Quality in Higher Education and NEP-2020: A SERVQUAL Examination from Student Perspectives
Author : Prasant Barla, Debendra Kumar Mahalik and Gouri Shankar Beriha
Abstract :
This study examines the alignment between student expectations of service quality in higher education and the transformative objectives of India’s National Education Policy 2020 (NEP-2020). Employing the SERVQUAL model which evaluates service quality across five dimensions: tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy the research investigates how NEP-2020 influences perceived service quality at Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT), Odisha. Data were collected from 340 undergraduate students using a structured survey and analyzed through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, followed by structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results reveal that responsiveness, assurance, and empathy significantly shape student expectations, whereas tangibility and reliability exhibit no statistically significant influence. These findings highlight the growing importance of human-centric service dimensions in enhancing educational experiences under the NEP-2020 framework. The study provides practical implications for educators, administrators, and policymakers, emphasizing the need to prioritize responsive, empathetic, and trustworthy service practices to meet evolving student expectations and ensure institutional relevance. This research contributes to the ongoing discourse on quality assurance in higher education and offers strategic guidance for aligning institutional efforts with national education reforms.
Keywords :
National Education Policy 2020, Higher Education, SERVQUAL Model, Student Expectations, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM).
