ABSTRACT
Higher education system plays a major role in the social and economic progress of a country. Though the quantitative growth of the Indian higher education sector since independence has been rather impressive, it could not achieve corresponding improvement in the quality or relevance of the education imparted. As a result India’s higher education system is still unable to meet the demands and requirements of the society or the economy. A population which is adequately equipped with knowledge and skills training is essential not only for economic growth but also for the social transformation of the country. It has long been recognised that education assumes a pivotal role in bringing about social and economic empowerment of the weaker sections of the society. Further, the ongoing globalisation process is primarily knowledge- and technology-driven. In the emerging knowledge society, the long-term overall growth of the country and its international competitiveness largely depend on the level of knowledge and skill of its population. Therefore, in order to attain faster, more inclusive and sustainable growth, the country requires a skill-based education system with greater employability and relevance. As the existing system has not been successful enough in providing education with the desired quality or employability, the country needs to look for educational alternatives that would be more relevant to the fast-changing global and domestic socio-economic scenario.
