Salman Khan wants education to be India's next 'fashion trend'. Is India ready?

Salman Khan's call to make education India's next global trend sparks a deeper conversation on trust, transparency and ambition. As NEET-UG 2026 protests expose systemic concerns, rising rankings and enrolment highlight India's education progress.Sometimes, the most thought-provoking conversations begin in the most unexpected ways. For me, it started over coffee, with a friend, and a Salman Khan post on India's education system.The surrounding conversation was already dominated by one topic: the 'Chalo Sansad' march. Students, parents, politicians, social media, television debates, everyone seemed to be talking about the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy. Then my phone buzzed.A friend had forwarded me a screenshot of Salman Khan's post with a simple message: "Salman bhai has spoken."Like several public figures, the actor expressed concern over the violence that disrupted what had begun as a peaceful student movement demanding accountability over the alleged paper leak. He praised students and parents for standing together in defence of a fair and transparent education system, urged that the movement remain focused on students instead of politics, and hoped the government would bring meaningful reforms.It was such a peaceful movement, feel so sad that it had to take a violent turn. My heart goes out to the students and their families who were hurt. Paper leak is a very serious issue, and I am glad to know n see that the kids of our country have come together for a better— Salman Khan (@BeingSalmanKhan) July 22, 2026But it was his closing line that stayed with me. "Education should be the next trend and fashion... so much so that people from outside come to India to study and India becomes an educational hub."At first glance, it sounds like another celebrity slogan. But the more I thought about it, the more it felt like a larger question.What would it actually take for education to become India's next "fashion"? Certainly not designer campuses or glossy brochures. Police sources said they were determined to stop any procession towards the high-security zone. It would mean creating an education system that students trust, universities the world respects, and institutions capable of attracting talent from across the globe, not because they are affordable, but because they are among the best.The timing of Salman Khan's remark couldn't have been more significant. India is simultaneously celebrating milestones in higher education while grappling with one of the biggest examination crises in recent memory. On one hand, Indian universities are steadily climbing global rankings and enrolling more students than ever before.On the other, controversies surrounding competitive exams have raised uncomfortable questions about transparency, credibility and public trust. The contrast reveals a deeper reality: India isn't facing an education crisis. It is facing a confidence crisis.THE GOOD NEWS: INDIA'S HIGHER EDUCATION STORY IS GETTING STRONGERIf global rankings are any indication, Indian higher education is steadily making its presence felt.The QS World University Rankings 2027 place several Indian institutions among the world's leading universities, reflecting improvements in research output, employability and academic reputation.Leading the pack is IIT Delhi, ranked 118th globally, followed by IIT Bombay (134) and IIT Madras (170). IIT Kharagpur, IISc Bengaluru, IIT Kanpur, Delhi University and several other institutions also feature prominently, underscoring India's growing academic footprint. IIT Delhi emerges as India's top university at QS World University Rankings 2027 Yet the rankings become even more interesting when you look beyond the numbers.IIT Delhi's strongest performance comes from research impact and employer reputation, suggesting that its graduates are not only producing influential research but are also highly valued by industry. IIT Bombay performs exceptionally well in employability, while IIT Madras continues to demonstrate strong research credentials.Together, they reflect a broader shift in Indian higher education, from simply producing graduates to building globally competitive institutions.That progress extends beyond universities.FOUR INDIAN CITIES ARE NOW AMONG THE WORLD'S BEST STUDENT DESTINATIONSA university does not exist in isolation. The city around it shapes a student's experience just as much as classrooms and laboratories do. The QS Best Student Cities 2027 rankings recognise four Indian cities among the world's top 150 student destinations: Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai.Mumbai leads India at 91st globally, thanks to its balance of employability, affordability and institutional strength.Delhi follows closely behind at 99th, recording the strongest employer activity among Indian cities and the highest affordability score. Yet it also reveals a contradiction: despite abundant opportunities, its student satisfaction score remains surprisingly low.Bengaluru, meanwhile, emerged as the favourite among students, earning the highest student experience score among Indian cities. Chennai rounds off the list with strong affordability and liveability, though it too has room to improve in overall student perception. QS Best Student Cities 2027: These four Indian cities rank among the world's top 150. Taken together, the rankings reveal an encouraging trend.India is increasingly being recognised as a destination where students can receive quality education without paying the kind of tuition fees demanded in many Western countries. Affordable education and strong employment prospects have become two of India's biggest strengths.But they also highlight areas that continue to hold the country back: student experience, global reputation and international appeal.MORE STUDENTS THAN EVER BEFORE ARE ENTERING HIGHER EDUCATIONThe story becomes even more compelling when viewed through the lens of enrolment.According to the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2023–24, India's higher education system now serves a record 4.5 crore students. This is not just a statistical milestone. It reflects a decade-long expansion in access to colleges and universities across the country.Women have emerged as one of the biggest drivers of this transformation. For the seventh consecutive year, female enrolment has exceeded that of men. Women now make up nearly half of all undergraduate students and continue to outnumber men at the postgraduate level, a remarkable shift from a decade ago. AISHE 2023-24 data shows Indian women now outpace men in higher education enrolment for the seventh straight year running. (representative image) The report also points to another changing reality. Private institutions now educate more than 70 per cent of India's college-going population, underscoring how rapidly the private sector has expanded to meet rising demand for higher education.At the same time, students are increasingly choosing diverse academic paths. Arts remains the country's most popular undergraduate discipline, while enrolment in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) courses has crossed the