Higher education sector in crisis: Dr Patnaik

Updated on: Monday, July 18, 2011

The higher education sector in India is plunging into deep crisis and fast turning into "a saleable commodity like onions and potatoes, former Vice chairman of Kerala State Planning Board Dr.Prabhat Patnaik said here.

"Higher education is fast becoming a commodity by its very nature and is being limited to a package. The process of commercialisation of education is leading to its destruction, and affecting young minds in free thinking and probing," he said.

He was speaking at a seminar here on "complexities in the education sector", organised as part of the 40th state conference of All India Students Federation here.

Patnaik said the Supreme Court has clearly laid out that education cannot be for making profits. But "we find there are profit making institutions all over the country".

In the West, universities like Stanford, Harvard and Columbia maintain a commitment and benchmark for excellence on their own and the promoter's investment is more or less in the form of charity, he said.

"We must have a system that produces intellectuals who are committed to building of the nation," he said.

Higher education sector in crisis: Dr Patnaik

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