The quiet crisis in higher education: national and sub-national perspectives

Abstract

This paper examines the emerging challenges facing the higher education sector in Odisha. Low overall access to higher education, glaring spatial and social disparities in enrolment, weak infrastructure, poor quality of education and research, chronic faculty shortage and downsizing of state funding have been identified as the major challenges. Policy changes concerning higher education and the practice of pravatisation have complicated the problems rather than solving them. Active state participation, effective implementation of positive discrimination policies and ensuring accountability at all levels have been suggested to undo the damages done to higher education in the state.