Economics of Engineering Education in India: Growing Challenges of Access, Excellence and Equity

This volume focuses on the key trends and major developments in engineering education in India and reflects on the effects and challenges of its expansion on economic growth and development.

Analysing several dimensions relating to the status and growth of engineering education, this book:

• Highlights, in the overall policy environment, the rapid growth of engineering education, imbalances in the growth between different branches of engineering education, changing trends and patterns in their growth, quality of education, gender inequality, and inequality by caste, region and economic status and labour market conditions that influence the demand for engineering education
• Reflects on the rapid growth of private sector in engineering education and its effects on equitable access, quality and other dimensions of higher education, and on overall development of the economy
• Investigates the socio-economic characteristics of the students going to private colleges/universities, financing by the government vis-à-vis students/households, the unsteady growth in public financing of engineering education and educational loans as a method of financing
• Explores the reasons behind the increasing demand of engineering education and the factors that have contributed to the rise of electronics engineering, computer science engineering and information technology-related areas of engineering as against some conventionally popular disciplines of engineering

This volume will be of interest to students, teachers and researchers of education, higher education, engineering education, economics of education, sociology of education, and education and public policy. It will also be useful for policymakers and administrators in higher education, engineering/technical education in BRIC countries, and those interested in the study and growth of engineering education in advanced as well as emerging economies.

Jandhyala B. G. Tilak is former Professor and Vice Chancellor, National University of Educational Planning and Administration, India and ICSSR National Fellow. He is an economist of education and is presently Distinguished Professor at the Council for Social Development, New Delhi, and Visiting Professor at Kautilya School of Public Policy, Hyderabad, India. He is also the recipient of the Pranavananda Saraswati award (UGC) for excellence in research in education, Dr Malcolm Adiseshiah award for distinguished contributions to development studies, Inspirational Teacher of the year award and the Devang Mehta award. His recent publication includes Higher Education, Public Good and Markets (2018), Education and Development: Critical Issues in Public Policy and Development (2018), Education and Development (Academic Foundation 2018), Dilemmas in Reforming Higher Education in India (2018) and Trade in Higher Education (2011).