Given below are two statements:
Statement I: In India increasing access to higher education has been constrained by low completion rates at secondary education stage.
Statement II: By 2030. all multidisciplinary higher education institutions will be closed down.
In the light of the above statements, Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Correct option is C

Statement I is true. In India, increasing access to higher education has been significantly constrained by low completion rates at the secondary education stage. This means that many students drop out before they reach the end of secondary school, making it difficult for them to progress to higher education. The low retention and completion rates in secondary education are a major bottleneck in expanding access to tertiary education. Efforts to improve secondary education completion rates are crucial to improving the GER (Gross Enrolment Ratio) in higher education and achieving the goal of expanding access to education.
Statement II is false. There is no policy or official statement suggesting that all multidisciplinary higher education institutions will be closed down by 2030. On the contrary, India's National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 advocates for expanding multidisciplinary education. The NEP 2020 envisions the creation of more multidisciplinary institutions and encourages a more flexible approach to higher education. The idea is to provide students with the opportunity to pursue multiple fields of study, making education more holistic and integrated, rather than restricting or closing such institutions.
Information Booster: · Statement I highlights the importance of improving secondary education in India. Higher education access is deeply connected to the foundation laid at the secondary level, where many students drop out due to financial constraints, family obligations, or other factors.
· Multidisciplinary education is a key part of India’s education reforms, with NEP 2020 proposing the introduction of multidisciplinary institutions and flexibility in curricula.
· The National Education Policy 2020 stresses the importance of providing opportunities for students to learn from a variety of disciplines and encourages universities to move towards more inclusive and flexible structures.
· The completion rate of secondary education plays a crucial role in determining how many students can move forward into tertiary education, affecting overall GER.
· As of now, the focus is on increasing access and inclusivity rather than restricting institutions, especially in the context of multidisciplinary education.