one-crore mark for the first time. Instead of replacing one another, liberal arts and technical education appear to be growing side by side.Taken together, the numbers tell an optimistic story.More Indians are entering universities than ever before. More women are pursuing higher education. Indian institutions are improving their global standing. Cities are becoming more student-friendly. Employers continue to place confidence in Indian graduates.On paper, India's higher education story has rarely looked stronger. And yet, this is only one side of the story.THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STORYBut if the numbers tell one story, the headlines tell another.The same year that Indian universities celebrated improved global rankings, the country found itself confronting one of its biggest examination controversies in recent memory. The contrast was difficult to ignore.On one hand, India was earning global recognition for producing world-class institutions and expanding access to higher education. On the other, millions of students were questioning whether the country's most important entrance examinations could still be trusted.RANKINGS ARE IMPROVING, BUT THERE ARE STILL CRACKSThe QS World University Rankings 2027 make one thing clear: Indian universities are moving in the right direction.The country's top institutions continue to perform exceptionally well in employer reputation, reflecting the confidence that industries place in Indian graduates. Research output, sustainability and academic impact have also improved across several universities.Yet the rankings also reveal where India continues to lag. International faculty remain scarce. International student numbers are still low compared to leading global universities. Cross-border research collaborations are improving but remain limited, restricting the global visibility of Indian institutions. Why did several Indian private universities climb sharply in the QS World University Rankings 2027 while many public institutions slipped? (AI-generated image) These may seem like technical ranking indicators, but they point to a larger ambition.If India wants to become a global education hub, attracting students from across the world requires more than affordable tuition or prestigious IITs. It demands globally connected campuses, diverse classrooms, stronger research partnerships and an academic ecosystem that inspires confidence far beyond its borders.And confidence, as the past few months have shown, extends well beyond university campuses.WHEN TRUST IN EXAMINATIONS BEGINS TO CRACKThe NEET-UG 2026 controversy did not begin with a leaked question paper. It began with suspicion.After students claimed that a so-called "guess paper" closely resembled the actual examination, concerns quickly snowballed into allegations of a paper leak. What initially appeared to be another controversy on social media soon escalated into one of the biggest crises to hit India's examination system.Questions over transparency gave way to protests. Students took to the streets. Parents demanded answers. Courtrooms became the next battleground.The National Testing Agency (NTA) came under intense scrutiny over its handling of the examination, criticism mounted over delays in communication, and eventually the original examination was cancelled in favour of a nationwide re-test. How the NEET crisis escalated into a nationwide political showdown (Photo: PTI) What was once an academic issue soon became a political one.The controversy spilled into Parliament, where Opposition parties demanded accountability and called for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The government defended its response while promising reforms aimed at restoring faith in the examination system.But beyond politics lay something far more significant.For millions of students, competitive examinations are not just tests. They are gateways to careers, financial security and years of hard work. When confidence in that process begins to erode, the damage extends far beyond one examination cycle.THE BUSINESS BEHIND THE DREAMThe examination ecosystem has changed dramatically over the past decade.Preparing for JEE or NEET is no longer simply about textbooks and classrooms. It has evolved into a multi-crore industry where coaching institutes compete as fiercely as corporate brands.Star faculty are offered salaries running into crores. Institutes invest heavily in advertising, sponsor toppers, and build elaborate marketing campaigns around success stories. Students are no longer just learners, they have become customers in one of India's fastest-growing education markets.Competition has undoubtedly helped many aspirants achieve their dreams. But it has also intensified commercial pressures.The race to produce higher ranks and attract more admissions has fuelled allegations of misleading advertisements, faculty poaching and an increasing focus on profitability over pedagogy. Success itself has become a product.While coaching centres continue to play a vital role for many aspirants, the absence of stronger regulation has raised questions about whether commercial incentives are beginning to overshadow educational values.AND THEN THERE IS THE QUESTION OF DATAThe concerns do not end once students leave the examination hall. Recent reports alleging that student databases were being sold for as little as Rs 1,500 have exposed another uncomfortable reality, one that has little to do with examinations and everything to do with privacy.According to the allegations, personal details including names, phone numbers, email addresses and academic information of students appearing for examinations such as CBSE and NEET were being circulated among coaching institutes and marketing agencies. AI-generated image. For many students, the experience is familiar. Within days of writing an examination, calls and messages from coaching institutes begin flooding their phones. Counselling offers, admission packages and promotional messages arrive from organisations they have never interacted with.Whether these allegations ultimately lead to regulatory action or not has highlighted an urgent question. Who owns a student's data once an examination is over?In an era where personal information has become one of the world's most valuable commodities, protecting student data is no longer merely an administrative responsibility. It has become an essential part of safeguarding students themselves.SO, THE BIGGER QUESTION IS?Perhaps Salman Khan wasn't really talking about fashion after all. Perhaps he was talking about aspiration.For India to become a global education hub, it needs more than world-class universities and affordable campuses. It needs an ecosystem built on trust, where exams are credible, student data is secure, coaching is ethical, and hard work, not loopholes, determines success.India has the talent, institutions and scale to lead the world in education. But its next milestone will depend not just on better rankings, but on stronger integrity. Only then can education truly become the "next trend", because the world trusts India's classrooms as much as its ambitions.- EndsPublished By: Karan YadavPublished On: Jul 23, 2026 13:36 IST