インドにおける国立大学の役割 -「大学の目的」に着目して-

Abstract

India has adopted a federal system like, for example, U.S.A. and Germany. As for higher education, each local government in these countries is generally responsible for it. On the other hand, India has some central universities. This study is aims to examine the roles of central universities in India and the meanings of their existence. In India, central universities have been considered important by the central government from a cultural or national point of view. And they have been considered to function on an all-India basis. According to each central university act, they have the objective of developing certain target groups. These targets are for not only all-India but also cultural, minority, and local areas of India. These objectives and roles of central universities can be analyzed and explained by two meanings of their existence, one that is negative and the other is positive. The negative meaning is that central universities are a substitute for state universities in providing higher education to the minorities and people in each state. The positive meaning is that central universities function to integrate national diversity. India has experienced the crisis of a national divide across religions, minorities, and states. It is expected that central universities can help mitigate this divide and help build a more unified India.