Higher education GER to be raised to 30% by 2020: Pallam Raju

The government has begun efforts to enhance the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in higher education to 30 per cent by 2020 from the current level of around 19 per cent, Union Minister for Human Resource Development (HRD) M M Pallam Raju said on Saturday.

"We have a Gross Enrolment Ratio of close to 19 per cent, which is much below the 26 per cent average GER in global scenario. But we are certain that with the sustained efforts that began in 11th Five Year Plan we will be able to take our GER to 30 per cent by 2020," he said.

Speaking at the fifth convocation of the city-based Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU), Raju stressed the need to raise the education level right from schools to higher institutes with a focus on quality. "That is exactly what the government is trying to do right now. There is a very clear plan and that plan must progress from school education through college education and through the universities. It is important to integrate that education with higher disciplines and bring an international focus on the campuses," the minister said.

The Centre and the HRD Ministry have been putting in efforts to encourage GER and no university must be left behind in these efforts, he said, adding that the focus should be on the quality aspect. "For that to happen, it is important for the universities to be the center of revolution by focusing on quality of education," Raju said.

Earlier, honorary doctorate degree was presented to Justice (Retd) Rajinder Sachar. In the absence of Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan, his mother Zeenat Tahir Hussain and his elder sister Nikhat received the honorary doctorate degree. As many as 24,578 students from the distance and the regular modes of education were awarded degrees and diplomas for various programmes and courses for 2011 and 2012. Chancellor Syeda Saiyidain Hameed and Vice-Chancellor Mohammad Miyan also spoke on the occasion.