Revisiting Higher Education in India (Post-Independence to NEP 2020): Growth, Policy, and Persistent Gender Inequality

Abstract

This study examines the evolution of higher education in India from Independence to the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, with a focus on expansion, governance, gender equity and financing. It reviews major education policies and regulatory reforms since 1947, including the University Grants Commission framework, National Policies on Education (1968, 1986), and recent structural changes culminating in NEP 2020. The analysis draws on secondary data from national sources such as the All-India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE), UDISE+, Census of India, NSSO, and official policy and budget documents. The findings highlight a dramatic expansion of the system, with enrolment rising from 1.7 million in 1950–51 to over 43 million by 2021–22, alongside growth in institutions from 28 universities in 1947 to more than 1,100 today. Key governance outcomes of this expansion include increased institutional diversification, a gradual shift toward greater institutional autonomy, and the emergence of accreditation- and outcome-based quality assurance mechanisms. Gender parity has improved substantially, with the female Gross Enrolment Ratio approaching parity in recent years, though disparities persist across disciplines and social groups, with the GPI for STEM beats the global standards the woman representation in the technological field needs to be improved. Despite expansion, public expenditure on education has remained below 4% of GDP compared to the suggestion of 6% by the Kothari commission, raising concerns about quality, equity, and governance as India moves toward multidisciplinary and inclusive higher education reforms under NEP 2020.