SHIFTING PARADIGM AND REVERSAL TREND IN STRUCTURAL COMPOSITION OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN HIMACHAL PRADESH: A GEOGRAPHICAL PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Higher education is the most essential for the socio-economic development of any nation. It is an instrument which can provide the insight to educated masses to make use of the new developments particularly in science and technology. Colleges and Universities provide higher level of general, professional and technical education. The general and technological transformation of a region is very much dependent on availability and quality of higher learning institutes. In the following, an attempt will be made to examine the composition of higher education in Himachal Pradesh. The union Ministry of Human Resource Development (henceforth, MHRD) is the central level ministry to govern the higher education in India. The MHRD is responsible for education at all levels. Its wing known as the Department of School and Literacy is responsible for the development of school education whereas another wing, the Department of higher education takes care of higher education. In the available literature structure of higher education can be examined in a number of ways such as on the basis of its nature, management and regulatory framework.