A responsibility we must all own before it harms them.
Let’s hold everyone accountable, including ourselves—it concerns our future and the country's younger generation.
We all want good for them – We know it. Time is now to stand up for it
What does the Indian education system currently look like on paper? India’s education ranking at a glance shows a score of 99.1%, the second-highest, reflecting its future work potential related to AI, digital skills, and others. The data covers the future work skill index for 2025 and indicates a 390% increase in university rankings. India is ranked 25th in the QS Global Future Skills Index. Additionally, 12 IITs are included on the international list, with 5 among the top 100. Without participation data on school-level assessments, where the actual issue lies, the low ranking on education equality is concerning. Let's read through the article to understand where we are headed.
The numbers seem promising, but let's analyse the data more carefully—avoid judging the results only by first impressions or appearances.
As we sift through news related to the education sector, here are some thoughts for our readers to ponder: Do we truly understand the importance of what is happening around us, and why everyone should be aware of these circumstances?
A sudden controversy has arisen regarding the school syllabus and its content. Why are our youth's lives and futures being handled so casually? Are they only valued as a statistic to boost the young population percentage? Is the curriculum based on future-ready programs? Who is responsible for designing this syllabus? Can we trust this process? Are we truly guiding young minds correctly? Is our system ready to adapt to change? How can we measure whether we are making progress or getting stuck? Is there clear evidence that current policies will be sustainable in the future, or are they damaging the youth's prospects? Is society prepared to let go of traditional values and embrace new perspectives?
Some of the top news items compiled from available data in May 2026 about our education system should be enough to wake us up.
1. NCERT books are delayed, and schools are improvising by making makeshift arrangements. Some schools are even allowing students to purchase books and later return them due to changing courses.
2. CBSE schools with no clear guidelines are using NON-CBSE books.
3. The NCERT history books are removing content related to the Mughal era and riots.
4. Although the 26-27 session is already ongoing, the curriculum has not yet been updated. Even after six years, NEP 2020 remains awaiting an official launch and the implementation of changes. Are our systems sluggish, or are we Indians hesitant to embrace change but ready to sacrifice our own?
5. The cartoon content in books row reached the Supreme Court
6. 13800 Students committed Suicide In 2023 - in Tamil Nadu
(The NCRB Report 2023)
7. ‘23 Students died in Telangana owing to the errors labelled against the company ‘COEMPT’ responsible for onscreen marking . A repeat scam after the board exam in 2019 followed by in 2023.
Rahul Gandhi, the leader of opposition, raised the issue in parliament and followed it up with a press release in 27th May -where he held OSM - based errors responsible for the mishap.
(https://theprint.in/india/cbse-osm-row-rahul-demands-judicial-probe-sit-alleges)
8. The saga of paper Leak, NEET 2026 and beyond.
A nation that is sending rockets to the Moon can’t allow its children to face the devils of our society, which is slow and reluctant to act upon them.
The Problem: The answer lies in addressing the issue now amid the red flags
As the well-known quote implies, aligning with scholars like Mark Twain, Albert Einstein, and John Dewey—who critiqued the current education system for its lack of creativity—’ About 90% of what is taught is not useful in real-world scenarios, while 90% of skills required are missing from the classroom curriculum’.The saying becomes even more pressing as a concern in the modern world, where aggressive AI intervention is eroding old mindsets at a pace that makes it difficult for the incoming generation to keep up with the required transition. The truth is we're still struggling at the grassroots level, where we are not even equipped to provide the first basic resources for students - the curriculum of the next generation.
The current education system consistently prioritises theoretical learning and measures degrees as the foundation of evaluation: A set of students from different backgrounds and mindsets attend in-person classes within brick walls, read textbooks, memorise black-and-white content, and take exams, often forgetting the content they prepared, as the defined goal was to score and not apply it back. The current educational approach, now under review and part of our assessment, shows limited focus on developing students' ability to handle challenging situations or manage responsibilities independently. As a result, the struggle persists—students trained in the model remain unprepared for real-world applications. This ongoing challenge begins when students graduate, where they start realising that what they learned is neither required nor even being asked about in job interviews.
