Editorial: Reluctant ‘Vishwaguru’ lags in global race
Educational experts have been calling for a drastic overhaul of the system to bring it on par with global standards
Despite the oft-repeated narrative of India being a “Vishwaguru”, the realities on the ground tell a different story. The country’s higher education centres fare poorly in the global rankings. The 2026 Times Higher Education rankings tell a grim story: Not a single Indian university features in the world’s top 200 universities. Only four universities find a place in the top 500. By contrast, Japan has five among the top 200, South Korea has six, and China has 13. The UK-based Times Higher Education World University Rankings, 2026, features 2,191 institutions from 115 countries and territories. If such a poor run continues, the much-touted “Vishwaguru” tag will remain elusive for India. What ails India’s higher education sector? A complex set of factors, including lack of quality teaching and research, poor infrastructure, outdated curriculum, continued focus on rote learning, poor synergy between universities and industry and lack of genuine autonomy, has been preventing the sector from harnessing its full potential. It is time policymakers did some serious introspection on the initiatives needed to improve academic and research standards in our universities. China, on the other hand, continues to have a strong presence with 13 universities making it to the global top 200, including five in the top 40. While the desired levels of research and internationalisation of Indian campuses remain weak points, the higher education sector also suffers from a funds crunch, and its largely linear model with little focus on specialisation and innovation.
Though India has over 1,300 universities, including central, State, deemed, private universities and Institutes of National Importance, the academic and research standards are not up to international standards. The universities must find ways of increasing teaching capacity and attracting more talented students and faculty from across the world to study in India to improve its global standing. Educational experts have been calling for a drastic overhaul of the system to bring it on par with global standards. There are a few pockets of excellence that need to be nurtured. Among India’s ranked institutions, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) stands out as the only university to secure a spot in the top 250. Policymakers need to introspect on why India has been unable to catch up with the rest of Asia, despite the fact that modern education arrived in India much earlier than elsewhere in Asia. There are many lessons to be learnt from American universities, which dominate the global higher education scene. Most of them retain an international character, attracting faculty and students from different parts of the world. This leads to cultural plurality and promotes diverse worldviews and debates, making teaching-learning dialogical and meaningful. In contrast, even top-ranking Indian institutions have hardly any international faculty. This extends to the student body as well, leading to an acute absence of cross-cultural discussions and debates.
