Are Our Graduates Unemployable? An Examination of the Quality of Indian Education

The Discussion Map charts important debates from the pages of E​PW.

The annual Pratham–Annual Status of Education Reports (ASER) survey repeatedly points to learning deficiencies prevalent in Indian schools. Rohini Sahni and V Kalyan Shankar’s 2015 article, “What Does an MA Know?” is a study of this report. The authors’ article is based on a survey conducted by them among postgraduate economics students in a state-run university. Their findings are worrying: students enrolled in institutes of higher education are often unaware of basic course concepts. The authors argue that Indian education suffers from the “diploma disease,” the ritualised process of qualification-earning. They add that higher education is often designed to conceal a student’s academic shortcomings.

Rajesh Mishra and Supriya Singh respond to Sahni and Shankar. They agree that India suffers from a paucity of academically skilled students in universities, but argue that this is not the main factor behind substandard education. Hari Nair, Sayantan Mandal, and Jayanti Datta’s respective articles also respond to Sahni and Shankar’s article. They highlight where the deficiencies in Indian education lie, and also suggest a framework for a possible solution.