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News18
21-07-2025
- Politics
- News18
State Universities in Higher Education and Research
Last Updated: We are at a crossroads with respect to education. Unless we train a very large number of young men and women in an all-round holistic manner, we are doomed as an aspiring country In an aspirational country like modern India, there is an urgent requirement of education at all levels. Education is like defence, finance, health and external affairs. It is essential to our strategic well-being and as such, a primary responsibility of the central government. Education in the Concurrent List presently and the responsibility for its spread and dissemination is shared by the centre and the states. There are also some players in the private sector. This number has been growing recently. Education ennobles and if rightly imparted, it teaches us to think, apply logic and rationality in our daily lives, and removes bigotry and superstition—in short, it enriches our lives substantially. These lofty long-range goals apart, there needs to be, at the very least, a direct connect between the quality and level of education received and the employment prospects for the person who has been educated. With regard to this last and rather basic need, our education policies, both at the central and state levels, have been unsatisfactory. There is a limit as to the coverage that can be given by the central educational institutions like the IITs, IISERs, AIIMSs and Central Universities. The graduates from these institutions are largely from the STEM subjects and search for jobs after acquiring degrees like BTech, MTech, MBBS or PhD. The central universities are generally not able to take care of the very large numbers of students who study the humanities, social sciences or any subject that does not fall within the scientific domain. My guesstimate is that it is only a small number of students (say 10%) are able to secure admission to a central government institution and that an even smaller number secure decent employment in India after their studies. The responsibility for educating the other 90% young people in such a way that they are able to secure some employment after their studies lies fair and square with the state universities and therefore with the respective state governments. There needs to be much understanding between the centre and the states in the matter of education, implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP 2020) and a language policy that helps all and offends none. Any modern, advanced country is supposed to have one decent university for each million population. By this token, India needs 1400 good universities. We have around 450 state universities that exist formally but many of them are languishing, and practically lifeless. The solution to this huge imbalance between demand and supply with regard to employment cannot be solved by opening new universities in remote places, or by handing over the whole education enterprise to the private sector, but rather by a total cleansing and bettering, of what I would term, the salvageable state universities. The NEP 2020 is well aware of this problem but has not been able to offer meaningful and implementable solutions. I shall try and proffer some solutions here. There are many problems endemic to the state universities. In an overall sense, the extent of corruption in these places is at an all-time high. The complicity of politicians and bureaucrats is undeniable because of the overwhelming influence that the state governments have in the running of universities. In certain states, the problem is extremely grave and high-level posts are routinely for sale. The options for corruption through examinations, ghost thesis writing, faculty and non-faculty appointments, building construction, purchases and patronage are simply too many. In certain states, caste- and religion-based reservations have secured a vise-like grip on the running of the organization and criminal elements roam around freely. The system of affiliated colleges is also a back-breaking burden on the system and no solution is in sight. Yet, a closer inspection shows that all the state universities should not be tarred with the same brush. Roughly, I would categorize the 450 odd state institutions existing today as follows: (1) 100 old universities which once had better reputations and are located in the centres of cities. These places are floundering because of the lack of adequate funding. Formerly well-known research departments have become inactive in these universities. Corruption is not always the problem; (2) 150 old and well-known private colleges, once again in large cities, which have maintained their teaching standards but can only aspire to modest research goals because of the lack of funding and infrastructure. Many of these colleges enjoy varying degrees of administrative and academic autonomy and some have been upgraded into universities. Corruption and caste are usually not the issues here; (3) 100 universities in smaller places that lack the critical mass, infrastructure and talent to perform productively and exist in name only, drifting along with no finances; (4) 100 organizations that have gone beyond the pale—the debilitating factors of corruption, caste, religion and criminality are so deeply enmeshed in the ordinary functioning so that there seems to be no point in even trying to improve them. These places are just dens, and serve no useful purpose, at least not for honest citizens. Let us now look at the financial inputs that are required for a respectable teaching and research profile in universities. The recent central budget figures tell the whole story. The average outlay for an IIT is 500 crores for FY 2025-26. For a central university it is 135 crores. For an IISER, it is 200 crores. The IISc gets 900 crores. Each state university gets on average, 75 crores as the UGC component. Undeniably a state university also gets funding from the state government. But how much does it get? And how fast is it given? Problems that can be solved with money are often the easiest problems to solve. And we are told that India is no more a poor country. To solve the financial problems of our state universities, I would suggest that the central government sanction 500 crore per year for five years to each of these 200 institutions. These places have the most valuable asset for which the government need not pay: prime land and solid buildings. Students prefer to commute short distances from their homes to decent colleges and universities. They now travel to far flung places and live in insanitary conditions in hostels because of the lack of educational opportunities closer to their homes. The total outlay for my