Education in India
From time immemorial, India has been a center for learning.
Thousands of years ago, great scholars used to teach through scriptures.
A variety of subjects such as philosophy, religion, medicine, literature,
drama and arts, astrology, mathematics and sociology was taught, and masterpieces
on these subjects have been written. Under the Buddhist influence, education
was available to virtually everyone who wanted it, and some world famous
institutions arose out of the monasteries such as Nalanda, Vikramshila and
Takshashila (now in Pakistan). Nalanda is especially noteworthy, flourishing
from the 5th to 13th-century AD. At one time, it had about 10,000 resident
students and teachers on its roll.
During the 11th century, the Muslims established elementary and secondary
schools, “Madrassahs” or colleges and even universities in cities like
Delhi, Lucknow and Allahabad (using Arabic mostly as the medium of instruction).
During the medieval period, there was excellent interaction between Indian
and Islamic traditions in all fields of knowledge, including theology,
religion, philosophy, fine arts, painting, architecture, mathematics,
medicine and astronomy.
With the arrival of the British, English education came into being with
the help of the European missionaries. In 1817, Hindu College was established
in Calcutta. The Elphinstone Institution was set up in 1834 in Bombay.
In 1857, three universities were set up at Calcutta, Madras and Bombay.
The country now has 226 universities and about 8,200 colleges affiliated
with them.
Though financially assisted by the government, most of the universities
and higher centers of learning and research are autonomous in function.
A good number of universities have a federal structure composed of affiliated
colleges on one tier and the university departments on the other. The
affiliated colleges teach, in general, undergraduate courses, whereas
the university departments conduct postgraduate teaching and advanced
research. The university determines the admission criteria of the colleges
affiliated with them.
Some other types of universities teach both undergraduate and postgraduate
courses in general disciplines as well as in technical and professional
courses. There are no affiliated colleges attached to them.
Undergraduate courses, in general, are of three years duration leading
to a Bachelor’s degree in Arts, Science, Commerce, etc. However, undergraduate
courses leading to a first degree in professional subjects like Engineering,
Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy are of a longer duration, ranging from
four to five and a half years. Most post-graduate courses are of two years
duration.
At the high school level in India, a student has to pass two examinations
conducted by the State Boards of Education - one after the 10th grade
and the other after the 12th grade. For admission to undergraduate courses,
universities/institutes of higher education in India require candidates
to complete 12 years of schooling.
High school graduation from accredited U.S. institutions is considered
acceptable for admission to Indian universities. The Association of Indian
Universities (AIU), located in New Delhi, has been accepted as an accredited
agency at the national level for undertaking the assessment of foreign
academic credentials.
The five Indian Institutes of Technology at Kharagpur, Bombay, Madras,
Kanpur and Delhi were established as premier centers of education and
training in engineering and applied sciences.
The Government of India has established four Indian Institutes of Management
at Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta and Lucknow.
Seventeen Regional Engineering Colleges were set up, one each in the
major states to meet the increased need for trained personnel.
Today the country has over 300 technical institutions at the first degree
level and about 750 polytechnics at the diploma level. There are now 148
medical colleges at various universities.
The world of Indian science is dominated by three academies: Indian National
Science Academy, Delhi; Indian Academy of Science, Bangalore; and the
National Academy of Sciences, Allahabad.
Extracted and adapted from Studying in India - a publication of Indian Council for Cultural Relations