Which of the following are the goals of higher education in India ? (a) Access…

Concept — Indian education policy states the aims of higher education separately from the aims of school education. Across UGC plan documents and the National Knowledge Commission's reports, the higher-education agenda is framed around a recurring set of goals: access, equity, quality and excellence, relevance, and value-based education. A guarantee of free and compulsory schooling belongs instead to the elementary-education framework, which rests on its own constitutional and statutory basis.

Application — reading each item in the list against that policy frame:

• Access — widening entry into higher education and raising the Gross Enrolment Ratio, including for learners in under-served regions and social groups.

• Equity — removing gaps of gender, caste, region, disability and income in who enters higher education and who completes it.

• Quality and Excellence — lifting standards of teaching, research and institutional performance, monitored through accreditation agencies such as NAAC and NBA.

• Relevance — keeping curricula and research aligned with social needs and with the world of work.

• Value based education — developing ethical, civic and humanistic capacities alongside disciplinary knowledge.

Cross-check — the remaining item sits in a different layer of education policy:

Result — among the items listed, the goals of higher education are Access, Equity, Quality and Excellence, Relevance and Value based education, so the correct code is (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e).