Editorial: Our Varsity Wasteland

21 April 2025 | DT Next

Three recent events conspire to capture the pitiful state of higher education in India. The first is the revocation of visas to thousands of Indian students studying in pricey American universities, something they would not have had to do if Indian campuses gave them a decent shot at a future they aspire for. The second is the 2025 update of the Academic Freedom Index (AFI) by the V-Dem Institute, which ranks India 156th out of 179 countries, down from 120th in 2024. The third, which supplies an apt metaphor for this state of affairs, is the bold initiative taken by the principal of a Delhi college to daub cow dung on classroom walls to beat the summer heat…

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