Academic freedom is central to the future of India’s higher education system in its efforts to develop a knowledge economy and institutions of excellence comparable to the best in the world.

Higher education in India is in the process of transition in the face of globalisation. Some of the important organisations involved in responding to the challenges of developing a knowledge economy and seeking this transition in higher education are the University Grants Commission (UGC), the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, the Planning Commission, and the National Knowledge Commission (NKC). Each of them has its own perspective on what ought to be the future of higher education.

While there is need for consensus-building and closer interaction among these bodies, the importance of promoting academic freedom should also be recognised. Given the challenges of privatisation, there is an urgent need for emphasising academic freedom as a core component of ensuring higher academic standards and the development of curriculum that will meet the needs of the future. The state and the private sector need to recognise that the creation of knowledge and development of the higher education sector cannot take place without recognising academic
freedom. 

The following are some of the important issues relating to academic freedom:

Understanding academic freedom: The concept of academic freedom should be further examined in the light ofglobalisation and new challenges posed to higher education. There is need for a public debate on the inherently difficult issue of how academic freedom in Indian universities can be balanced with an equally important value of ensuring transparency and accountability within public and private institutions. The question of accountability becomes critical in the context of growing commercialisation of education which has also undermined academic freedom. Promoting greater understanding of academic freedom has a significant bearing on the