Rajasthan is expanding its role in higher education but needs urgent reforms in leadership, global reach, and financial autonomy to ensure public universities deliver on their promise, Kuldeep Ranka, Additional chief secretary, Higher Technical Education, Government of Rajasthan, said while speaking at The Economic Times Rajasthan Business Summit recently.
“Education is not just about learning skills or subjects — it is about life. Ancient India had focused on learning how to live, and if we are able to understand that, we can understand the whole universe,” he said.
Nalanda to Takshila
“India once contributed 25 per cent to 30 per cent of world GDP, and had centres of knowledge like Nalanda and Takshila that set global benchmarks in their times,” said Ranka.From Charaka and Sushruta contributions to medicine to advances in meditation and philosophy, he said much of modern learning draws roots from Indian scriptures. But centuries of foreign rule and disruption eroded this wealth of knowledge. “It is only in recent times that we have again been able to regain our position economically, socially, and culturally,” he added.
He argued that India’s education system, like many across the globe, emphasises on discipline and skills but neglects lessons on life itself. This, he noted, was in contrast to India’s ancient traditions that prioritised wisdom and philosophy alongside knowledge.
Rajasthan’s higher education landscape
“The AISHE survey of 2021–2022 mentions that Rajasthan is the second ranker in terms of number of universities. We have crossed the mark of 101 universities. Two districts are in the top 10 districts of the country with the maximum number of colleges. There are 665 government colleges, and we also have the presence of premier institutions in the state,” said Ranka.
Despite this progress, challenges remain. Most institutions, leaving the premier ones, have limited leadership capabilities. Without strong leadership, they cannot perform to expectations.
Financial autonomy, he added, is another major barrier. “We call them Visva Vidyalayas, but we hardly find students coming from the globe. Unless we are able to attract global talent to our institutions, we cannot say we have performed to expectations”.
He also flagged the economic burden of sending students abroad. “It is almost half the size of Rajasthan’s GDP every year that goes to the US alone for our students’ education”.
Why public institutions matter?
Ranka held up institutions like IIT-Kharagpur and IISc, Bengaluru, as examples of what public institutions can achieve. Investment in public institutions is a must. That is the solution if we have to position ourselves as a top economy in times to come. He also credited engaged faculty as a key factor in their success. Professors knew our schedules — when we went to the computer rooms, when we played, when our breaks were. That kind of student engagement was the secret of success.
A call for visionary leadership
Ranka concluded by underlining that the revival of Indian higher education depends on reclaiming leadership, autonomy, and a focus on holistic learning.
“Public universities were set up with high expectations. Only with visionary leadership, student engagement, and financial freedom can they truly produce global leaders once again,” he said.
