India’s conventional university degrees may be headed for a major rethink after NITI Aayog flagged weak links between popular courses such as BA, BSc and BCom and actual employment opportunities.
In its August 2026 report, “Reimagining Skilling for Viksit Bharat@2047,” the government think tank called for structural changes in higher and technical education, arguing that curricula at many institutions remain poorly aligned with rapidly changing industry requirements.
Only 8.25% Graduates in Qualification-Aligned Jobs
One of the report’s most striking findings concerns the mismatch between education and employment.
Citing the Economic Survey 2024-25, NITI Aayog said only 8.25% of graduates are employed in roles aligned with their qualifications. That means more than 90% of employed graduates are working in positions that do not directly match what they studied.
Educated unemployment also remains a concern. The report puts unemployment among graduates at 13%, while the rate among graduate women stands at 20.4%, compared with a national unemployment rate of 3.2% in the data cited.
More Than 2 Crore Students Pursuing BA, BSc and BCom
The scale of the issue is significant because generic undergraduate degrees dominate India’s higher-education system.
Of approximately 3.4 crore undergraduate students, 1.13 crore are enrolled in BA programmes alone. Combined enrolment in BA, BSc and BCom exceeds two crore students, according to data cited by NITI Aayog.
The report describes these conventional programmes as having weak job linkages, while noting that many students pursue them partly to maintain eligibility for government recruitment.
BA, BSc and BCom Could Become More Industry-Focused
Rather than eliminating conventional degrees, NITI Aayog proposes making them more specialised and directly connected with employment opportunities.
Examples outlined in the report include programmes such as BA Hospitality, BCom Analytics and BSc Applied Technology. It also proposes job-linked tracks covering areas such as retail, banking and financial services, digital marketing and data analytics.
The goal is to allow students to graduate with both an academic qualification and practical skills that employers can immediately use.
Apprenticeships Could Become Bigger Part of Degrees
NITI Aayog also wants universities and businesses to collaborate more closely through public-private partnerships and apprenticeship-embedded degree programmes.
Internships, apprenticeships, industry projects and work experience could increasingly count toward academic credits, while flexible formats such as part-time, hybrid and “earn while you learn” programmes could allow students to combine education with employment.
The report additionally recommends broader employability training covering digital literacy, financial literacy, entrepreneurship and workplace readiness.
Employability Has Improved, But Gaps Remain
Separate NITI Aayog data show some positive movement. Estimated employability in 2026 stood at 55.6% for BA graduates, 61% for BSc graduates and 62.8% for BCom graduates, although professional qualifications continued to perform better in several categories.
The latest recommendations therefore do not suggest that BA, BSc or BCom degrees have no value. Instead, NITI Aayog’s central argument is that India needs to connect academic education much more closely with workplace skills and emerging industries.
With more than two crore students enrolled across these three major degree streams, successful reforms could have a substantial impact on graduate employability and India’s future workforce.
About the Author
