Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh on Saturday, 13 June called out a systemic flaw in India's higher education pipeline, arguing that a significant share of doctoral students pursue PhD programmes as a fallback — not out of genuine aptitude or passion for research. He was speaking at the RISE 2026 conclave in Bengaluru.

The Core Concern: Default Doctorates

Singh said many PhD graduates who struggle to find employment were, in his assessment, not employable because they had entered doctoral programmes 'by default.' He described a pattern where students who could not secure admission to medical or engineering colleges, or who were unsuccessful in competitive examinations such as civil services, gravitated toward research as an alternative path rather than a chosen vocation.

'They neither became PhDs by choice, nor by aptitude, nor because of an attachment to the subject — but because they needed a job,' Singh said, characterising this as a trend that had weakened India's culture of research excellence.

What NEP 2020 Is Expected to Change

The Minister credited the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 with laying the groundwork for a shift away from degree-centric thinking. According to Singh, the NEP's reforms are designed to encourage students to make career decisions based on interest and capability rather than social expectations or employment compulsions. He said India was gradually transitioning toward a system that prioritised aptitude, innovation and problem-solving over credential accumulation.

Notably, Singh predicted that India may eventually produce fewer PhD graduates in absolute numbers — but argued that those who do pursue doctoral studies will be 'qualitatively far superior' because they will be driven by genuine commitment to their disciplines.

The Cambridge Comparison

Drawing on an international reference point, Singh recalled a conversation with a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, who had praised the contributions of Indian students to research conducted abroad. He used this to underscore a structural contrast: in leading global research ecosystems, doctoral programmes are pursued predominantly by individuals deeply committed to academic inquiry — not by those seeking alternative career options.

India's Innovation Gains — and the Gap That Remains

Singh highlighted several markers of India's improving innovation standing. He said the country had emerged as the world's third-largest startup ecosystem, with more than 2.3 lakh startups generating nearly 25 lakh jobs. He also pointed to India's improved ranking in the Global Innovation Index, rising patent filings and growing indigenous research output as evidence of a shifting landscape.

However, he acknowledged that traditional perceptions of career success — rooted in professional degrees and government employment — continue to steer students and families away from unconventional paths in research, entrepreneurship and emerging technologies. This cultural inertia, he argued, remains one of the biggest obstacles to building a world-class research ecosystem.

The Call to Action

Singh urged parents, educators and academic institutions to actively support aptitude-driven career choices and foster environments where research is pursued with passion rather than compulsion. He framed India's ambition to become a global innovation leader as contingent on a fundamental shift in how doctoral education is perceived and pursued — prioritising quality over quantity in the country's research output.