India, June 16 -- India is home to the second largest higher education ecosystem in the world, with 4.33 crore students and nearly 15 lakh faculty across 1,168 Universities, 45,473 Colleges and 12,002 Standalone Institutions. While 'Institutions of National Importance' and 'Central Universities' have made their mark in frontier areas of knowledge and dominate national priorities, it is the nearly 500 'State Public Universities (SPUs) and their over 46,000 affiliated institutions that are the backbone of its higher education system. They currently cater to over 80 per cent of students. Technically, SPUs are established or incorporated by a Provincial or State Act, funded by the State Governments, and under their realm of control. However, ...