Universities are considered to have been regarded as key institutions in processes of social change and development.
The most important role they have been assigned is the production of highly skilled manpower and research output to meet perceived targets.
Another role that universities may play is in the building of new institutions of civil society, in developing new cultural values, and in training and socializing people of the new social era. But as the scope of Universities in India is widening, there are questions arising that create doubts, confusion and compels a nation to ponder over.
Do universities only serve the purpose of granting degrees? Should the students only be concerned with their studies while they are a part of a certain institution of their country?
Universities are a notable political face of our country, even from the times of freedom struggle.
Any kind of discontent or disagreement with the ruling government initiates criticism and it gets channelized in the form of activism by the young emerging students of colleges.
Jawaharlal Nehru University, Aligarh Muslim University, Jamia Milia Islamia are among the recently highlighted universities that were at the forefront of popular activism.
Apart from politics, a student is able to have a deeper realization of the latent passion within him/her during one’s college days.
The aim of Universities in a country should be much more than just allotting placements, rather it should be inclined more to the greasing of the student’s aptitude.
After a student completes one’s schooling, he experiences a push from within, a spark of energy born naturally at a certain age. The university should be able to provide a direction to that spark.
When the interaction between the students from around the nation surges up, it develops into a more creative and interdisciplinary approach.
Colleges and Universities fuel the Knowledge Economy. With the world’s shift from an industrial economy to a knowledge economy, Higher Education is the Key.
Colleges and universities drive economic development by setting a high standard As they create a more educated labor market, colleges and universities essentially increase the wages of all workers.
When the number of college graduates increases one percent within a region, the overall wages of high school grads increase by 1.6 percent.
If we look at statistics and the results of various researches, it could be found out that there is an immense increase in the number of admissions each year from primary schools to colleges and to universities.
Not just Government universities but private institutions have also emerged in the educational sectors which are accepted with open arms by students. Studies reveal that the number of overall enrollments from Government universities to private institutes has been multiplied with each passing day.
The growing competition has made people understand the importance of education not just in terms of individual improvement but also in adding to the progression of the entire nation.
We should try to inherit the legacy of our great universities like Nalanda and Taxila.
The government should encourage more universities but what is more important is to focus on the quality as the problem of Brain Drain is a significant and lingering problem of the country.
Moreover, the University should work as an institution cum organization and contribute as a strong foundation for the nation’s development.
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