Higher Education Reform in India: Will HECI Bring Change or Just Shuffle the Current System?, Featuring John J. Kennedy
The Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) has been established with the aim of streamlining governance in India's higher education sector. The new body, which will subsume the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), is intended to ensure academic quality, set robust standards for teaching and research, and foster institutions that meet global standards.
One of the key initiatives of HECI is the introduction of new mechanisms for accreditation. These mechanisms aim to increase accountability for academic outcomes and reward excellence through performance-based incentives. However, critics have voiced concerns about the practicality of conducting annual evaluations of all higher educational institutions, given the sheer number of universities and colleges across India.
The structure of HECI has raised concerns due to its composition being heavily weighted toward Union government officials, with only a minority of academics and industry representatives included. This has led to fears that political appointees presiding over universities could further diminish academic self-governance and increase federal control.
Academics have also expressed concerns about the potential de-emphasis on the Humanities and Social Sciences in HECI, as well as the shift to performance-based funding, which could reinforce advantages for privileged institutions and leave laggards worse off.
The future of HECI depends on whether it can catalyse real transformation for higher education or simply rename the status quo. Critics argue that the true measure of transformation should lie in expanded academic freedom, vibrant local autonomy, pluralism, and equitable access, not merely in structural re-engineering or the adoption of centralised metrics.
Moreover, the framework of HECI is silent on equity safeguards, such as the inclusion of marginalised groups, affirmative action, and reservations. This omission has raised concerns about the potential for increased inequality in India's higher education system.
As HECI moves forward, it is crucial that it addresses these concerns and works towards creating a more equitable, accessible, and innovative higher education system for all. The writer, a retired professor and former dean of the School of Arts and Humanities at Christ University in Bengaluru, emphasizes the need for a balanced approach that prioritises academic freedom, local autonomy, and equitable access over bureaucratic efficiency and centralised control.
