Higher education in India is passing through a phase of unprecedented expansion, marked by an explosion in the volume of students, a substantial expansion in the number of institutions and a quantum jump in the level of public funding. The enormity of the challenge of providing equal opportunities for quality higher education to ever-growing number of students is also a historic opportunity for correcting sectoral and social imbalances, reinvigorating institutions, crossing international benchmarks of excellence and extending the frontiers of knowledge. The 12th FYP shall focus on utilizing this historic opportunity of expansion for deepening excellence and achieving equal access to quality higher education. 11th FYP Achievements: India has made enormous strides in achieving these goals in more than six decades since independence, and the success milestones of its higher education system are recognized globally. Yet, considerable challenges remain. In this direction, the 12th FYP document provides the details of the present trends, prevailing issues and challenges, projected goals and the planned strategies for the 12th FYP with schemes and programmes under the three major heads of Access, Equity and Quality with interlaced components of relevance, value-education and creativity.