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ABSTRACT Higher Education in the Context of Globalization in North-East India Globalization entails formation of the first world-wide systems of communications, information, knowledge and culture, tending towards a single world community. All spheres of lifesocial, political, cultural and economichave been subjected to both the positive and negative elements of globalization. It is an irreversible phenomenon where higher education sector is also buffeted by the same. It is evident that there is tremendous growth in higher education in the last 50 years. It can be also seen that after the starting of globalization and liberalization of the Indian economy in 1991, the speed of educational growth has become faster. The seven sister states in India's North Eastern Region have as many as 320 degree colleges in the state of Assam, and as less as only three colleges in Sikkim, with other states having varying but small number of degree colleges, suggesting that the development of education has been starkly uneven from state to state in the region. This would also mean that the educational agencies both in the public and private sectors would have a big scope for expansion in this corner of the world. There are various issues which need to be solved. As such, adherence of the recommendations is necessary to see the land of the rising sun grow up in the echelons of success.

MAIN TEXT Higher Education in the Context of Globalization in North-East India Globalization entails the formation of world-wide markets operating in real time in common financial systems, and unprecedented levels of foreign direct investment and cross-border mobility of processing and production. On the other hand it rests on the first world-wide systems of communications, information, knowledge and culture, tending towards a single world community. Ever since the term globalization appeared for the first time in the second half of twentieth century no other word has meant so many different things to different people and has evoked as much emotions. The forces of globalization affect virtually every country in the world. It has opened the door of many new opportunities as well as formidable challenges and has been playing its role in nation development. All spheres of lifesocial, political, cultural and economichave been subjected to both the positive and negative elements of globalization. It is an irreversible phenomenon where higher education sector is also buffeted by the same. India joined the club of globalized economy in 1991 when its economy was under the spell of fiscal and balance of payment crisis which compelled her to initiate several structural adjustment programmes leading to economic liberalization. Since then, Indias share to the global economy is getting larger. Today, looking at overall health of the economy and growth performance, India seems to have struck the right note of the globalization string. With its vast natural and human resources and ability to synchronize the speed of change taking place in the international market, many have considered the Indias economy as one of the most resilient economy in the world.

Having established its potent position in the global economy, now India seeks to further its commercial and cultural ties with the other Asian countries, as a result of which the Look East Policy has been shaped. The NER would play a key role in this design, for its advantageous geographical location, and close cultural and anthropological resemblance with other south Asian countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Nepal etc. It is understood that the NER can successfully act as a transit point to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries. Hence, investing on the infrastructure in this region will benefit the country as a whole. And at the same time it will be a positive sum game for the region as it will naturally prosper when developments in the industry and communication takes place in its territories with improved trade exchanges with the ASEAN countries. The said development will be the handiwork of the qualitative achievement of its higher education system. Such an achievement has two fold directions learning new concepts while unlearning the older ones i.e. growth and change-doing and undoing in the socio-political, cultural, economic, historical and intellectual dimensions of life of the nation vis-a-vis the global ambiance. In the era of global economy, let us dwell into the Higher education sector, which is implicated in all these changes. The present century is a technology driven society where knowledge is the key differentiator and human resource development is the main driving force for the growth engine. But, it has been witnessed that, states and regions with better infrastructure facilities, better skill labour and work culture, investor friendly environment and more importantly states which can reform themselves in accordance to the need of the market oriented economy have

attracted much of the private investment both national as well as foreign. These states have grown much faster than states which are not, leading to widening disparities. The proliferation of private and government institutions over the years, have raised the quality issue. Many of these institutions run with the lack of qualified teachers, funds and adequate and basic infrastructures. This proliferation has done more damage to the HRD than good.

Year

No. of Colleges

No. of Universities

Students

1950-51 1990-91

750 7346

30 117

263000 4925000

Statistics at a glance: (period 2007-08) Total number of universities: 416 a) State Universities- 251 b) Central Universities- 24 c) Deemed Universities- 103 d) Institutions established under state legislation- 05 e) Institutes of National Importance- 33 Number of colleges: 20,677 a) UGC accredited under 2f- 6,680 b) UGC accredited under 2f and 12B- 5,797 c) Under UGC purview- 14,000 Number of students enrolled in colleges and universities: 11.6 million a) In Colleges- 10.1 million (87.06%) [7% of the total population in the relevant age group 17-23 yrs] b) In Universities- 1.5 million (12.94%) c) Women's enrollment in Higher Education: 4.71 million (40.6%) Faculty strength (Regular): 0.51 million a) In Colleges: 0.43 million (84.32%) b) In Universities: 0.08 million (15.68%) Source: MHRD annual report 2007-08 It is evident that there is tremendous growth in higher education in the last 50 years. It can be also seen that after the starting of globalization and liberalization of the Indian economy in 1991, the speed of educational growth has become faster.

