NITI Aayog: Haryana lags behind neighbors in higher education

Haryana ranks poorly in higher education, according to the latest NITI Aayog report. It trails behind its neighbors, like Punjab and Rajasthan, in several key areas such as university rankings, gross enrolment ratio (GER), and education funding. The state struggles with inadequate investment in higher education and a low density of institutions compared to its neighbors.

The report highlights that Haryana’s GER worsened post-COVID, as students increasingly turn to non-attending courses or leave for jobs abroad. While Haryana has over 11 lakh students in higher education, its figures still fall behind Rajasthan’s 26.89 lakh enrolments. Additionally, the state has few state public universities (SPUs) in the top 100 of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), unlike states like Punjab, which had several universities in the rankings.

The report also notes that Haryana’s allocation to higher education, at just 0.49% of its Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), is lower than its neighbors like Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. Haryana’s education system is also hampered by a shortage of qualified teachers and poor infrastructure, with many institutions lacking research facilities.

The NITI Aayog suggests that Haryana needs more targeted policies to address these gaps, particularly focusing on improving rural access to education and enhancing the overall quality of higher education. The state’s relatively low number of colleges per SPU and lack of significant improvements in its higher education network highlight the urgency for change.