If universities were judged by the number of degrees they print,

India would be a superpower.

Campuses would be temples of brilliance.

Graduation photographs would be national achievements.

Because universities proudly produce millions of graduates

every year —

processions of gowns, caps, medals, certificates, convocation speeches, hashtags.

But behind this glittering ceremony

lies a quieter, older, sadder truth:

We produce degrees.

We don’t always produce learners.

Learning is curiosity.

But degrees are currency.

Guess which one the system values?

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Scene 1: The Convocation Photograph

A family gathers around a new graduate.

Flash. Smile. Bouquet.

A proud mother whispers,

“You are the first engineer in our family.”

Nobody asks the real question:

“Do you actually understand engineering?”

Because the photo feels more important

than the skill.

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Scene 2: The Student Who Memorised Everything Except Life

A final-year student scores 90% in exams

by memorising PowerPoints

the professor memorised from a book

the author memorised from a research paper

nobody actually understood.

Ask him to solve a real-world problem —

he freezes.

He panics.

He Googles.

He sinks.

He has a degree.

He doesn’t have understanding.

This is the modern Indian tragedy:

Marks measure memory,

degrees measure obedience,

learning becomes optional.

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Scene 3: The Global Parallel — Seoul, Beijing, Washington

A professor in South Korea says,

“We produce degree holders who can’t think.”

A Chinese employer says at a job fair,

“All applicants look identical — great transcripts, no creativity.”

A US professor adds during a seminar,

“We have replaced inquiry with credentials.”

Different continents.

Same disease.

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Why Are We Obsessed With Degrees?

1. Degrees are social status symbols

A B.Com makes parents breathe easier.

A B.Tech makes society respect you.

An MBA makes marriage markets glow.

Learning never enters the conversation.

2. Institutions are built to certify, not transform

The system rewards:

• compliance

• attendance

• exam performance

• assignments with correct formatting

• answer keys

• “expected responses”

The system does not reward:

• curiosity

• experimentation

• risk

• doubt

• dissent

• creative leaps

So students learn to chase degrees,

not learning.

3. Employers look at degrees first, skills later

The HR filter says:

“Must have MBA.”

It does not say:

“Must understand business.”

Degree = entry ticket.

Learning = optional upgrade.

4. Teachers are pressured to ‘finish the syllabus,’ not ignite thought

Completing chapters matters more

than opening minds.

Exams dominate semesters.

Understanding gets squeezed out.

5. Regulators count degrees, not learning outcomes

NAAC scores include:

• pass percentage

• number of graduates

• number of enrolled students

Where is:

• independent thinking score?

• problem-solving index?

• curiosity measure?

Not in the manual.

So not in the system.

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Scene 4: The Classic Classroom Moment

A teacher asks,

“Any questions?”

The class sits silent.

Not because they understand everything,

but because they are trained to “not look confused.”

Confusion is a crime.

Curiosity is risky.

Questions are embarrassing.

And learning dies quietly.

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Scene 5: The Corporate Training Room

A new employee joins a tech firm.

The trainer says,

“Forget everything you learnt in college.”

Everyone laughs.

But the laughter is uncomfortable.

Because it is true.

Degrees got them the job.

Learning must now start from zero.

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The Emotional Underbelly

Universities do not lack talent.

They lack trust in curiosity.

They do not lack students.

They lack learners.

They do not lack teachers.

They lack time for real teaching.

The system is not broken.

It is misaligned.

Beautifully organised to produce certificates,

not minds.

Parents feel proud.

Students feel relieved.

Institutions feel successful.

Industry feels disappointed.

Society feels the consequences.

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Scene 6: The Honest Confession

A brilliant professor in Mumbai admits:

“We push students to pass.

Life will teach them to learn.”

His colleague responds softly:

“But life shouldn’t have to do our job.”

Both look away.

Because the silence says everything.

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Who Pays the Price?

1. Students

Enter the world confident on paper,

confused in reality.

2. Employers

Spend years retraining graduates.

3. Teachers

Carry the guilt of rushed teaching.

4. Society

Gets degree-rich, skill-poor citizens.

5. The Nation

Loses innovation potential.

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Underbelly Essence

An obsession with degrees

creates the illusion of progress

without the substance.

It produces:

educated profiles,

not educated minds.

qualified individuals,

not competent humans.

graduates,

not learners.

And until learning becomes a national emotion

instead of a bureaucratic output,

universities will continue printing degrees

that decorate walls

but do not transform lives.