The census of 2004 2005 show that the seven sister states in India's North Eastern Region (NER) have as many as three hundred and twenty degree colleges in the state of Assam, and as less as only three colleges in Sikkim, with other states having varying but small number of degree colleges suggesting that the development of education has been starkly uneven from state to state in the region. This would also mean that the educational agencies both in the public and private sectors would have a big scope for expansion in this corner of the world. Every year hundreds and thousands of students from the North East come to the universities and colleges of Delhi, Calcutta, Bangalore etc. for education in various fields. Keeping a tab on this outgoing stream would make a fascinating data pool for the academic agencies aspiring to spread higher education in the region. Educational Information: NER 2004-05 Degree Colleges
State Universities Institutions deemed to be universities 1 Institutions of National Importance 1 Arts, Science and Commerce Colleges 9 320 Oriental learning colleges 1 Agriculture colleges Law colleges

Arunachal Pradesh Assam

1 5

2 -

20 3

1 48 Meghalaya 2 58 Manipur Mizoram 1 27 Nagaland 1 34 2 3 Sikkim 1 14 Tripura Source: (i) National Sample Survey Organization (ii) Office of the Registrar General of India

3 2 1 3 3 1 (Education data_04-05)

Vocational Degree Colleges As far as simple degree colleges are concerned, the student - college ratio in the state is far below that of the national average. But the magnitude of the gap between demand and supply for

education can be fathomed when it comes to availability of the specialized courses, which is becoming increasingly important in this age of streamlined and specialized vocation- oriented education. The region is pathetically wanting in this aspect. Specialized vocational educational fields like medicine, veterinary medicine, teachers training, technological colleges and colleges offering other vocational courses are rare in this region. Assam is the only exception for the unique hegemonic political status it has enjoyed in the region, in both the pre and post independence era. The following charts would aptly delineate the situation of higher education in the six other states in comparison with Assam

State Arunachal Pradesh Assam Meghalaya Manipur Mizoram Nagaland Sikkim

Medical Colleges

Veterinary Science Colleges

Teachers Training Colleges

Engineering Tech. Colleges

Other Colleges

1 6 2 41 6 3 1 4 2 1 5 3 2 1 1 1 4 2 1 1 1 1 2 3 Tripura Source: (i) National Sample Survey Organization (ii) Office of the Registrar General of India (Education data: 04-05)

Both the charts throw light upon the very limited scope of higher and specialized education in the region, apart from the relative intra state gap in terms of availability of education. Now, let us understand why national or international academic institutions had not been proactive about expansion in these areas for long. The reason chiefly has been related to the political make of the territory. Political instability, insurgencies and internal displacement had largely discouraged the national and international education institutions to spread their wings here. In addition, lack of proper infrastructure has also played a major role. Poor connectivity has rendered it to be a remote region to the collective consciousness of people making most

capable teaching professionals shy away from joining the institutions here. It is also a fact that the impoverished economic condition of the masses here had rendered the usually expensive service sector i.e. higher education, infeasible. Issue Areas in NER regarding Higher Education Lack of Well defined education Policy The higher education policy of NER is not well defined in terms of practical orientation and all the regions do not enjoy the equal footing. As such, dissatisfaction and demonstration are widespread and the immediate stakeholders are coming to the streets, without bothering their duties and responsibilities. Poor Standard of Primary and Secondary Education Primary education is the foundation of any education system and secondary education is the backbone. But, both are in dire-straits, as far as the public institutions are concerned. Most of the children of primary and secondary schools complete their schooling without undergoing adequate training. As such, unskilled students are admitted to the Higher Education Institutes, making the quality no better. Financing of Higher Education Higher Education in India has received enormous financial support from both the Central and the State Governments. At the start of the Planning process in 1950, the total allocation for higher 8 Education was only Rs.170 million which has now gone beyond Rs.90, 000million. This impressive increase is offset to some extent by the rise in prices (inflation) and rise in number of students entering higher education. An analysis of government expenditure on higher education

shows a real annual growth rate of 7.5% in the 1950s, 11%in the 1960s, 3.4%, in the 1970s, and 7.3% in the 1980s. (CABE Report 2005)
% Plan Expenditure in University & Higher Education

