As India is celebrating the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ to mark the 75 years of independence, we step into New India where the world will witness the new standards of New India by setting up new benchmarks and achieving new milestones across all the sectors. While we embark the journey of New India, the revamped educational infrastructure for the primary, secondary and higher secondary levels as well as higher education is adding glory to the facelight defining the standards of New India.
With new education policy 2020, India has designed the academic path such that India can lead the 21st century with knowledge and skills par excellence. To facilitate the path of New India’s academics, it’s the educational infrastructure that is going to play a vital role in fulfilling the dream of New India – The world leader. The educational infrastructure was neglected since 67 years of independence which has now been revamped and enhanced in just 7 years since 2014 under the visionary and determined leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He envisioned, he encapsulated and he executed his vision into action to realise the dream of New India’s standards of education.
Talking about primary, secondary and higher secondary education, India has ranked 35th globally in the worldwide educating for the future index 2019, up 5 ranks from 2018. Today more children are attending schools like never before. More teachers are enabling quality education as pupil-teacher ratios (Pupils per teacher) improves with smaller classrooms for more attention to students.
In primary and upper primary schools, the ratio was 34 and 23 in 2013 which was 26 and 18 respectively in 2020. Whereas in secondary and higher secondary schools, the ratio was 30 and 39 in 2013, which was 18 and 26 respectively in 2020. 55% of schools were covered under electricity in 2013, which has increased drastically to 83% in 2020. 69% of the schools were having libraries/reading rooms/reading corners in 2014, which increased to 84% in 2020. Over 87000 Atal Tinkering labs have been set up since 2016 for promoting innovation. Basic facilities like hand wash facilities are now available in 90% schools which was limited to only 36% till 2013. Annual medical checkup in schools was available in only 61% schools in 2013 which has been increased to 82% in 2020.
India has witnessed miraculous results due to the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ mission which has not only brought down drop outs but increased enrollment of girls in higher secondary schools unimaginably. Gross enrollment of girls in higher education increased by 18% from 2015 to 2020 with GER 39 in 2013 to 52 in 2020.
In higher education, a record 71 Indian universities have made it to the world university rankings up from 63 last year of which 3 Indian universities – IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi and IISc Bengaluru have achieved top 200 positions in QS world university rankings. Two colleges have been set up every day since 2014 which has increased the number of colleges in India from 36,634 in 2013-14 to 42,343 in 2019-20. Apart from it, one university has been set up every week since 2014 which has increased the number of universities to 1043 in 2019-20 from 723 in 2013-14. The number of IITs and IIMs have increased from 16 to 23 and 13 to 20 from 2014 to 2021 respectively.
As a result of these efforts, the number of students in higher education have increased from 3.45 crores in 2015-16 to 3.85 crores in 2019-20. While Ladakh has been gifted its first central university and North-East getting 22 more universities, the first ever Forensic university and the Rail and Transport university have also been established which will bring out specialists and skilled young professionals, who will define New India’s standards to the world with their knowledge, skills and professional excellence as well as problem solving abilities.
With the aim to make healthcare education more accessible, 6 new AIIMS have been operationalised and 16 more are in pipeline as well as MBBS seats have been increased by 53% from 54,348 in 2014 to 83,275 in 2020 and post graduate seats increased by 80% from 30,191 in 2014 to 54,275 in 2020.
Having seen the facts and figures of educational infrastructure in India, it proves that ruined educational infrastructure due to neglected governance for 67 years has been revamped like never before in just 7 years.
