Fri Jun 20 19:10:26 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary of the text and a rewritten version as a news article:

**Summary:**

Ved Prakash Mishra, Pro-Chancellor of Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences, highlighted the challenges India faces in higher education at an international conference in Chennai. While India aims for a 50% Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) by 2035, the current expansion of institutions isn’t sufficient, leaving a significant portion of eligible individuals out. He also emphasized the need for quality and accreditation, noting India’s underrepresentation in global rankings. He stressed the importance of mainstreaming quality in all institutions, including those currently considered mediocre, through national-level capacity building. The conference, organized by Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, aims to explore accreditation and ranking systems to improve the quality of Indian higher education.

**News Article:**

**India’s Higher Education Expansion Fails to Meet Demand, Quality Concerns Loom**

**Chennai, June 21, 2025:** Despite significant growth in higher education institutions, India is struggling to keep pace with demand, leaving half of eligible students unable to access opportunities, according to Ved Prakash Mishra, Pro-Chancellor of Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences. Mishra made the remarks at the inaugural of the 1st International Conference on Accreditation, Ranking and Quality in Higher Education held at Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research.

Speaking at the conference, Mishra pointed out a stark “dichotomy” in India’s higher education landscape. While India has witnessed a surge in the number of institutions, it is only able to cater to a fraction of the eligible population with the current GER at 26.8%.

Mishra also addressed critical issues surrounding quality and accreditation, arguing that rapid expansion must not come at the expense of standards. He noted India’s poor representation in global rankings, stressing the need to incorporate international benchmarks into the country’s operational system.

“In the top 500 institutions ranked globally, India has not been able to cut a mark,” said Mishra. “Global standards should be the benchmark to be incorporated and built into the operational system for quality centricity in higher education.”

Linking accreditation and quality certifications is crucial to ensuring Indian graduates and postgraduates are globally competitive. Furthermore, Mishra underscored the need to uplift all higher education institutions through national-level capacity building, and mainstream quality.

Uma Sekar, Vice-Chancellor of Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, stated that the two-day conference will focus on “decoding the accreditation and ranking system,” with the ultimate goal of helping institutions achieve higher ranks and elevate the overall quality of Indian higher education.

The conference comes at a pivotal moment for India’s education sector, as the nation strives to meet its ambitious 2035 GER target.

Read More