ABSTRACT
Reviewing the higher education terrain in India, Jandhyala B. G. Tilak argues that the emphasis is laid either on quantity or quality or equity, not on all three at the same time and that the result is a triangle of three unequal sides. High dropout rates reflect a deeper malaise in the Indian education system. It is also argued that the rich have greater access to educational resources. Quality of secondary education exerts a huge influence on opportunities after school. Mahatma Gandhi had dreamed of a school system that was rooted in the social and cultural context while at the same time ensuring good quality secular education that was accessible to all children in the country. The segregation in education with different social classes enjoying differential access to different kinds of school’s cuts at the root and poses a real threat to democracy.
