The latest QS University World Rankings indicate that
Indian universities are making commendable strides in improving their research
ecosystem. With nine institutes securing places in the top 50 and 79
universities featuring in the list—up from 69 last year—there is an undeniable
forward momentum. However, while these figures may appear encouraging, they
also mask persistent structural deficiencies that continue to hold back India’s
higher education sector from competing with global powerhouses.
One of the glaring weaknesses revealed by the QS 2025
rankings is the poor student learning experience in Indian institutions. The
top-ranked global universities score near-perfect on metrics related to
teaching resources, curriculum development, and faculty-student engagement,
while Indian universities lag significantly, with scores between 10 and 20.
This exposes the acute faculty shortage and the failure to provide quality
mentorship—an issue that has plagued the Indian education system for decades. A
2023 CAG audit highlighted that even premier institutions like IITs are
struggling to match faculty recruitment with the surge in student enrollment.
The absence of a robust mechanism to monitor and ensure faculty quality
exacerbates the problem. While the government does collect faculty-related data
through its Annual Survey of Higher Education, the process remains voluntary
and lacks independent verification.
Moreover, Indian universities continue to struggle with
internationalisation—a crucial element in strengthening research collaboration
and enriching student exposure. The National Education Policy (NEP) rightly
underscores the importance of cross-border academic partnerships, and efforts
such as IIT-Madras setting up a campus in Zanzibar are steps in the right
direction. However, these initiatives remain isolated cases rather than a
systemic approach. Student exchange programs and faculty collaborations with
top global universities remain limited due to bureaucratic red tape and
restrictive policies. The IIT-Bombay-Monash University tie-up stands as an
exception rather than the norm.
The rankings also highlight the disparity between elite
institutions and the broader university ecosystem. While IITs, IIMs, and a few
central universities inch forward, the bulk of Indian universities—especially
state and private institutions—continue to grapple with outdated curricula,
insufficient research funding, and administrative inefficiencies. If India
aspires to be a global knowledge economy, it must focus on uplifting these
institutions, ensuring that higher education reforms do not remain confined to
a select few.
The government’s invitation to foreign universities to
set up campuses in India signals intent, but unless deeper structural reforms
address faculty shortages, curriculum stagnation, and the lack of meaningful
industry linkages, Indian universities will continue to fall short. The latest
QS rankings should serve as both motivation and a wake-up call—incremental
progress is happening, but transformative change is still a distant goal.
