[47]

Besides top rated universities which provide highly competitive world class education to their pupils, India is also home to many universities which have been founded with the sole objective of making easy money. Regulatory authorities like UGC and AICTE have been trying very hard to extirpate the menace of private universities which are running courses without any affiliation or recognition. Students from rural and semi urban background often fall victim to these institutes and colleges.[48]

Three Indian universities were listed in the Times Higher Education list of the world’s top 200 universities — Indian Institutes of Technology, Indian Institutes of Management, and Jawaharlal Nehru University in 2005 and 2006.[49] Six Indian Institutes of Technology and the Birla Institute of Technology and Science – Pilani were listed among the top 20 science and technology schools in Asia by Asiaweek.[50] The Indian School of Business situated in Hyderabad was ranked number 12 in global MBA rankings by the Financial Times of London in 2010[51] while the All India Institute of Medical Sciences has been recognized as a global leader in medical research and treatment.[52]