Five Year Plan period

Table 1: Plan Expenditure on Higher Education as % of Total Plan Expenditure

Table 1 shows how the Plan allocation for Higher Education, which went up to 28% in the V

th

Plan period, has been slowly going down in subsequent plans and has reached only 6% of the total Plan expenditure during the Xth Plan period. Poor Quality of Research Teaching and research are inter-related and are integral parts of the university system. The quality of teaching and research is the backbone of any nation. However, in the recent years, there has been a serious decline in the quality of research carried out in the universities. And to add to the brunt, industrial research is negligible, which is the need of the region. Lack of Efficient Teachers and Faculty Strength Most of the higher educational institutions in the North Eastern region of India are suffering from acute shortage of faculty members. Again the quality and efficiency of most of the existing teachers in the universities and colleges are questionable. Although the Government, through UGC has made NET/ SLET/ M. Phil/ Ph.D mandatory for Lecturers/ Asst. Professors in the higher education institutes, studies have revealed that, still a majority of the teachers are without

these clearance certificates/ degrees. And this is having an ill-effect on the overall quality being rendered by the Institution. Politicization of Higher Education Politicization of higher education, the main villain of quality higher education has become a trend in the Indian higher education system. Although politics is banned in the higher education institutions, it has been observed that politics has crept in and the various political parties take an active role during election of the student unions. The academic atmosphere is disturbed in most of the premier institutions of the region by such political interference. Focus on Regional Demand It has been observed that most of the higher education institutions are narrowly focused on catering to the regional demand. And this is actually hampering the institutions to move forward in this information age. Unplanned Growth of Institutions The mushrooming of private educational institutions in the region stands testimony to the quality taking a back seat in higher education. The private sector players have established their affiliated and non-affiliated institutions in most parts of the region and they offer various accredited and non-accredited courses. And it has been observed that certain programme or courses of such institutions, are often not recognized, which gives a very pale and complicated picture to the student community. Alarming Rise in the Outflow of Students from the Region In the era of globalization, where information is readily available, students always look for better opportunities, in pursuing higher education. Of late, the state has been witnessing considerable

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brain drain with a significant chunk of the brighter students going to other states for pursuing higher education in spite of Assam having some national level institutes of higher education.

This is primarily because of the scarcity in the number of seats available with the local universities and colleges. With competition and the scampering for seats in the prestigious institutes on an all time high, the supply has fallen well short of demand. Consequently, a large number of students are moving out of the state to fulfill their aspirations.

Lack of relevance between Higher Education and the Employment of its Products It has been observed that in most of the higher education institutes in the region, the course and its syllabi are not often in the same line of the demands of the environment. The universities / colleges or institutions of higher education often follow outdated traditional courses, which does not have any bearing on the employability scale. As such, educated unemployed youths are always on the rise in the region.

Recommendations y Policy of higher education must put premium on quality and relevance. Unplanned and mushrooming growth of higher educational institutions must be stopped. Sufficient financial support should be given to higher education from both the central and state governments. Establishing higher education institutions in the region should not be narrowly focused on catering to the regional demand. Rather it should be intended to cater to the growing demand beyond the state, regional, and even national border. It has been widely recognized that we now live in a world where ideas and innovations are the key to

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progress. The economies around the world have increasingly become service-oriented. Within services, information services have become predominant. The challenges of this new social and economic order will require a huge investment in higher education. With the opening up trade relations with the neighbouring South-Asian countries, which is going to happen soon, North-East India is going to be immensely benefitted where exchange of students, for proper higher education will be the norm. Students from the North Eastern region will find it easy to travel to the neighbouring countries, as they are relatively nearer and advanced than most cities of India. And this will lead to an even more brain drain, if the public and private parties of the region, do not think and act quickly and provide qualitative higher education for the student community. All the higher education institutes should change their mindsets from being traditional oriented to market demand oriented and design their infrastructure, courses and the whole process of imbibing higher education accordingly. This certainly, will help to stop the necessary brain drain. On the other hand, it will provide the impetus for inviting the students from other regions and countries. The government needs to have a pro-active demand based policy towards private higher education, including foreign institutions/ universities desirous of setting up campus in the region or entering into joint ventures. Political interference in institutions of high learning should be minimized and it should not hamper the educational atmosphere. Both internal and external examination should receive due importance, in the system of higher education. Use of grades should be encouraged in place of marks.

