Student protests are an integral part of a vibrant democracy. Young people have every right to question institutions and voice their concerns when they feel their future is at stake. However, moments of unrest should also become opportunities for reflection.
The concerns surrounding examination irregularities caused understandable anxiety among students and parents. A paper leak should never occur. It places an unnecessary burden on lakhs of aspirants who prepare tirelessly for years. At the same time, it is important to acknowledge that the government responded by initiating corrective measures, conducting the examination again and moving ahead with admissions. The matter has also reached the courts, and the judicial process deserves respect. In a constitutional democracy, institutional mechanisms exist precisely to address such situations.
Calls for resignations or assigning political responsibility are matters on which different stakeholders may hold different opinions. As an academic, my concern lies elsewhere: ensuring that such incidents do not overshadow the broader educational reforms that are gradually reshaping India’s higher education landscape.
Over the past four years, the National Education Policy (NEP) has fundamentally altered the learning experience for students. Much of the public debate continues to focus on governance reforms, but the real changes have taken place inside classrooms.
Students today enjoy significantly greater academic flexibility than ever. They can combine major and minor disciplines, choose multidisciplinary pathways, pursue three-year or four-year undergraduate programmes depending on their aspirations, and accumulate credits across institutions. This flexibility is not merely an administrative reform; it reflects a shift from a rigid education system towards one centred on the learner.
Many discussions around NEP also focus on the proposed integration of regulatory bodies such as the All India Council for Technical Education, University Grants Commission and National Council for Teacher Education. While institutional restructuring is important, it is primarily intended to simplify governance by reducing multiple layers of regulation. Students themselves may not directly experience these structural changes. Their real benefit lies in a more streamlined and efficient regulatory ecosystem that allows institutions to focus on quality rather than compliance.
Perhaps the most important challenge before Indian higher education remains employability. For years, employers pointed to the gap between academic knowledge and industry requirements. NEP attempts to bridge this divide by encouraging industry-integrated curricula, skill-based learning, internships and employment enhancement courses within degree programmes. Universities are increasingly redesigning their curricula in consultation with industry partners so that graduates are better prepared for rapidly changing workplaces.
Whether these reforms fully achieve their intended outcomes will become clearer over the coming years. But the direction is unmistakable: education is gradually moving from rote learning towards competency-based learning.
One encouraging trend is the growing confidence among Indian students in domestic institutions. Reports indicate that the number of students choosing overseas education has become moderate compared with previous years. Several factors influence such decisions, including global economic conditions, visa policies and rising costs abroad. Yet there is also another reason: Indian universities today offer far greater academic flexibility and opportunities than they did a decade ago.
Through the Academic Bank of Credits and the National Credit Framework, students can increasingly earn and transfer credits, pursue interdisciplinary learning and even integrate international academic experiences into their education. These mechanisms reduce many of the barriers that previously compelled students to seek flexibility only through foreign universities.
Internationalisation, however, remains one area where substantial work still lies ahead. Building globally competitive universities requires sustained investment in research, faculty collaborations, international student mobility and institutional partnerships. These are long-term objectives that cannot be achieved overnight. Indian institutions have begun this journey, but it will require patience, consistency and continuous improvement.
The implementation of the fourth year in undergraduate programmes, particularly in institutions such as Delhi University, has naturally generated questions among students. Such apprehensions are expected whenever significant reforms are introduced. Universities, therefore, have an important responsibility to communicate clearly, counsel students and help them understand how these changes strengthen academic and career opportunities. Every major reform encounters initial hesitation before its long-term benefits become evident.
India’s demographic advantage presents an extraordinary opportunity. Young Indians are increasingly acquiring expertise in artificial intelligence, semiconductor technologies, space research, advanced manufacturing and other emerging sectors. If educational reforms continue to strengthen skill development alongside academic excellence, India can emerge not only as a knowledge economy but also as a global supplier of highly skilled human resources.
The true measure of educational reform is not whether criticism disappears, but whether institutions become more responsive, students become more capable and society becomes more confident in its education system.
Administrative lapses must be corrected without hesitation. Equally, we must not lose sight of the larger transformation already underway. If implemented with commitment and refined through continuous feedback, the National Education Policy has the potential to position India as a global education and skills powerhouse within the next decade.
The conversation, therefore, should move beyond protest alone. It should focus on how India can build an education system that is flexible, inclusive, globally competitive and, above all, capable of preparing every student for the opportunities of the future.
—As told to Kanu Sarda
Kumar is former member secretary of the All India Council for Technical Education.
