45  Higher Learning and Research in Post-Independence India

At Independence (1947), India had 20 universities and about 500 colleges. Today, it has over 1,200 universities and 45,000+ colleges, making Indian higher education the third-largest system in the world. This sub-unit traces that growth.

45.1 Major Education Commissions

TipFive Landmark Commissions and Policies
Year Commission / Policy Chair / Lead Key contributions
1948-49 University Education Commission S. Radhakrishnan First post-independence review; recommended UGC; emphasised values
1952-53 Secondary Education Commission A.L. Mudaliar Reformed school education; multipurpose schools
1964-66 Education Commission D.S. Kothari First comprehensive review; “Common school system”, 10+2+3 structure, vocational training, science teaching, recommended 6 % of GDP for education
1968 National Policy on Education (Based on Kothari) First NPE — adopted 10+2+3 structure, three-language formula
1986 National Policy on Education Rajiv Gandhi government Operation Blackboard, Navodaya Vidyalaya, IGNOU, women’s education emphasis
1992 Programme of Action / Ramamurti Committee — Revised the 1986 NPE
2020 National Education Policy 2020 K. Kasturirangan Committee New 5+3+3+4 structure, multidisciplinary universities, multiple entry/exit, Higher Education Commission of India (HECI), Academic Bank of Credits, mother-tongue medium up to Grade 5

45.2 Establishment of UGC and Major Institutions

TipKey Higher-Education Bodies and Their Founding Years
  • University Grants Commission (UGC) — established 1953 (statutory in 1956).
  • All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) — 1945 (statutory 1987).
  • Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) — 1929 (under MoA).
  • Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) — 1942.
  • Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) — 1911.
  • Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) — 1969.
  • Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) — 1972.
  • Indian Council of Philosophical Research (ICPR) — 1981.
  • Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) — 1950.
  • National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) — 1961.
  • National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) — 1995.
  • National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) — 1994.
  • National Board of Accreditation (NBA) — 1987.
  • National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) — 2015.
  • National Testing Agency (NTA) — 2017.

45.3 Premier Institutions Established Post-Independence

TipEstablishment of Centrally-Funded Premier Institutes
Year Institution Notes
1951 First IIT (Kharagpur) Indian Institute of Technology
1956 UGC made statutory UGC Act 1956
1956 AIIMS Delhi All India Institute of Medical Sciences
1958 IIT Bombay
1959 IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur
1961 IIT Delhi
1961 IIM Calcutta and IIM Ahmedabad First IIMs
1973 IIM Bangalore
1985 IGNOU Indira Gandhi National Open University; world’s largest
1985 NCERT created Navodaya Vidyalayas
2014 New IITs and IIMs (including new Nalanda University)
2017-25 New IITs, IIMs, AIIMS, IISERs, NITs continue to be added
TipMajor Institute Family Sizes (approx., 2024)
  • 23 IITs (latest: IIT Dharwad, Tirupati, Palakkad, Bhilai, Goa, Jammu)
  • 20 IIMs
  • 31 NITs
  • 20+ AIIMS (one in each state planned)
  • 7 IISERs (Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research)
  • 25 IIITs (Indian Institutes of Information Technology)
  • National Law Universities (NLUs) — over 25
  • Central Universities — 56
  • State Universities — 460+
  • Deemed Universities — 130+
  • Private Universities — 460+
  • Institutions of Eminence (IoE) — 12 (status awarded since 2018)

45.4 Higher Education Statistics (AISHE 2021-22)

TipAISHE Snapshot
  • Total students enrolled: ~4.33 crore (43.3 million).
  • Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) — about 28-29 % (NEP 2020 target: 50 % by 2035).
  • Female GER has now overtaken male in many states.
  • Pupil-Teacher Ratio in higher education: about 24:1.
  • Women enrolment: about 48-49 % of total higher education students.
  • Number of universities: ~1,168; colleges: ~45,000+.

45.5 Indian Research Ecosystem

TipMajor Indian Research Bodies and Schemes
  • CSIR — runs ~38 national laboratories (NPL, NCL, IICT, etc.).
  • DRDO — Defence Research and Development Organisation.
  • ISRO — Indian Space Research Organisation.
  • DAE (Department of Atomic Energy) — runs BARC, IGCAR, RRCAT.
  • DBT — Department of Biotechnology.
  • DST — Department of Science and Technology — runs SERB.
  • SERB — Science and Engineering Research Board.
  • PMRF — Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship.
  • DST INSPIRE Fellowship — for talented science students.

