India higher education faces skills versus degrees debate

The debate in India regarding the value of academic degrees versus practical skills highlights systemic issues in higher education. While critics question the utility of conventional degrees, government departments and public-sector companies continue to rely heavily on educational qualifications for recruitment.

Data indicates significant disparities in employability across disciplines. According to the India Skills Report 2026, employability among Computer Science and IT graduates is approximately 80%, whereas it drops to roughly 63% for Commerce, 61% for Science, and below 56% for Arts and Humanities.

The core issue may not be the redundancy of degrees, but rather the declining quality of education. Many institutions are criticized for outdated curricula and poor teaching standards, which weakens the market value of the credentials they provide. This is compounded by high graduate unemployment rates, particularly among 15–25-year-olds, which stands at roughly 40%.