Indian higher education’s three challenges

The first is whether we consistently place merit, integrity, fairness, and the long-term interests of institutions above other considerations. In too many cases, appointments, promotions and admissions are swayed by factors that should have no place in decision-making. We cannot appoint favourites, regardless of merit, to responsible positions and expect good results. Students can sense favouritism and dishonesty, and they learn not only from what we teach but also from how we conduct ourselves.

We must ensure that we are solving the right problems in the right way. Universities are neither government departments nor corporate offices. They are unique learning communities and therefore require distinct governance models. Misunderstanding the nature of a university can lead to well-intentioned policies that are ultimately counterproductive. For instance, faculty members at many of our public universities are appointed on a one-year probationary basis. One year is inadequate to assess a candidate’s suitability.

Universities cannot develop responsible adults if they treat students as children. Institutions cannot be expected to excel if they are denied autonomy while being held accountable for outcomes. Academic excellence is unlikely to flourish under excessive control; it requires trust, responsibility and a shared commitment to institutional goals.

Similarly, it is difficult to justify applying the same faculty recruitment and promotion policies across diverse institutions and disciplines. Policies should recognise differences among large and small institutions, among teaching-focused and research-focused institutions, and among universities in favourable environments and those in difficult geographies. A faculty member in the sciences cannot always be assessed by the same criteria as one in the liberal arts, while the performing arts may require an entirely different framework.

If universities are to nurture excellence, their governance systems must recognise the distinctive nature of academic work, institutional contexts, disciplinary cultures, and local realities. Even with the best intentions, we still face the challenge of ensuring effective execution. Building great academic institutions requires capable leaders, robust processes, continuous learning, and the humility to learn from mistakes. A culture driven by fear of failure discourages initiative; a culture that learns from failure fosters innovation and experimentation. We must also invest in developing academic leaders through systematic coaching and mentoring. Good ideas do not implement themselves. Leaders need the knowledge, skills, confidence, and institutional support to translate sound ideas into effective practices.

Higher education cannot improve through isolated islands of excellence. Weak institutions tend to pull down stronger ones, partly because policies are often designed to address the weakest institutions and then imposed uniformly across the system, and partly because faculty, non-teaching staff, and students move across the system.

We need to take a serious look at how we govern and support our higher education institutions. Funding, infrastructure, and regulation matter, but they will not be sufficient unless we also address the deeper challenges of intention, concept, and execution.

The writer was V-C, Banaras Hindu University and founder-director, IIT Gandhinagar