45.6 Major Indian Education Schemes (Post-2014)

TipRecent Schemes
Scheme Focus
RUSA (Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan) Centrally-sponsored higher-education funding
RISE / HEFA (Higher Education Financing Agency) Infrastructure financing
STARS (Strengthening Teaching-learning) School education
PM-USHA (revamped RUSA, 2023) Higher education
NIRF Annual ranking of HEIs
IoE Institutions of Eminence — 12 institutions
GIAN (Global Initiative of Academic Networks) Foreign-faculty engagement
SPARC (Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration) International research collaboration
IMPRINT Engineering research focused on national priorities
PMRF Direct entry from B-Tech to PhD

45.7 Practice Questions

Q 01 Kothari Commission Medium

The Kothari Commission of 1964-66 recommended that India should spend the following share of GDP on education:

  • A3 %
  • B6 %
  • C10 %
  • D15 %
View solution
Correct Option: B
The Kothari Commission recommended 6 % of GDP for education — a target reaffirmed by NEP 1986 and NEP 2020.
Q 02 UGC Easy

The University Grants Commission (UGC) was made a statutory body by the UGC Act of:

  • A1948
  • B1953
  • C1956
  • D1968
View solution
Correct Option: C
UGC was set up in 1953 and made statutory by the UGC Act, 1956.
Q 03 First IIT Easy

The first Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) was established in:

  • ABombay (1958)
  • BDelhi (1961)
  • CKharagpur (1951)
  • DMadras (1959)
View solution
Correct Option: C
The first IIT was established at Kharagpur in 1951; it was the original IIT, declared an Institute of National Importance.
Q 04 IGNOU Easy

The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) was established in:

  • A1969
  • B1985
  • C1995
  • D2005
View solution
Correct Option: B
IGNOU, the world's largest open university, was established by an Act of Parliament in 1985.
Q 05 NEP 2020 Medium

The National Education Policy 2020 was developed under the chairmanship of:

  • AD.S. Kothari
  • BK. Kasturirangan
  • CS. Radhakrishnan
  • DA.L. Mudaliar
View solution
Correct Option: B
NEP 2020 was developed by the committee chaired by K. Kasturirangan (former chairman of ISRO).
Q 06 NEP 2020 GER Medium

NEP 2020 sets the target Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education by 2035 at:

  • A25 %
  • B35 %
  • C50 %
  • D75 %
View solution
Correct Option: C
NEP 2020 targets GER of 50 % in higher education by 2035 (current GER ≈ 28-29 %).
Q 07 NIRF Medium

The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) was launched by the Ministry of Education in:

  • A1995
  • B2010
  • C2015
  • D2020
View solution
Correct Option: C
NIRF was launched by the Ministry of Education (then Ministry of Human Resource Development) in 2015.
Q 08 Match Commissions Hard

Match the commission with its chair:

(i) University Education Commission (1948-49) (a) D.S. Kothari
(ii) Secondary Education Commission (1952-53) (b) K. Kasturirangan
(iii) Education Commission (1964-66) (c) S. Radhakrishnan
(iv) NEP 2020 Committee (d) A.L. Mudaliar
  • A(i)-(c), (ii)-(d), (iii)-(a), (iv)-(b)
  • B(i)-(a), (ii)-(b), (iii)-(c), (iv)-(d)
  • C(i)-(b), (ii)-(c), (iii)-(d), (iv)-(a)
  • D(i)-(d), (ii)-(a), (iii)-(b), (iv)-(c)
View solution
Correct Option: A
University Education → Radhakrishnan; Secondary → Mudaliar; Education Commission → Kothari; NEP 2020 → Kasturirangan.
ImportantQuick recall
  • Commissions: Radhakrishnan (1948-49), Mudaliar (1952-53), Kothari (1964-66), NPE 1968, NPE 1986, NEP 2020 (Kasturirangan).
  • Kothari Commission → 6 % of GDP for education target; introduced 10+2+3 structure.
  • First IIT = Kharagpur 1951; first IIM = Calcutta 1961, Ahmedabad 1961; AIIMS Delhi 1956.
  • UGC statutory by Act of 1956; AICTE statutory 1987; NAAC 1994; NBA 1987; NIRF 2015; NTA 2017.
  • IGNOU 1985 (world’s largest open university).
  • NEP 2020: 5+3+3+4 structure, GER target 50 % by 2035, multidisciplinary, Academic Bank of Credits, mother tongue till Grade 5.
  • Indian higher education today: ~1,200 universities, ~45,000+ colleges, ~4.3 crore students, GER ~28-29 %.