India faces higher education crisis amid skills gap and faculty exploitation

India's higher education system is facing significant challenges regarding both faculty welfare and graduate employability. A report from NITI Aayog highlights a fundamental disconnect between academic curricula and labor market demands, noting that only 8.25% of graduates are employed in roles that align with their specific qualifications.

The mismatch is reflected in high unemployment rates among educated youth. Graduate unemployment stands at 13%, with female graduate unemployment reaching 20.4%, both of which exceed the national unemployment rate of 3.2%. Data from Azim Premji University further indicates that unemployment among graduates under age 25 rose to 39% in 2023.

In addition to the skills gap, there are growing concerns regarding the treatment of academic professionals. Scholars holding advanced degrees like PhDs, D. Litt., and D. Sc. often face low remuneration, excessive workloads, and insecure employment. Critics argue that treating highly qualified knowledge creators as cheap labor undermines India's aspirations to become a global knowledge economy, particularly within the private higher-education sector.