The policy of privatization of higher education began during:

The correct answer is the eighth five year plan.

Key Points

•  During the eighth five-year plan in India, which spanned from 1992 to 1997, the focus was primarily on expanding access to education and improving the quality of higher education institutions.
• However, it was in subsequent years, as part of broader economic reforms, that the privatization of higher education gained momentum.
• The precise timeline of when privatization began can be attributed to different factors and specific policy changes.

Hence, the correct answer is the eighth five year plan.