History of Higher Education in India

TANMOY MUKHERJI INSTITUTE OF JURIDICAL SCIENCE

Dr. Tanmoy Mukherji

Advocate

 

History of Higher Education in India-

Tanmoy Mukherji

Advocate

Higher Education in India has a continuous & rich tradition spanning over 200 years. It reflects the social, religious, political & economic life of different periods.

Higher Education in Ancient India (Approx. 1500 BCE - 1200 CE)-

Philosophical Background-

Education aimed at complete development of personality, not merely vocational training.

System of Education-

Centers of Higher Education-

Institution	Location	Specialization
Takshashila	Present Pakistan	Medicine, Law, Military Science
Nalanda	Bihar	Buddhism, Logic, Philosophy
Vikramshila	Bihar	Tantrik Buddhism
Vallabhi	Gujarat	Commerce, Administration
Odantapuri	Bihar	Buddhist Studies

 

Curriculum-

→Vedas

→Upanishads

→Grammar (Panini)

→Logic (Nyaya)

→Medicine (Charaka Sushruta)

→Mathematics (Aryabhatta)

→Astronomy

→Politics

→Ethics

Medium of Instructions-

→Sanskrit

→Pali (for Buddhist Studies)

Merits-

Limitations-

→Education not equally accessible

→Women & Shudras excluded

→Religious dominance

Higher Education in Medieval India (1200-1700 CE)-

Educational Philosophy-

Institutions-

Curriculum-

→Quran

→Hadith

→Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh)

→Philosophy

→Mathematics

→Astronomy

→Unani (Medicine)

Medium of Instruction-

→Arabic

→Persian

Administration-

Merits-

→Spread of literacy

→Growth of scientific knowledge

→Translation of Sanskrit texts

Limitations-

→Religious bias

→Limited innovation

→Declined due to political instability.

Higher Education in British India (1700-1947)-

Philosophical Background-

Educational Development-

Establishments of Universities-

University of Calcutta (1857)

→ University of Bombay (1857)

→University of Madras (1857)

→Allahabad University (1887)

 Features of British Higher Education-

Merits-

→Introduction of modern subjects

→Development of scientific outlook

→Rise of Indian Nationalism.

Demerits-

→Neglect of Indian culture

→Limited Access

→Producing clerks not thinkers.

Higher Education in Post-Independence India (After 1947)-

Philosophy-

Major Commission-

Institutional Expansion-

→UGC (1956)

→IITs

→IIMs

→Central Universities

→State Universities

→Open Universities

→Private Universities

→Deemed Universities

→All India Institute & Medical Science (AIIMS).

National Policies-

→NPE, 1968

→NPE, 1986

→Programme of Action 1992

Contemporary Development (21st Century)-

The history of Higher Education in India shows continuous evolution from-

Each phase enriched the Indian education system & shaped its present form.