The Great Indian University Illusion
Sukanta Chaudhuri | 20 June 2025 | Frontline
A recent issue of The Economist asks: can India create its own Ivy League? It is piquant that the question should come so late in the day, and from a foreign source. Countless alumni of Indian campuses have distinguished themselves across the world in many spheres. Yet the institutions that produced them (not solely the IITs by any means) endlessly chase the chimera of “world-class” status.
The so-called brain drain from India was once admitted and deplored. There were ineffectual moves to reverse it, like the Scientist’s Pool Scheme. As the exodus swelled, it was worked into the scheme of things. Today, the overseas Indian is politically and culturally attuned to the resident community. While that might be heartwarming, it does not enhance the intellectual resources at the direct disposal of the nation…