INCLUSIVE NATURE OF HIGHER EDUCATION: MYTH OR REALITY

Abstract

Globalization and Higher Education show an intrinsic link that is reflected through the current demands for newer forms of knowledge, skills,and performance across the world. The creation of knowledge, skill, and performance show direct dependence on higher education as the nature of the demand for goods and services has seen a change like never before. Higher Education is found to be diverse both structurally and functionally in different countries depending on the social and economic structure of a given society. The issue of inclusion has become a globalagenda due to several contemporary reasons and needs, most importantly the principle of equality that is the pillar of modern societies. Indian society is known to be diverse and complex, based on the social hierarchy. These factors directly influence social and economic development which is tied to education. At the same time, higher education is structured following such a society, reflecting these factors. In the Indian society, it plays a less positive and more negative role due to its inherent characteristics based on caste, tribe, gender, and religion, besides the colonial remnant of a strong bias in favor of the English language. This results in unequal access, inequality, and poor performance due to deterrents in access and continuation of higher education. Thus inclusivity of higher education gets restricted to a few who have been traditionally and historically accessing it. After independence, the constitution of India has ensured that the government adopts several special measures for inclusion especially for traditionally deprived sections such as SC, ST, OBC, and minority. However, the set goal of bridging the gap in higher education falls short of the expectations from these measures. The newer was the problem of globalization and privatization of higher education has further exacerbated the situation. The different sections from the majority of our society have no tradition of education in the family and community. It is observed that there is a market performance for general education and enrolment in government institutions where they can access affordable education. Privatization pronounces the quality caters only to the rich who are generally not from the deprived sections and do not suffer from traditional social barriers towards the attainment of education. So despite the expansion of higher education,
deprivation continues to exist.