suggestion is 1,00,000 crores per year for five years and this is not a large sum of money for a country of our size to address such a critical need that has been neglected for 75 years. This amount should be used for both appointments, which should be of ad hoc five-year duration (no permanent tenure, therefore no reservations but a compensation that is comparable to what an entering assistant professor gets in a central university), and for equipment, infrastructure and support especially in undergraduate labs. The state governments may follow suit and they probably will, if the centre were to take a bold step like this and the enterprise will need a lot of centre-state financial cooperation. Universities need to be formally grouped as I have done above, and the third group of 100 barely existing state universities and colleges should be converted into teaching institutions with all pretences of research removed. Here again, contractual five-year appointments should be the norm and active financial inputs from state governments are necessary. The goal here is to produce well-rounded and well-trained individuals, mostly at the BA/BSc level who can be absorbed into meaningful employment. The students should ideally come from homes close to these universities or colleges and they should also be able to secure jobs in nearby locations. As in other countries, some of these universities may be upgraded into research institutions based on their performance in teaching, but this would necessarily be a slow process. The final group of 100 unsalvageable and ungovernable universities should be simply abandoned and whenever possible, should be wound up. This might be difficult in the short run, and politically sensitive, but there is no viable alternative. No tears need be shed. I am merely asking for a closure. If they cannot be formally shut down, they should not be funded, which is effectively saying the same thing. I come now to a major difficulty. The behemoth University Grants Commission (UGC) is a real roadblock between the political establishment, which in the end, must have the necessary conviction to implement major reforms in the education sector, and the universities which would implement the reforms. The UGC has outlived its usefulness long ago and like the Planning Commission it needs to be morphed into a faster moving, facilitating and progressive body, free of vested interests and corruption. In this regard, I do not feel that the proposed Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) as a single overarching regulator for higher education in India is a good idea. Its aim is to replace existing multiple regulatory bodies like the UGC and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), with the goal of streamlining governance, improving academic standards, and enhancing institutional autonomy. While the concept of HECI was proposed under the NEP 2020, and a draft bill (The Higher Education Commission of India (Repeal of University Grants Commission Act) Bill, 2018) was introduced for public consultation, it has faced delays and has not been passed by Parliament. I am afraid that HECI, even if it comes into being, will be another UGC or AICTE is a new garb. The same people will be running the new place. top videos View all We are a crossroads with respect to education. Unless we are able to train a very large number of young men and women in an all-round holistic manner, we are doomed as an aspiring country. There will be no Viksit Bhārat unless we address the education crisis. The way forward seems obvious to me at least but hard decisions need to be taken by the central government. Gautam R. Desiraju is in the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views. tags : AIIMS iit NEP 2020 university grants commission view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: July 21, 2025, 15:22 IST News opinion Opinion | State Universities in Higher Education and Research Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Hindu
26-06-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
More higher education institutions needed for students interested in science, says Ashoke Sen
While the establishment of the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs) about two decades ago gave a fillip to science education in India, there is a need for more higher education institutions to cater to the students who want to pursue science, Prof. Ashoke Sen, Infosys Madhava Chair Professor, International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS), Bengaluru, said on Thursday. Current trends The current trends indicate a heavy incline towards engineering, medicine or management, which enable students to earn well, but science will be pursued by those who are genuinely interested in the subject. 'The demand is quite high; even to get into IISERs, there is tough competition,' Prof. Sen said. IISERs, he said, have provided opportunities to interested students to pursue science. 'I am not particularly concerned about more students opting for professional courses. As long as there are enough opportunities for people genuinely interested in science, we are doing good enough,' Prof. Sen added. On the research front, however, he sounded a note of caution, saying that India's allocation to science research, was minuscule, compared to China and other developed countries in Asia and the West. Besides, bureaucracy, with its regulations and administrative control, made it difficult to access grant money. 'Restrictions on the use of grant is a bottleneck in doing experimental research in India. Theorists, fortunately, do not suffer from this, unless they want to buy a big computer,' he added. Prof. Sen was at The Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMSc) in Taramani on Thursday to deliver a lecture on 'Classical Gravitational Wave Tails from Quantum Soft Theorem' as part of 'The Alladi Ramakrishnan Centenary Lecture Series'. His lecture dwelt on the use of certain results in quantum gravity, called soft graviton theorem, to simplify the calculation of aspects of gravitational waves produced by a scattering process (an explosion, like supernova, or a cluster collision). The application of the theorem simplifies the otherwise complicated calculation process to arrive at the source of the scatter. Experimental use In the theoretical realm, this method may still be experimentally used to reconstruct the scattering process once gravitational waves from scattering are detected. Practical use related to actual measurements depended on several factors such as sensitivity of detection instruments and the frequency of such scattering processes in the universe. Prof. Krishnaswami Alladi, Professor of Mathematics, University of Florida, and Prof. V. Ravindran, Director, IMSc, spoke.
