Educational Institutions have always played a significant role in the development of society. They exist because we task them with creating new knowledge, addressing societal challenges and improving lives. Society therefore should – and does – shoulder the responsibility of funding universities. Numerous well-funded and resourced universities demonstrate the tremendous social and economic impact such an institution can have.

The debates on the desirability of public funding of higher education are not by any means new or settled. They have however had a big influence on the financing of higher education in India which since the 1990’s has witnessed a sharp cutback. While access to higher education has expanded significantly in the last 2 decades, the ability of students and their families to fund education has not increased commensurately. Now more than ever, our ability to fulfill our teaching, research, and public service missions depends upon charitable giving.