The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has introduced a transformative approach to India’s higher education system with the aim to achieve the three primacies of access, quality and future readiness. It emphasizes setting up more Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in underserved areas to ‘ensure full access, equity, and inclusion while recommending at least one large multidisciplinary HEI in or near every district.It has proposed a 50 per cent Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education by 2035, which would nearly double the student population from 4 . 3 3 crore (2021-22) in a decade.
This would make India the world’s largest higher education system. To accommodate this massive growth, India will need to nearly double its current number of universities. An analysis of the current geographical distribution of universities in India reveals that over the last seven decades, their locations have been primarily determined by supply – side considerations srath erthan demand-driven factors. As a result, universities are concentrated in and around urban centres, rather than being spread across districts. For a more balanced distribution over the next decade, evidence-based spatial analyses can help provide insights for the strategic location of new universities across India.
The Ministry of Education publishes the All-India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE), an annual report that offers comprehensive insights into the state of higher education across the country. When combined with available demographic data, this information holds significant potential for analysing the geographical distribution and concentration of colleges and universities. It also provides policymakers with valuable evidence to recommend optimal locations for establishing new universities. The key highlights are published alongside
A recent Working Paper by NITI Aayog on ‘ Establishing New Universities in India’ used in-depth spatial and statistical analysis to provide insights at three levels. District-level: There are 81 districts with 50 or more colleges, but no universities. Given their large population base and demand for higher education, these districts may consider establishment of new cluster universities.UP accounts for 32 of these districts, followed by Maharashtra with 13 districts.In UP, 32 State Public Universities (SPUs) have an exceptionally high number of 8,375affiliated colleges. This translates to 262 colleges per SPU. While UP comprises about 7.8 p er cent of India’s universities , accounts for approximately 18.4 per cent of colleges.
This situation provides an opportunity for focused efforts to integrate high potential colleges into cluster universities for decentralized capacity expansion. Region-level: After mapping the location of existing universities, spatial autocorrelation identifies contiguous regions spanning multiple districts with low university presence. These regions account for more than 75 per cent of Aspirational Districts, spread across our major are as : North-eastern States (especially Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Manipur), eastern Maharashtra with south-western Odisha, eastern Madhya Pradesh with south-eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and eastern Gujarat with neighbouring western Madhya Pradesh .To enhance higher education access in these underserved regions, establishing new and specialized universities tailored to local needs is recommended.
State-level: A composite index created using five key indicators helped evaluate demand for universities at the state-level. The index included two positive factors where higher values indicate greater demand: percentage of state’s population relative to national population, and percentage of 18-23-year-olds within the state. It also used three negative factors where lower values indicate higher demand: GER in the state, and ratio of universities and colleges per lakh population. States with higher composite scores in the index indicate a requirement for more universities to meet existing demand.
The analysis indicates thatUP, India’s most populous state, has the greatest need for new universities. Other large states with significant populations such as Maharashtra, West Bengal, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, also emerge as high-priority areas.This is despite significant growth in number of universities in these states between 2012 and 2022— Maharashtra increased from 45 to 74, West Bengal from 26 to 58, Bihar from 20 to 37, Rajasthan from 47 to 90, and Madhya Pradesh from 36 to 77.
While planning for creation and/or expansion of universities, greenfield and brownfield, it is essential to account for multiple factors in addition to spatial and statistical analysis and conduct detailed micro-scale studies. These would involve careful evaluation of regional demand,socio-economic characteristics, accessibility, proximity to existing universities, and opportunities for collaboration with academic institutions, research organisations, and industries. In addition to expansion, clear prioritisation in four areas is crucial for success of new universities.
Firstly, developing specialized curricula that enhances skilling and employability in emerging fields.Secondly, designing courses that ensure quality education, nurture human values, promote sociocultural identities, and strengthen teacher training. Thirdly, transforming universities into multidisciplinary hubs equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure including smart classrooms, digital libraries, cutting-edge research centres, incubation hubs, and robust sports and wellness facilities. Lastly, fostering gender-inclusive campuses with hostels and barrier-free access for Divyangjan.
These would ensure holistic and comprehensive higher education for all. To achievethe vision of Viksit Bharat@2047, a strategic shift in approach for creation of new universities is needed. This involves moving away from traditional supply-based resource planning to demand-driven, proactive planning. Incorporating evidence-based statistical analyses alongside spatial evaluations can ensure an effective, efficient, inclusive, and sustainable expansion of higher education infrastructure.
(The writers are, respectively, Member, Senior Specialist and Research Officer at NITI Aayog. The views expressed are personal.)