Indian higher-education institutions face significant challenges in joining large knowledge clusters for resource sharing, primarily due to infrastructural limitations, financial constraints and institutional cultural differences, according to a new report by QS I-GAUGE.

QS I-GAUGE is an independent education-rating system that brings together the global experience and expertise of London-based QS Quacquarelli Symonds and the knowledge of Indian educational luminaries.

The report, titled “From vision to reality: Tracking NEP 2020 implementation in Indian higher education”, that was released on Thursday has a series of findings on the progress of the implementation of the National Education Policy in the country’s higher-education institutions.

“Indian higher-education institutions face significant challenges in joining large knowledge clusters for resource sharing, primarily due to infrastructural limitations, financial constraints and institutional cultural differences. While curricular flexibility has been successfully integrated in many institutions, the implementation of multiple entry and exit options as envisioned under NEP 2020 remains limited,” the report said.

“The establishment of student support and service centres is well-implemented, but institutional partnerships for mental health and well-being with national institutions of importance, such as National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Ranchi Institute of Neuro-Psychiatry and Allied Sciences and All India Institute of Medical Sciences is currently inadequate,” it added.

The report collated data from 165 higher-educational institutions based in 21 states and three Union territories to highlight the progress made by the institutes so far and identify critical gaps and emerging opportunities that must be addressed to realise the transformative vision of the policy.

“There is a high degree of institutional alignment with the National Higher Education Qualifications Framework and most institutions report near-complete alignment between programme-learning outcomes and course-learning outcomes. Although there is a strong intent to involve industry experts and professors of practice in curriculum development, actual appointments of PoPs remain significantly low.

“Key barriers to achieving institutional autonomy include financial dependence, bureaucratic processes, internal resistance to change and limited institutional capacity. International research collaboration and the signing of memoranda of understanding with global institutions remain underdeveloped across many higher-education institutions,” it said.

The report noted that there is a growing intention to adopt the principles of the Indian Knowledge System, though the progress has been gradual.

“With the right vision, strategic investment and focussed effort, meaningful integration of Indian Knowledge System into mainstream education can be accelerated,” it said.

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