After breaking free from the limitations imposed by its inward-focused higher education system since Independence, the New Education Policy has paved the way for India to finally step onto the global stage it has long been deserving of. For the first time in India's education history, the UGC and the government have embarked on a groundbreaking initiative to fuse the domestic higher education system with that of the international realm. By formulating meticulous implementation strategies and regulations, they strive to elevate it to a world-class standard.
Despite numerous reforms in the education sector after India gained independence, higher education in the country continued to be predominantly focused on internal matters. India boasts the largest higher education system globally, with approximately 1,000 universities and 40,000 colleges. However, despite being the third largest in terms of size and diversity, India's representation in the international education system remains disappointingly below its untapped potential.
Surprisingly, India is not just home to the world's second largest English-speaking population after the USA, but it actually has more English speakers than the United Kingdom. This fact is quite interesting. India, with a staggering population of 1.39 billion people, making up 17% of the global population, disappointingly lacks representation in the realm of foreign students pursuing higher education. Its share stands at a meager 0.85%. The fundamental faults in the country's higher education policy post-Independence are explicitly revealed in this text.
In addition, private and esteemed public institutions of national significance have encountered significant obstacles in implementing their own initiatives and expanding internationally due to rigorous regulations. The government and its primary higher education regulatory body, the UGC, turned out to be obstacles rather than enablers in the pursuit of internationalization over time.
