Reassessing India's Education System: A Call for Fundamental Change

The Crisis in Indian Education

Dr. Amrik Singh Thakur

Degrees without Roots: Why India’s Education System Produces Graduates Who Cannot Find Themselves. India boasts the largest youth demographic globally and has a rich history of ancient universities that once set educational standards worldwide. However, the current system churns out millions of graduates each year who struggle with employability and self-identity. This raises a critical question: have we recognized the flaws in our educational approach? The National Education Policy 2020 offers a potential path forward.

The Flaws in Current Educational Practices

India's education system emphasizes rankings over genuine learning, pushing students into a relentless competition. Rather than fostering curiosity and independent thought, it conditions children to pursue grades. To create a brighter future, educational institutions must cultivate creativity, purpose, and joy, ensuring a thriving environment for both students and educators. Each June, as graduation season arrives, countless young individuals receive degrees in various fields, only to face the daunting question: what skills do you possess? For many, the answer is dishearteningly insufficient. This is not a reflection of their abilities but rather a critique of a system that has prioritized superficial education over meaningful learning.

India stands out as a civilization that has largely neglected its intellectual heritage in mainstream education. A student navigating through the Indian education system for sixteen years may learn about Newton but remain unaware of Aryabhata's significant contributions to mathematics and astronomy. They might recognize Hippocrates yet not know Charaka, whose medical insights predate and, in many ways, surpass those of the Greeks. They may have heard of Pythagoras but not Baudhayana, who articulated similar geometric principles centuries earlier. They study Western political thought without ever engaging with Chanakya's Arthashastra, a comprehensive work on governance and economics that remains relevant in contemporary discussions.

This situation reflects a profound educational amnesia that has been institutionalized. The roots of this issue trace back to Lord Macaulay's Minute of 1835, which aimed to create a class of individuals who were Indian in heritage but English in mindset. The curriculum he established was never intended to nurture thinkers grounded in their own cultural legacy; instead, it was designed to produce administrators for a colonial regime. Although India gained independence in 1947, the remnants of this colonial educational framework persisted, leaving the underlying assumptions largely unchanged.

The repercussions of this educational choice are now evident, particularly in the alarming rates of graduate unemployment and underemployment. Numerous studies indicate that many graduates lack the practical skills their degrees are meant to signify. Medical graduates may struggle with clinical examinations, engineering graduates may be unable to solve real-world engineering challenges, and commerce graduates may lack the ability to interpret financial statements. This is not a reflection of a lack of intelligence among young people but rather a failure of a system that has prioritized rote memorization over critical thinking and practical application.

The marginalization of the Gurukul and ancient university traditions has led to the loss of sophisticated educational wisdom that modern research is beginning to rediscover. The Gurukul model emphasized learning through personal relationships between students and teachers, a concept modern educational psychology recognizes as effective knowledge transfer. In ancient times, disciplines such as mathematics, philosophy, ethics, and practical arts were interconnected, contributing to a holistic approach to human development.

The renowned universities of Takshashila and Nalanda produced scholars capable of integrating knowledge across various fields. When Brahmagupta established the principles of zero and negative numbers in the seventh century, he did so within a framework that viewed mathematics as intertwined with philosophy and astronomy. This integration is precisely what contemporary education has lost, yet it is what modern industries desperately require.

The National Education Policy 2020 acknowledges this need, at least in its vision. It aims to incorporate vocational education into 50% of the educational experience across all disciplines. The policy intends for at least half of learners in both school and higher education to engage with vocational training, integrated into the mainstream curriculum. Its focus on interdisciplinary learning and the recognition of Indian Knowledge Systems as legitimate academic fields are significant steps toward breaking free from the colonial legacy and reorienting Indian education toward a more authentic and practical framework. However, the gap between this vision and its actual implementation has led to a credibility crisis.

The responsibility for vocational education has often been delegated to agencies focused on fulfilling contracts rather than developing competencies. The Indian Knowledge Systems component has, in many cases, resulted in a single introductory course taught by faculty unfamiliar with the tradition. This issue extends beyond the classroom, as education serves as the foundation for civilizational continuity. The vision of a developed, self-reliant, and globally influential India by 2047 cannot be realized with graduates disconnected from their heritage, primarily trained for exams, and uncertain about their contributions to society.

The ancient knowledge systems that produced remarkable figures like Sushruta, Nagarjuna, and Shankaracharya were not accidental; they stemmed from an educational framework that prioritized the holistic development of individuals. An educational system that fails to cultivate responsible citizens capable of sustaining their society has fundamentally failed, regardless of the number of degrees it awards.

The reform needed in India is not merely another policy document but a fundamental shift in the underlying assumptions about the purpose of education. It necessitates university curricula that genuinely integrate ancient and modern knowledge, where Charaka informs medical programs, the Arthashastra shapes economics courses, and Aryabhata and Brahmagupta are recognized as foundational figures in mathematics rather than mere historical references. Teacher training must be restructured to ensure that educators understand the traditions they are imparting. Examination systems should be revised to evaluate practical skills and integrative thinking rather than rote memorization under pressure. Institutional leadership across universities and regulatory bodies must be held accountable for educational outcomes rather than mere compliance.

Takshashila did not become the first great university by mimicking other educational models; it thrived because its civilization seriously addressed the questions of what knowledge is essential for human beings and how that knowledge transforms individuals and society. This inquiry remains urgent, yet we have largely ceased to engage with it meaningfully. While the number of degrees awarded continues to rise, the foundational roots that give these degrees significance are deteriorating. This represents the educational crisis of our time, and no amount of policy rhetoric will resolve it until we confront it honestly and take decisive action. (Views are personal)

About the Author

Dr. Amrik Singh Thakur

Director,
Centre for Tibetan Studies
Central University of Himachal Pradesh Dharamshala 176215