The Indian Education System is one of the oldest systems of the world. Even before the number and alphabet systems, Gurus or sages used to impart knowledge orally to their Shishyas or students. This information was passed on from one generation to the other in many varied forms, from folk tales to various physical activities and tasks. The Indian education system was rich and highly respected in its form so much so that the students used to rank their Gurus even above their parents. Later on, manuscripts and teachings were written on palm leaves, temple walls and later, on paper. The teacher-student was considered very pious and even poor students used to offer their teacher some form of contribution, be it in the form of money, fruits or even pledges.
Today, the Indian education has taken on a completely different form. With the rise of modern, globalised India, education in India has raced forward with huge and successful leaps. For those who can afford good quality education, there are hardly any hurdles in their paths. But even for the poor and lesser fortunate strata of the society, the government has launched various policies and initiatives. In order to promote free education among poor children till the age of 14 years, the government has banned child labor and fervently launches various schemes like the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA) to entice more and more children to take up books. Apart from these schemes, the youth of India is waking up to its responsibilities and carrying out various individual, non-profit activities to impart knowledge to these children. And not just children, even the elderly and the women are coming forward and becoming an active part of these initiatives.
The youth of today rising India has played a major role in bringing about this change. Education initiatives like the “Each One, Teach One” program encourage young people of urban India to come forward and teach children from the deprived areas of the society. Moreover, professionals from established universities and schools are called in to support vocational training programs. To promote secondary level education and to make these children aware of its importance, the SSA has been further extended into Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyaan. It is because of the youth of our country, equipped with global level education and the support of strong governing policies that the Indian education system has attained new heights. The country constitution states the Right to Education as a very fundamental one and makes it compulsory for every child to be educated till the senior secondary level.
The higher education of India is the third largest in the world after China and the USA and is equipped with better infrastructure and highly qualified and eminent teachers. The University Grants Commission is the highest governing body at the tertiary level and works along with government to promote and regulate various universities. In the year 2009, it was noted that India has 20 central universities, 215 state universities, 100 deemed universities, apart from many other colleges. With all these provisions, the country’s education system is sure to soar high.