An approach towards total quality in architectural education in India track: higher education (architecture education)

Architecture Education is a service and product, which demands, quality delivery to meet the expectations of stakeholders. Architecture Education in India is over 100 years old, and the focus of higher education in India post-independence has been on addressing the demand for skilled professionals required for a developing nation. Over the years the emphasis on quantity has impacted the quality of graduates and there is a need for a quality framework for better delivery to all the stakeholders and to produce more employable graduates. Quality imperatives are critical to all contemporary societies which demand a better quality of life through holistic built environments across the globe delivered through professionals having the skill set to meet societal aspirations There is an increasing demand for trained professionals given the tremendous growth in the physical infrastructure in urban and rural areas particularly the current shortfall in the housing sector besides other tertiary sectors of the economy. The paper addresses the issues about architectural education as mandated through statutory processes prescribed by the Council of Architecture, New India’s Minimum Standards of Architectural Education in India, and the New Education Policy -2020 of the Government of India. The research process adopted identifies the gaps in the current system of education through content and perception analysis through interviews and expert opinions and suggests methodologies that can transform the current processes through an understanding of total quality principles and their application to the higher education sector. The paper evaluates various aspects of architectural education such as institutional mechanisms, the process of admission, curricula structure, pedagogy, teaching-learning processes, scheme of examinations, faculty selection process, and their growth through the perspective of total quality parameters for the service sector. The paper attempts to suggest an approach towards Total Quality in Architectural Education in India driven by quality and research, relevant to the socio-economic, cultural, and physical context of the developing economies in the 21st Century.