By Ashok Mittal
The recent student protests over the NEET examination have been a difficult moment for India. For millions of students, an examination can determine whether years of preparation lead to opportunity or disappointment. Ensuring that every student competes on a fair and transparent basis is therefore among the most fundamental responsibilities of the state.
The government’s decision to accept key demands raised by the students and initiate reforms to strengthen the examination system is therefore important. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also announced a high-powered task force under Nandan Nilekani to recommend measures for making examinations more secure and technologically robust. In the circumstances, this was the most constructive response the government could have offered – to listen, acknowledge the concerns and create a credible mechanism for reform. Given the quality of the task force, one can reasonably expect meaningful long-term solutions.
This episode, however, should not obscure the larger transformation in Indian education over the past decade. India today educates more young people, offers them a wider range of institutions and is pursuing reforms that would have been difficult to imagine within the older, rigid structure of higher education. The right response is to acknowledge what went wrong, fix it decisively and build on the progress already made. One of Prime Minister Modi’s distinctive political instincts has been his effort to communicate directly with students. ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’, which began in 2018, is perhaps the most visible example.Over successive editions, the Prime Minister has spoken to students not only about marks and examinations, but also about stress, parental expectations, concentration, failure, confidence and curiosity. These are subjects political leaders have traditionally left to teachers and families. Bringing them into a national conversation helped recognise that students are individuals carrying emotional pressures, and not just candidates represented by roll numbers.
His interactions with young Indians through ‘Mann Ki Baat’, hackathons, sporting events, innovation programmes and conversations with examination candidates have reflected the same instinct. His recent decision to address students directly through Instagram is another attempt to take that engagement to a platform on which many younger citizens now communicate.
The format may have changed, but the principle remains the same – governments must speak to young people in the spaces they inhabit and listen closely to their aspirations. Over the years, this sustained engagement has also informed a wider process of reform across Indian education, expanding opportunities, reshaping institutions and making the system more responsive to a new generation.
The National Education Policy 2020 represented the most ambitious effort in decades to rethink Indian education. Its emphasis on multidisciplinary learning recognised that the modern economy does not operate within neat academic compartments. Technology intersects with design, business with data, healthcare with engineering and public policy with communication. Students need the freedom to develop capabilities across these boundaries.
The policy’s support for multiple entry and exit pathways and the Academic Bank of Credits similarly recognises that education cannot remain a one-time, uninterrupted journey. Students may pause their studies because of financial or family circumstances, while professionals may need to return to institutions as technology changes their industries. A system designed for lifelong learning is better suited to these realities.
Access has expanded alongside reform. Government data shows that higher education enrolment increased from approximately 3.42 crore in 2014-15 to 4.46 crore in 2022-23. The number of universities rose from 723 in 2014 to 1213 in 2024. Over the same broad period, the number of IITs increased from 16 to 23 and IIMs from 13 to more than 20. Medical education has also expanded substantially. The number of medical colleges increased from 431 in 2014 to 818 in 2025-26, alongside significant growth in undergraduate and postgraduate seats. This is critical in a country where access to medical education has historically been constrained and demand for qualified healthcare professionals remains high.
There has also been a deliberate attempt to connect education more closely with skills, entrepreneurship and innovation. The aspirations of Indian students have changed. Young people no longer see themselves only as applicants for a limited pool of established jobs. Many want to build enterprises, solve social problems, participate in emerging industries and compete globally. Initiatives such as Startup India have helped make entrepreneurship a more visible and credible pathway. Universities and colleges are increasingly creating incubators, entrepreneurship cells, innovation laboratories and stronger industry partnerships. Internships, project-based learning and real-world exposure are also becoming more central to education. Together, these changes mark an important movement from a degree-led system towards a capability-led one.
India’s growing international academic presence is another sign of changing ambition. The number of Indian institutions represented in the QS World University Rankings rose from 13 in the 2015 edition to 54 in the 2026 edition, making India the fourth-most represented higher-education system that year. IIT Madras has established a campus in Zanzibar, IIT Delhi in Abu Dhabi and IIM Ahmedabad opened the first overseas campus of an Indian Institute of Management in Dubai in 2025.
While there will always be those who seize upon a single crisis to dismiss an entire decade of progress; the facts tell a different story. Students raised legitimate concerns, the government acted, their key demands were accepted and a serious reform process is now underway. That is how a confident democracy works – it does not deny problems, it resolves them. The next phase of India’s education journey must combine expansion with excellence, technology with integrity and ambition with accountability. Skills, employability, research, entrepreneurship and student well-being must receive sustained attention. The government is already working towards these goals, and the reforms now underway will strengthen both educational quality and students’ trust in the system.
Prime Minister Modi has consistently described India’s youth as the country’s Amrit Peedhi, the generation that will shape India’s journey towards becoming a developed nation, and has placed young Indians at the centre of India’s national ambition. If Viksit Bharat is to be the defining achievement of this generation, it will be India’s students who will turn that ambition into reality.
The article is written by By Ashok Mittal, Member of Parliament and Chancellor, Lovely Professional University.
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are solely of the author and ETEducation does not necessarily subscribe to it. ETEducation will not be responsible for any damage caused to any person or organisation directly or indirectly.
