Board Examinations 2017: Over 1 crore students appear for exams, is India equipped to provide higher education to all

Over 1 crore students have appeared for Board examinations 2017, is India equipped to provide higher education to all, report.

It is the end of another academic cycle as students gear up for results of Board Examinations 2017. The massive scale of the examinations is only a small insight into the young Indian population. As per various reports, over 1 crore students have appeared for various Board examinations 2017. Central Boards and State Boards numbers when combined provide a mind boggling figure. As students wait for their results for various board examinations, we look to seek the answer. Is India equipped to provide Higher Education to all? Yes. Questions arise about the quality of education and employ-ability.

The largest board by far is the Uttar Pradesh Board where a total of 26 lakh students have registered for 12^th class board examinations. Another 10.9 lakhs for CBSE Board Exams, 8 odd lakhs for MP Boards and so on. Discounting the students who have appeared in their Class 10 or HSC or Matric examinations, if only the students in class 12 are counted, the numbers are staggering to over 1.43 crores approximately. Here is a look at the approximate number of students who have either registered/appeared in the 12^th class exam. Also Read | CBSE Class 12th Exam Results 2017: News of Lower percentages creates panic in students, teachers clarify

Please note that not all the figures are exact. While some have been rounded off to the nearest number, it can be easily expected that the total number is well over 1 crore. Discounting the students who fail to clear the examination, the numbers are still very high. With a pass percentage average of 70 percent, nearly 70 lakh students would now be ready to apply to various universities, colleges and vocational courses. Also, another chunk of students would be appearing for 12^th Boards through open schools. Though India has enough Universities, Engineering Colleges and Polytechnics, the number for quality institutes fall short. It is a fact that not many Indian Universities have a spot in the top Universities of the world. As far as engineering is concerned, we still have a large population of engineering graduates every year but 70 percent are not employable. Also Read | List of Engineering Colleges closing down in 2017: Technical Institutes shutting down in India even as country pushes STEM Education, report. 

Thinking ahead, at least 70 percent of the candidates who complete their higher studies would be ready for jobs after three years. That in itself is about 50 lakh fresh graduates from different walks of life. The question that worries us all at this stage is…Is India generating 50 lakh jobs every year to provide for its educated youth? The numbers are massive. Only a small percentage of this number, as per studies conducted by MHRD, would then continue with further Higher Studies. A smaller still percentage would get to a doctorate level.

Adding more to the plate, In spite of actually dolling out such large numbers on an yearly basis, our villages are stretched for doctors and teachers, almost all departmental office is short of hands and there is a massive shortage of skilled professionals. However, you look at it, the numbers present a very interesting view of the tip of the iceberg as far as India’s Human Resource Development is concerned. We need more colleges, more medical institutes, research centers and more importantly, jobs. To effectively employ India’s true resource – the young population.