India’s higher education system is vast, but its foundations are weak. With only three per cent of GDP allocated to education, universities struggle with resource shortages and overcrowding. Rote learning and exam-centric pedagogy have stifled creativity, reducing education to a race for marks.

As a result, student stress and suicide rates are rising. While global universities emphasise AI-driven personalised learning and industry-aligned skills, Indian institutions remain trapped in bureaucracy, churning out unemployable graduates. 

Retired professor Dr TNV Venkatesh says, "The National Education Policy -2020 promised reforms, but implementation is slow. The digital divide is leaving rural students behind, and profit-driven private institutions, along with a corrupt regulatory system, have turned degrees into a commodity." Indian universities are failing to keep pace with global demands. 

Read in Hindi: आगरा विश्वविद्यालय की गिरती साख को बचाने की कवायद है जारी

A glaring example of this decline is Agra’s Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar University, established in 1927. Once a prestigious institution that produced Presidents like Ram Nath Kovind and Shankar Dayal Sharma, Prime Ministers like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Gulzarilal Nanda and Chaudhary Charan Singh, Chief Ministers like Kalyan Singh and Mulayam Singh Yadav, and even National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, it is now plagued by mismanagement, corruption, and academic stagnation.

While the administration claims improvements in grading, academic environment, grievance redressal, and timely results—thanks to the current Vice-Chancellor’s efforts—the reality is that the university still needs radical reforms, and the road ahead is long. 

Over the past four decades, the university’s reputation has deteriorated. To accelerate reforms, local academics and lawmakers have demanded its elevation to a central university status. Two years ago, Union Minister SP Singh Baghel emphasised in Parliament that, in honour of Dr Ambedkar’s legacy, the institution deserves central status, which would bring better funding, autonomy, and accountability. However, state government apathy has stalled the proposal. 

Once a hub of knowledge and research, the university is now struggling to salvage its credibility. While its influence led to the rise of new institutions in cities like Meerut, Jhansi, Bareilly, Jaunpur, and Kanpur, its standards declined. With over 1,000 affiliated colleges and more than 300,000 students, administrative complexity has overwhelmed it. The university ranks far below top national institutions, research output is weak, and irregularities in recruitment, fake degrees, delayed exams, and mismanagement have eroded student trust. A former student lamented, "The graph of complaints here never goes down." 

The university’s vast structure is its biggest weakness. Experts suggest splitting it into three or four smaller universities. For instance, Raja Balwant Singh College could become an independent agricultural university. Agra College (1823) and St John’s College (1850) could be granted 'Deemed University' status to preserve their heritage. SN Medical College has the potential to become an independent medical university. Some elite colleges could be made autonomous 'Centres of Excellence.' 

According to a 2023 UGC report, only 15 per cent of the university’s courses meet national quality standards, compared to 60 per cent at central universities like JNU. Enrollment has declined over the past five years, and research publications have dwindled. There is no collaboration with local industries, leaving students without practical skills. 

If bold steps are not taken soon, this historic institution will become a relic of the past. Central status, structural reorganisation, and anti-corruption measures are its only hope. Half-hearted reforms won’t suffice—only a complete overhaul can restore the university to its former glory.