News18
25-06-2025
- Science
- News18
IISER IAT Results 2025 Out: Counselling Application Begins Tomorrow, Check Result Here
Last Updated: IISER IAT Results 2025 Declared: The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) has declared the results of the IISER Aptitude Test (IAT) 2025 at IISER IAT Results 2025 Out: The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) has declared the results of the IISER Aptitude Test (IAT) 2025. Candidates who appeared for the exam can now check their results on the official website at This year, the test was conducted by IISER Tirupati, and the entrance exam took place on May 25. IAT 2025 scores will be used for admissions to the five-year BS-MS (dual degree) and four-year BS programmes offered by IISERs located in Berhampur, Bhopal, Kolkata, Mohali, Pune, Thiruvananthapuram, and Tirupati. Students can pursue programmes in Natural Sciences, Engineering, Computational and Data Sciences, Economic Sciences, and Economic and Statistical Sciences. Step 1: Visit the official IISER website – Step 2: Click on the 'IISER Aptitude Test Results" link on the homepage. Step 3: Enter your login credentials (registration ID and password). Step 4: Your IISER Result 2025 will be displayed on the screen. Step 5: Check all the details and download the scorecard for future reference. Counselling Dates: June 26 to July 3, 2025 (till 5:00 PM) The counselling application form will be available on after the declaration of results. No fee is required to fill out the counselling form. Choice Filling And Preference List Candidates will see 11 programmes offered across 7 IISERs at the time of online counselling registration. You must prepare a preference list, ranking programmes from most preferred to least preferred. The preference list must include at least one IISER programme. You will be considered only for the programmes included in your list. No admission will be offered for any programme not mentioned in the preference list.
Hans India
25-06-2025
- Science
- Hans India
IISER IAT 2025 Result Declared: How to Check and Next Steps
IISERs announced the IAT 2025 results. Students can check their marks on Log in with your registration number and password. If you scored at least one mark, you get a rank. Having a rank does not mean you will get admission. How to check result: Visit Click on IAT 2025 result link Log in to your account Download your marks and rank The exam was in May on a computer. It had 60 questions — 15 each in Biology, Chemistry, Math, and Physics. The total score was 240. You get 4 marks for every right answer. One mark is taken away for every wrong answer. The test lasted 3 hours. This test is for courses at IISERs in many cities. Courses include 5-year BS-MS, 4-year BS, and BTech. Check IISER websites for details. What next? Counselling will start soon. Fill your course choices between June 26 (5 pm) and July 3 (5 pm). Admission depends on your rank, course choice, seat availability, and category. After the offer, accept or reject the seat. If you say no or don't reply in time, you can't join next rounds. Visit the IISER website for more info.
NDTV
25-06-2025
- Science
- NDTV
IISER Aptitude Test 2025 Result Declared; Check When Counselling Begins
IISER IAT 2025 Result OUT: The Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs) have announced the results of the IISER Aptitude Test (IAT) 2025. Candidates can now check their scores and download their rank cards by visiting the official website, using their login credentials. According to the official notification, all candidates who scored at least one mark in the IAT 2025 have been assigned a rank. However, securing a rank does not guarantee admission to an IISER. How To Check IISER IAT 2025 Result Visit the official website - Click on the 'IAT Result 2025' link Enter your user ID and password View your result displayed on the screen Download and save the rank card for future reference IISER Aptitude Test 2025 The IISER Aptitude Test 2025 was conducted in May in computer-based mode. The paper consisted of 60 multiple-choice questions from Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics. Each correct response carried 4 marks, while 1 mark was deducted for each incorrect answer. The duration of the exam was 180 minutes. Counselling Process: Key Dates and Steps The registration portal for counselling will open on June 26 at 5 PM, and candidates must complete and submit their academic preference forms by 5 PM on July 3. Admission offers will be made based on the following criteria: Availability of seats at the IISERs Candidate's IAT 2025 rank Preferences filled during counselling Category of the candidate Candidates who receive an offer must accept it and pay the Seat Acceptance Fee (SAF) online by the specified deadline. Failure to do so will result in disqualification from further rounds. Freeze vs Float Options After accepting an offer and paying the SAF, candidates can choose to: Freeze the seat: They will not participate in subsequent counselling rounds. Float (default option): They will be considered for seats in higher-preferred IISERs in upcoming rounds. Those opting to float will be automatically considered for upgrades in the next round if eligible. Admission Process Highlights The entire process will be conducted online; no physical reporting to IISER campuses is required during counselling. Candidates can log in to their application portal to view admission offers and further instructions. Available Programmes Admissions through IAT 2025 are offered for the following academic programmes: Integrated 5-Year BS-MS (Dual Degree) 4-Year BS and 4-Year BTech programmes These are available across IISER campuses in Berhampur, Bhopal, Kolkata, Mohali, Pune, Thiruvananthapuram, and Tirupati. To stay informed about programmes and updates, candidates should regularly visit the official IISER Admission portal and the websites of individual IISERs.