A few applicants who chose to apply for and prepare for limited government job opportunities struggle to become job-ready despite their efforts, as the government job mindset often limits their ability to adapt their learning and work hard to build a career.
As of 2026, we can see that the effort to revive the traditional method with modern inputs is underway, and discussions have expanded to include more languages as subjects, yet there are still no finalised textbooks or syllabi for them, nor any plan for how they will be built up for the future. It looks somehow the language debate has been initiated to somehow keep school education relevant where it could have done, was empower schools to take feedback and allow open debates on what a student wants to pursue instead of just handing over a curriculum- Did we not love and supported the concepts shown in movies like 3 IDIOTS or Tare Zameen Par – Education should be on simple grounds of applicability in real world and that every child is different – but why are we not ready to adopt?
The real shock came in May 2026 when vocational courses became mandatory for classes 9 and 10. Interestingly, they include subjects like stitching, gardening, and cooking as options. The example shared is from a school that charges Rs 20000 per quarter and is among the top convent schools in Chandigarh. While this may not be the only school adopting such courses, it raises questions if these are the best vocational options available in an era where technology is rapidly advancing. What are we really preparing our future generations to do?
As a society, we have to collectively agree that ‘ The old school education is redundant’ . We must challenge processes developed by individuals before the AI system existed. A well-run basic school, knowing what to do, can provide high-quality education and resolve the ongoing debate between government and private schools. What’s needed is a collective approach to overhaul, even if it means taking a break to stop the crisis and avoid accountability.
Based on a personal experience at a prominent school in Chandigarh, students in Class IX were informed during a PTM held on the school premises in May 2026 that their six mandatory subjects would not include AI. Instead, subjects like Maths, Science, Social Studies, English, IT are to be chosen, amid the ongoing debates and buzz surrounding national headlines -about making three languages compulsory below Class 8 and two languages above Class 9.
As the FY 2026-27 academic session begins, prospectuses are sold, admissions are underway, necessary books and copies are purchased, and school fees are collected. Fees have risen slightly compared to last year, with daily and weekly reminders sent to ensure timely payments or penalties. Meanwhile, classrooms are now open for the new academic year.
Who is cheating whom?
No one is asking or even prepared to ask the tough question - Are we ready? What do we teach?
Our society has let our children down - The same old education model within school boundaries is being maintained, with no one addressing the urgent challenges ahead. Even as Indian schools head into summer vacation, syllabi and textbooks remain unresolved. In some regions, ICSE books are being used as a remedy because CBSE board content is not yet ready. Mark it - these are not isolated incidents. As you read through, the data shared are first-hand accounts from the writer's experience with one of his acquaintances studying at the top-rated school in India.
In Indian schools, multiple question paper sets are created to prevent cheating. Students assume the first set, usually made by the teacher, contains the hardest questions. They tend to prefer the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th sets, but there is no concrete data to support this. Even on Quora a discussion on which set is tough - the ratio indicated that set 3 is the toughest
The belief is that teachers find creating four sets tedious and tend to put the best questions in the first set without much ado. However, utilising modern technology can dispel the notion completely as AI can generate all sets instantly, consistently applying marking standards without human error.
Why do we treat our students with the 2nd-best processes while other countries leverage technology to improve learning? In many foreign countries, question papers are already being prepared by AI.
Are we even focusing in the right direction?
The common notion, ‘Those who teach - don’t do it,’ reflects issues such as the teachers' salary scales, inadequately equipped schools, and low motivation to drive reforms that shape the future—these are major obstacles that need addressing
Although the Government of India has introduced reforms like NEP 2020 and NCF 2023, the situation at the ground level remains worrying due to a shortage of skilled teachers capable of implementing and supporting these changes.
The steps toward shaping our younger generation:
To foster a responsible society, we have started collaborating with schools to provide our skill training programs through Academic Mantra Services, aligned with NEP 2020 and NCF 2023. These programs focus on essential skills for the future, particularly in modern tools, AI, and other key industry skills for children to make them future-ready.
