NEW DELHI: With expansion of the higher education sector becoming inevitable now in the wake of the Government's decision to extend reservation to Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in Central educational institutions, the Planning Commission favours a realistic increase in fees to supplement budgetary support during the 11th Five Year Plan.

Acknowledging the long overdue need for expansion of the higher education sector, the Commission, in its draft Approach Paper to the 11th Plan, states that successive annual plans will have to provide rising levels of budgetary support. "However, this must be accompanied by internal resource generation by duly and realistically raising fees. Simultaneously, efforts will be made to develop wider merit-cum-means based loan and scholarship programmes through the banking system and other agencies."

Besides factoring in the latest move towards OBC reservation, the higher education segment in the Approach Paper makes a pitch for improving access to high quality institutions; stating that this is crucial for equity since they provide opportunities for the poor and socially disadvantaged to advance themselves. While stressing the need to open new colleges and universities to provide easier access to students in educationally backward districts, the draft makes the point that the ability to benefit from higher education hinges on school education. "Unless the access of all groups to high quality schooling is improved, they will remain at a disadvantage even if they get access to higher education because they will not be able to do well at later educational stages."

The draft also seeks to address the issue of quality in higher education. In particular, it takes note of faculty shortage. "Disturbingly, the high quality institutions are finding it difficult to get faculty of suitable quality given the enormous increase in opportunities in the private sector for many of the skills most in demand. The 11th Plan must undertake a major effort to expand capacity in our institutions while also improving quality."

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