While university enrolment in India has surged, the promise of higher education as a social equaliser is under strain. Gross enrolment is around 27%, with urban centers dominating and marginalized students facing limited access . The rise in private institutions has made higher education costly, often accessible only to the relatively well-off.

Yet job markets haven’t kept pace. A staggering 42.6% of graduates lack employable skills, with overall employability declining from 44.3% to 42.6% in just a year. Worse still, only 8.25% of graduates actually find jobs matching their qualifications—many are stuck in low-skill roles for which they’re overqualified.

The unemployment rate among graduates under 25 is alarmingly high - over 40%, compared to less-educated peers with far fewer opportunities. Meanwhile, elite institutions like the IITs remain highly selective, reinforcing systemic exclusion: only top scorers can gain admission, often at great social and financial cost.

Thus, higher education in India increasingly functions as a privilege of the elite, not the equalizer it once promised to be. Bridging this gap requires robust industry linkages, vocational training, and equitable access reforms.