Education is the bedrock for the development of any nation. Higher education contributes to the dimension of progress of human society but there is little clarity on what this means and how it relates to the benefits for students and graduates. The mid-1980s saw the economy growing at an accelerated pace and the demand for professionally trained business executives in both public and private sector organizations grew. With only a few public universities in the country then, and quotas favouring in admissions, many students interested in business education or any other stream of study had to go out of their hometown or overseas. This lacuna can be considered as a major cause for the brain drain phenomenon that the nation had faced over the years. Students in search of quality education had to move out of their hometown to a distant land or to another advanced city/state of the same country.
During last two decades, Indian government realized the need of additional Universities in the country to provide higher education to all young aspirants and promoted the private University model in the country with the reason that establishment of private universities is the best solution to this problem in the country without financial burden to the government. There is indeed a difference between private colleges and public universities that have sometimes similar characteristics but also different attributes. Yahya Ibrahim in Tang (2012) states that ‘The private higher education has evolved more rapidly than the public system and it may be considered as supplementing and complementing the education system of the nation. Accordingly, based on section 22 of UGC act, the Indian government has allowed the state governments to establish private universities in the respective states. Consequently, 22 states in the country have established private universities and as per UGC information, presently 264 private universities established in the country are competent to award degrees with the approval of the statutory councils, wherever required through their main campus. Accordingly, many established private universities in different states of the country have started their higher educational service and formulating their strategies to provide quality and innovative education to attract many students in the areas of high demand in the industry and society. Due to non-availability of any financial support from the state and central governments, private universities are trying to sustain through their only strategy of service differentiation through 21st century curriculum and industry integrated programme design. (P. S. Aithal, Madhushree, Revathi R.)
Recent years has seen a sea change in the education scenario with many new and upcoming colleges/universities being introduced in the education industry. Even Assam is not lagging behind in this change. The Assam Royal Global University, Assam Down Town University, Assam Don Bosco University etc. are a few names to be taken in this scenario of the private universities of the state of Assam. In an interview with the faculty members and a few other stakeholders of the Royal Global University, we came to identify a few parameters that distinguishes this university from the rest. On being asked what are the major reasons for this huge preference by students, we came to understand the following parameters, namely – student’s satisfaction, quality or service of education, the wide range of professional courses, infrastructure, ICT based teaching, performance and teaching capabilities of the lecturer, high-tech laboratories, industry exposure and internship support, and also the nominal fee -high performance ratio.
Universities have done exceptionally well in terms of designing and offering innovative industry-oriented customized programmes for their students. By designing super-specialized and customized programmes these universities are attracting students for quality education. Besides the traditional Engineering, management, and the royal sciences (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics), Royal Global University also offers courses in Physiotherapy, Pharmacology, Nursing, Hotel Management, Travel and Tourism management, Liberal Arts (Political Science, History, Sociology, Social Work etc.), Humanities, Behavioural science (Clinical Psychology, Applied Psychology etc.), Law and Administration; altogether ninety three courses being offered.
A senior faculty of Royal Global University spoke to G Plus regarding the choice-based-credit-system and how it facilitates this interdisciplinary model. A few other faculty members also mentioned about the implementation of Choice-based-credit-system (CBCS) in the curriculum which makes all course of study interdisciplinary in nature. The university campus with its diverse courses in close vicinity makes it a perfect social sphere for a student to indulge in the CBCS modality as has been laid down by UGC. Their main aim is to provide basic and normal education at minimum cost so that it can reach to the people.
As we move forward with a knowledge economy, new knowledge is exclusive to its creator and provides a first mover advantage. Private universities will play a vital role in the changing scenario of the education industry of Assam.