In India, Education without Employment

Despite claims of progress under National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 and other reforms, India’s education system continues to face deep-rooted issues — particularly in employability, accountability, and quality — that no amount of policy rhetoric can mask.

Misplaced Boasts: Education Reforms and Reality

• Government Highlights: Atal Tinkering Labs, early coding education, SC/ST teacher recruitment, and empowerment of Muslim girls.
• Claim: NEP 2020 will spark an “educational renaissance”.
• Reality Check: Core issue of employability remains largely unaddressed.

Education: Empowering or Disempowering?

• Vivekananda’s Quote: Education must empower one to “stand on one’s own feet“.
• Equity Over Excellence: The focus on equity has caused India to lose both excellence and equity.
• Degrees and Employability: Graduates hold worthless degrees that are unfit for the job market.

NEP: The Fourth Attempt at Reform

• Past Commissions:
  • Radhakrishnan Commission (1948): Examined the state of higher education post-independence.
  • Kothari Commission (1966): Proposed Common School System and reviewed entire education structure.
  • Officers’ Commission (1985): Linked to Operation Blackboard (1987).
• Flaws of NEP 2020: Unrealistic, financially unviable, and lacks clarity on implementation.

The Breadth and Depth Dilemma

• Depth Equals Technical Expertise: Essential for employability.
• Breadth Equals Flexibility: Necessary for adapting to an AI-driven future.
• Ideal Education: Balances both depth and breadth for sustainable careers.

Employability Crisis

• Graduate Employability (2025): 42.6%, showing little improvement since 2023 (44.3%).
• Knowledge-Intensive Employment: A meager 11.72%.
• Impact of Multiple Entry-Exit Options: Led to low-quality and poorly paid jobs.
• Irrelevance of Course Choices: When course content itself is substandard, choices don’t matter.

Global Rankings: Illusory Success

• QS Ranking Claims: 11 Indian universities in Top 500.
• Ignored Facts:
  • Low rankings (above 100)
  • Poor publication quality
  • CNCI Rank: Only a marginal improvement from 17th to 16th among G-20 (2008–2024).
• Government’s Praise: Ranking growth is misleading, with questionable methodology.

Transparency Deficit in Research Projects

• Mega-Projects: Initiatives like CSIR-NMITLI, Akash tablet, IMPRINT were widely publicized.
• Lack of Clarity: No outcomes or value for money despite the huge public investment.
• Accountability: Taxpayer money remains unaccounted for in these projects.

India in the Global Innovation Index (GII)

• India’s GII Rankings: 
  • 2014: 76
  • 2015: 81
  • 2024: 39
• Comparative Advantage: Countries like Malaysia (33) and Turkey (37) rank higher.
• S&T Cluster Rankings: Bengaluru (56), Delhi (63), Chennai (82), Mumbai (84).

Bengaluru ≠ Silicon Valley

• Misleading Comparison: Bengaluru‘s ranking against Silicon Valley is inflated.
  • PCT applications per capita: 313 vs 7885 in Silicon Valley.
  • Scientific publications per capita: 1077 vs 9211 in Silicon Valley.
• Samsung as Top Patentee: Bengaluru’s top patentee is Samsung, not an Indian firm.

Start-ups Without Science

• Global Start-ups: True start-ups in China, U.S., and Israel solve critical tech problems.
• Indian Start-ups: In India, food delivery apps are often misunderstood as innovation.

What True Start-Ups Need

• Indigenous Technology: Critical for real innovation.
• Indigenous Science: The foundation for indigenous technology.
• Indigenous Education: Quality education rooted in Indian values and relevance.

The UGC Problem

• UGC as a Dinosaur: The University Grants Commission (UGC) remains an antiquated regulator with control over policy and finances.
• Lack of Data: There’s no evidence that curriculum reforms have led to positive impacts.
• Proposal: Abolish UGC and empower universities to manage their own reforms.

Demanding Accountability in Education

• Leaders’ Responsibility: Educational leaders must deliver real results — not just publicity and statements.
• Focus on Employability: Ensure education leads to meaningful employment and real-world relevance.

Conclusion

India’s educational crisis is less about ideology and more about ineffectiveness, lack of accountability, and absence of vision. Until we root reforms in quality, clarity, and industry relevance, real transformation will remain elusive.