Ask the young men and women camping outside Delhi’s UPSC coaching centres what they want to become. The answer comes quickly: “An IAS officer.” And why? “To serve the country.” “To serve society.” “To uphold the Constitution.”

नई इमारत तैयार है। चमचमाता बोर्ड लग गया है। रंगीन ब्रोशर छप चुके हैं। ‘एडमिशन शुरू हैं!’ आर्टिफिशियल इंटेलिजेंस। डेटा साइंस। साइबर सिक्योरिटी। मशीन लर्निंग। रोबोटिक्स। नाम सुनकर लगता है, बस दाखिला लो और भविष्य जेब में डाल लो। मगर कई कॉलेजों के भीतर जाइए। खाली कुर्सियां आपका स्वागत करती मिलेंगी। यही भारतीय उच्च शिक्षा की सबसे बड़ी विडम्बना है...

A new building stands ready. A gleaming signboard has gone up. Glossy brochures promise the future in bold type: Artificial Intelligence. Data Science. Cyber Security. Machine Learning. Robotics. ‘Admissions Open!’ The names sparkle. Enrol, the pitch suggests, and tomorrow will land neatly in your pocket.

Women form closer same-sex friendships with colleagues than men do, according to new research from Durham University Business School.

लोकतंत्र में जब नया खून नहीं आता है, तो पुरानी नसों में जंग लगने लगती है। वही चेहरे, वही नारे, वही वादे और वही कुर्सी की दौड़। देश की राजनीति आज कुछ ऐसी ही थकी हुई दिखाई देती है...

Student unions once occupied a central place in university life across India. Their utility was widely acknowledged. They offered structured avenues for participation beyond the classroom, trained young people in democratic methods, channelled energies into constructive outlets, and linked students with institutional authorities.

India has changed dramatically since this question was first raised decades ago. Universities have multiplied, technology has transformed workplaces and the economy has grown at a much faster pace. Yet one old problem refuses to disappear: the anxious job seeker waiting outside an office, refreshing a recruitment portal or preparing for yet another competitive examination.

What crawls in the dark corners of India's education system? Dreams? Ambition? Hope? Or something uglier like cockroaches...