TOI: India needs public-private partnership in education: April 28, 2008

Q& A

India needs public-private partnership in education

Renu Khator became the first woman of Indian origin to be appointed the president of the University of Houston, USA, and the chancellor of the UH system early this year. She will head a system which is considered one of North Americas biggest with a faculty of 3,000-plus and over 50,000 students. On a recent visit to India, she talked to Meenakshi Kumar about the differences between American and Indian education system:

You studied in India before moving to the US? What major difference do you find between the Indian and American education systems?

While theoretical education is more strong in India, in the US, the emphasis is more on applied education. The other important difference is that in the US, education is more holistic. The first two years are spent in studying liberal arts, irrespective of the fact that the students may opt for engineering or management courses later. Once the course in liberal arts is over, then they start taking classes in their chosen subject. It gives the students a wider perspective of things.

Should higher education in India be privatised? Or is a public-private partnership a better option?