India seems better placed globally in higher education
If ever there is any subject that raises heated drawing room discussions, debates and strident campaigns for and against in our country, it must be the education system. Of course, the inertia-laden bureaucracy and inaction-infested government system of working has managed to maintain a façade of tech friendliness and half-hearted efforts in streamlining the process in its own way. Yet much more needs to be done, and on an urgent basis. A Wikipedia note on the subject explains it lucidly: “Education in India faces several challenges, including lack of access, quality, and learning outcomes, high dropout rates, and poor employability.
It is shaped by various national and state-level policies and programmes and national and international stakeholders, including UNICEF, UNESCO, the World Bank, civil society organisations, academic institutions, and the private sector contribute to the development of the education system. The sector is plagued by issues such as corruption, unaccredited institutions offering fraudulent credentials and lack of employment prospects for graduates. Half of all graduates in India are considered unemployable. This raises concerns about prioritising Western viewpoints over indigenous knowledge. It has also been argued that this system has been associated with an emphasis on rote learning and external perspectives.
In contrast, countries like Germany, known for their engineering expertise, France, recognized for its advancements in aviation, Japan, a global leader in technology, and China, an emerging hub of high-tech innovation, conduct education primarily in their respective native languages. However, India continues to use English as the principal medium of instruction in higher education and professional domains.” A half-full glass conclusion if one may so, the recent QS World University rankings by subject seems to infuse hope that things are relatively better in the higher education stream if its latest assessment is considered.
It says that four Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Birla Institute of Technology (BITS), Pilani, are among the world’s top 50 institutions for different subjects, as per the 16th annual edition of the ‘Rankings by Subject’. It benchmarked more than 21,000 academic programmes across 1,900 universities in over 100 countries, spanning 55 disciplines and five broad faculty areas. According to the rankings, India records 27 top 50 positions across subjects and broad faculty areas — more than double the 12 recorded in 2024 — earned by 12 institutions.
The head of QS World University rankings had good words to say about the progress made. “India’s rise this year is not just about scale: it’s about momentum in quality and global competitiveness. The breadth of improvement across engineering, technology and business signals a system that is accelerating with intent. The next phase will be defined by how effectively institutions deepen research strength, build global partnerships, and sharpen their distinctiveness on the world stage,” said Jessica Turner, CEO, QS Quacquarelli Symonds. The reality check is the research strength issue that the QS chief raised.
India’s Gross Expenditure on Research and Development (GERD) has doubled over the past decade, reaching ₹1,27,380 crore in 2020–21. However, this investment remains low, hovering around 0.64–0.66 per cent of GDP, below the global average and far behind major economies like the US, China and South Korea. The government sector dominates funding, contributing about 64 per cent, while private sector participation is a mere 36 per cent. Here is where the crux of the issue lies and that needs to be addressed urgently.
