AGARTALA, March 6 (TIWN): VIT University organized a press conference on ‘The current scenario and the challenges in higher education’ at Agartala Press Club, here today.

Speaking to the reporters at Agartala Press Club today founder and chancellor of VIT University Dr. G. Viswanthan said that VIT had established Universal Higher Education Trust (UHET). The trust is aiming to facilitate access to higher education for all the deserving economically poor candidates. The Universal Higher Education Trust (UHET) embraces financial assistance, career counseling, advocacy, networking and educational outreach, he added.

Viswanathan is the UHET president and he has set a goal to achieve 90 percent Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in higher education in Vellore district by 2017 and create a model for the government to replicate in rest of the country.
UHET believes that “higher education plays a vital role in human resource development of any country by creating skilled manpower, enhancing industrial productivity and improving quality of life.”
According to estimates, the enrollment ratio of students in higher education in India is about 18 percent, which is below the world average of 24 percent.
In India currently there are over 735 universities and 37,000 colleges. While colleges are mushrooming each year, the GER is not keeping pace with the growth.