MyVoice: Views of our readers 1st March 2026

Hollow achievement in higher education sector

This refers to “India seems better placed globally in higher education” (March 26). India’s higher education system reflects both promise and deep-rooted challenges. While recent QS World University Rankings show IITs, JNU, and BITS among the global top 50 in several subjects, the broader picture is less encouraging. The country produces a massive number of STEM graduates, postgraduates, and doctorates, yet employability remains poor. Engineering and medical colleges have mushroomed, driven largely by parental obsession with these courses. This has created deadly competition for seats in elite institutions like IITs, AIIMS, and PGIMER. Many engineers and doctors eventually shift to management through MBAs or civil services via IAS exams, highlighting a mismatch between education and career aspirations. The system’s reliance on rote learning and limited research investment further weakens outcomes.

Very few are interested in teaching and innovation. As a result, low quality candidates, who fail to get any job, come to teaching who cannot produce quality pupils. R&D spending is very low around 0.6% of GDP, so not many impact making innovations can come from India. Further India is not a leader, but a follower in research. Unless India addresses research funding, quality teaching, and diversification beyond STEM, the higher education boom could be a hollow achievement.

Dr. O. Prasada Rao, Hyderabad

II

This refers to your editorial ‘India seems better placed globally in higher education’. Education is the quintessence of human knowledge and progress to guide humanity on the path of intellectual and knowledge spheres of civilisational survivability; which is the right of every individual as per the taste and capacity of the person concerned. India is definitely better placed in higher education because of the strong foundation of fundamental education – but then education is a technology driven area requiring great institutions, qualified as well as dedicated teachers. The course of education must not end with becoming undergraduates and postgraduates without any clear goal or ambition in mind. Job oriented courses must focus on skill developments in the sphere of technical education to make qualified individuals self-sufficient and financially independent as job givers. White-collar jobs are no more in vogue in the country. Additional skills and related technology must be learnt for individuals in any field to sustain in any scenario in the long run.

K R Parvathy, Mysuru

III

Apropos of ‘India seems better placed globally in higher education’ (Hans India; March 26, 2026). Theoretically, India can be proud of her top institutions imparting higher education, which are stepping stone to employability. Realistically, ‘graduates’ these institutions churn out lack quality. Indian graduates, notably in engineering and technology sectors are found wanting in aptitude, attitude and commitment to those sectors. This is primarily due to infringement by corporatized private sector into higher education sector imparting engineering and technology. Kerala vouches for this. The state permitted private players to create engineering ‘colleges’ out of every wayside kiosk. These ‘colleges’ lacked prescribed infrastructure and faculty. Palms of accrediting agencies were adequately greased to secure licenses. Resultantly, graduates these ‘institutions’ churned out lacked wherewithal to function as quality engineers. Their employability suffered. Trends emerging from Kerala indicate that Medicine too could deteriorate as engineering did.

Dr. George Jacob, Kochi

III

This is further to your editorial ‘India seems better placed globally in higher education’. Indian education continues to be the best, when it comes to fundamentals and graduate level education in the country. The MS and PG students who studied abroad vouch for this unmissable fact. It is true that basic education – particularly for female children education continues to elude in the rural and backward areas despite the government’s various measures to encourage and improve the prevailing system.

The rate of high dropout is also a serious cause for concern, unlike earlier times the drop outs are at the behest of the candidate concerned, rather than demands put by the family – the parents, in general want the male child to continue and academically do well – but the students’ interests seem diverse, not focused meaningfully. In the case of female children they are more motivated and become something in life. Let us hope IITs IIMs churn out students from diverse backgrounds, and create a level playing ground for all students in the country without discrimination.

S Lakshmi, Hyderabad