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For improving the quality of higher education, teachers doing some needy and good work be given some special incentives and encouragement to develop work culture in the institutions. Provision of computers, along with internet connectivity is an essential requirement of higher education and it should be the topmost responsibility of both the government and the private parties. Most universities and higher education institutions make little use of the
Internet in improving administrative efficiency. As more and more cities in the NER are coming within the ambit of high speed cyber-network, the concept of e-education, especially at higher levels should be viewed seriously.

Open universities need to be encouraged to provide quality programme at reasonable cost. This is the most cost-effective way of providing higher education. Establishment of vocational institutions must be encouraged, which can very much reduce the burden of the higher educational institutions. The vocational institutions, with its various employability courses, can very well serve the needs of the growing economy. Research quality should be worked upon to cater to the needs of the various industries. This can provide very good inroads, both for the institution and the industry, in building relationships and helping each other grow. Now-a-days, an institution can survive and develop, only if its innovative. In this fast changing world, nothing is stationary. The teachings that we have learned today may not have any relevance tomorrow. Its this change which the higher education institutions need to foresee and act creatively to reap from it. Effectiveness of an institution is an

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outcome of its healthy environment. A highly innovative environment would work wonders for an institution and may lead to tremendous success. Most importantly, higher education institutions of the NER should accept the basic fact that workplaces now place an emphasis on high performance jobs that require high skills. And application or the ability and willingness to apply such skills is competency, which is the most sought-after value, for practitioners of higher education to possess. CONCLUSION The above discussion on Higher Education in the Context of Globalization in North-East India is a topic widely broached about by the different professionals of the management field. After joining the bandwagon of globalization, it was seen that the economic prosperity of the different industry sectors are increasing and to keep up with the pace of development, enrichment of ones own knowledge plays a very crucial role. And this can be achieved if our higher education institutes impart the up-to date knowledge and believe in developing the skills and competencies of its stakeholders. One should follow the term Glocal, which means that one should think globally, but act locally. The government should aid the development of higher education institution, which is built not on traditional values and mindsets, but on market oriented basis. With the opening of the Stillwell Road, which is a road link between NER and South Asia, more growth in the manufacturing and service sectors should be in the cards. This calls for proper development of our own indigenous higher education institutions, so that we can arrest the brain drain of this sector. The recommendations stated in the discussion paper, should be well adhered to if the region has to develop in the right direction.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Journal Pani, Sistla Rama Devi, Dr., Editor, University News A Weekly Journal of Higher Education, Association of Indian Universities, New Delhi. Articles and News items Agarwal, Raj. Globalization of Higher Education and WTO, Globalization of Indian Higher Education, AIU, New Delhi, 2003. Lahiri, Keka. "Higher Education Framework in India: From Pre independence to Post Independence" Icfai University, Hyderabad, July 14, 2004.Madhusudanan, K.N. and Manjunath, B.R. Internationalization of Higher Education: Indian Scenario, Globalization of Indian Higher Education, AIU, New Delhi, 2003 Dhawan, Seema & Sharma, I.C. Creative Management: Success Symbol of Higher Learning Institutions, Vol 46, No. 7, University News, AIU, New Delhi.

Websites http://www.wikipedia.org http://www.indiainfoline.com http://www.shsu.edu/~eco_hkn/highereducationinassam.pdf http://www.education.nic.in/cabe/AutonomyHEI.pdf http://www.merinews.com/article/brain-drain-in-assam/15772429.shtml http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/EB12Df04.html

http://www.digitallearning.in/articles/article details.asp?articleid=2364&typ=COVER%20STORY http://www.cscs.res.in/dataarchive/textfiles/textfile.2008-05-06.9537946499/file