India is renowned for its quality of education. Seeking knowledge and wisdom has always been considered a holy quest in India and those who venture into this esoteric field have been venerated and immortalized in our history. The annals of Indian history is full of stories of sages who sought wisdom and dispersed knowledge. They imparted their knowledge and skills in Gurukuls, the traditional Hindu residential schools of learning.

The Gurukul system of education is one of the oldest forms of organized education on earth. Education was imparted orally on subjects such as, religion, scriptures, philosophy, literature, mathematics, warfare, statecraft, medicine, astrology and history. Students belonging to Brahmin and Kshatriya communities were taught in these Gurukuls. The Gurukuls taught its inmates life skills. Students served their guru or teacher by working at various jobs in his home or fields. On graduating from the Gurukul the student in turn set out to impart his knowledge.

The advent of Buddhism and Jainism brought about fundamental changes in availability of education. These religions were democratic in character and made education universal. Higher education flourished at the Universities of Nalanda, Takshashila, Ujjain, and Vikramshila. Art, architecture, painting, logic, grammar, philosophy, astronomy, literature, Buddhism, Hinduism, economics & politics (arthashastra), law, and medicine were among the subjects taught in these universities. Takshila specialized in the study of medicine, while Ujjain emphasized on astronomy. Nalanda was the biggest centre of education. It handled all branches of knowledge, and at its peak housed up to 10,000 students. British records show that education was widespread in the 18th century, with a school for every temple, mosque or village in most regions of the country. The subjects taught included religion, theology, reading, writing, arithmetic, law, astronomy, metaphysics, ethics, and medical science. The schools were attended by students from all classes of society.

The widespread use of printed books in the West since the sixteenth century, led to a remarkable advancement of knowledge. Printed books were not used in Indian schools till after the 1820s. In 1823, Raja Ram Mohan Roy wrote to Lord Amherst, the governor-general, requesting him not to spend government funds on starting a Sanskrit College in Calcutta but instead to employ "European Gentlemen of talent and education to instruct the natives of India in Mathematics, Natural Philosophy, Chemistry, Anatomy and other useful sciences."

So, the current system of education, with its western style and content, was introduced and founded in the 20th century by the British, on Macaulay's recommendations. Pre-British schools and colleges were maintained by grants of revenue-free land. The East India Company, with its policy of maximizing land revenue starved the Indian education system of its financial resources. After Independence, education became the responsibility of the states. The Central Government's only obligation was to specify standards and co-ordinate technical and higher education. This continued till 1976, when the education became a joint responsibility of the state and the Centre.

All levels of education, from primary to higher education, are overseen by Department of Higher Education and Department of School Education and Literacy, and heavily subsidized by the Indian government, though there is a move to make higher education partially self-financing, with the government even considering 100% foreign direct investment in Higher Education. Some of India's universities of higher education, BITS, ISB, IITs, IIITs, NITs, IISc, TIFR, ISI, IIMs, AIIMS are renowned worldwide. Yet, India is dealing with challenges in its primary education and strives to reach 100% literacy. Universal Compulsory Primary Education, with its challenges of keeping poor children in school and maintaining quality of education in rural areas, has been difficult to achieve.

India's educational system is divided into pre-primary, primary, middle, secondary or high school, and higher levels. Pre-primary is usually composed of Lower Kindergarten and Higher Kindergarten, where primary reading and writing skills are developed. Primary school includes children of ages six to eleven, organized into classes one through five. Pupils aged eleven through fifteen are organized into Secondary school, in classes six through ten. Higher secondary school students ages sixteen through seventeen are enrolled in Plus One and Plus Two classes.

Higher Education in India provides ample opportunities to specialize in diverse fields of studies in colleges, and universities including technical schools, such as, the Indian Institutes of Technology. In India, higher education has evolved into distinct and divergent streams with each stream monitored by an apex body, indirectly controlled by the Ministry of Human Resource Development and funded by the state governments. However, there are 18 important universities called Central Universities that are maintained by the Union Government. The increased funding of the central universities give them an advantage over state competitors.

The private sector is strong in Indian higher education. Times Higher World University Rankings places the Indian Institutes of Technology 50th in the world and 2nd in the field of Engineering just below MIT. The National Law School is highly regarded, with some of its students being awarded Rhodes Scholarships to Oxford University. The All India Institute of Medical Sciences is consistently rated the top medical school in the country. Indian School of Business, Hyderabad and the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) are the top management institutes in India.

The future of education in India is blindingly bright. The possibilities are myriad and the scope endless. The world looks to Indian scholars to provide breakthroughs in every field. Students educated in India are welcomed in every University and organization in the world. The executive workforce in many organizations in the United States, New Zealand and Canada are of Indian origin. The staff of International organizations such as the United Nations are populated by Indians. Indian Doctors, Engineers and people from every professional cadre are respected worldwide for their academic acumen, adaptability, resourcefulness and work ethics.

The IT industry that has a sizable Indian component to it has made the world sit up and take notice of India. The success of Indians in the IT industry has showcased the characteristics that make Indians capable of breaching any profession in the world that has hitherto been elusive to Indians. BPO Services outsourcing as an Industry revolutionized the economies of Asia, especially India. India is competitive in this field largely because of the number of English-speaking students who graduate out of our educational system. Their fundamental language skills helped BPO services as Medical Transcription services, Call centers, Remote secretary services and alike to grow in multi-folds.

India has always been receptive to world influences. Its educational system is not an exception. Indians who remain in their homeland and those who have migrated to other countries have achieved success because of the quality of education they received in India. Even as India has retained the best of its unique culture it has also bravely embraced new systems of education in order to arm its citizens to face the challenges that await them in this millennium.