Mahua Moitra: RTE shouldn't stop at primary schools, must cover higher studies
Citing China’s example, Moitra asserts need to level up quality of Indian education; expresses concern over V-C appointment in varsities
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra attended a two-day international conference on higher education at Loyola College, Chennai, where she addressed academics, scholars, and policymakers on issues related to excellence, equity, and sustainability in India's education system.
RTE must be extended to higher education
Moitra emphasised that the right to education should not stop at primary school-level, but should extend to higher education, where access remains deeply skewed due to socio-economic factors. “We have to first realise how privileged we are. We have to understand for the first time…”
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She pointed out the historical recommendations of the Kothari Commission (1966), which suggested that India must allocate at least 6 per cent of its GDP to education—a target the country has yet to meet. “The Kothari Commission said that 6 per cent is the number where we must spend a minimum of 6 per cent of our GDP on education. Out of that, what should be spent on higher education should be between 1.5 to 4 per cent.”
India vs China
Comparing India's education investment with that of China, Moitra highlighted a stark contrast: “Where is India today? India is spending between 4 and 4.2 per cent... we haven’t cracked it. We keep talking about China. Do you know what China’s GDP is? 70 per cent of students are going into higher learning in China, whereas only 3 out of 10 are in India. That’s how skewed the metrics are.”
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Moitra also raised concerns over the growing centre-state conflicts in appointing vice-chancellors to state-funded universities, warning that these disputes could impact state participation in education governance. “If you look at state-aided universities, the state is paying for the university, providing land, and covering faculty salaries. But the vice-chancellor selection committee will have no state government representation. How does this work?”
On V-C selection
She expressed concern that the process of vice-chancellor selection was increasingly favouring administrative control over academic leadership. “In Tamil Nadu, in Kerala—education is valued above all else. Saraswati is held higher than most other gods in the country. And yet, when we talk about vice-chancellors, we cannot just have an administrator in that role.”
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Moitra’s speech reinforced the urgent need for education policy reforms that prioritise access, state participation, and financial commitment to higher education. She stressed that unless India commits to increasing spending, strengthening governance, and addressing socio-economic barriers, millions of students would continue to be locked out of higher education opportunities.
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