Delhi University has completed three regular rounds of undergraduate admissions, but 13,433 UG seats are still vacant. According to the university’s latest spot-round vacancy list, the unfilled seats are spread across 1,160 college-course combinations
“We have a history of renowned political leaders; we hail from the lands of intellect. This university has nurtured multiple leaders, including Gulzarilal Nanda, Madan Lal Khurana, Mahadevi Varma, and many Chief Justices,” 23-year-old Priyanshu Vidrohi said
In Bihar’s Gaya district lies Patwa Toli, a village popularly known as the “Village of IITians." What makes it remarkable is the presence of IIT-educated engineers in almost every household. Every year, more than a dozen students from the village qualify for the IIT-JEE examinations
Jammu-born entrepreneur Onkar Singh Batra has added another remarkable achievement to an already extraordinary journey. From creating a website at the age of seven to developing a satellite at 16, Batra has spent much of his childhood exploring technology, entrepreneurship, and space
I have passed Class 12 (PCMB) with a state rank of 10 and have taken NEET 2026 and KCET. I want to pursue B.Sc. Chemistry but people say I should not do so because I have such good marks. I am also considering BDS or a B.Sc. Paramedical course
Which careers should India’s brightest minds pick
Which careers should India’s brightest minds pick?
Ramanujam C., a bright Class XI student from Erode, spent his summer vacation researching institutions that could prepare him for a career in business or international relations.
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One of my engineering batchmates has two children making equally interesting choices. His daughter is pursuing B.Sc Physics with the goal of working in the space and defence sectors, while his son has chosen B.A. English as a pathway to a career in digital marketing.
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Neither student is rejecting engineering or medicine. They are responding to a simple reality: the range of meaningful careers has expanded dramatically.
When I was growing up in Salem, almost every parent, including mine, dreamt of their children becoming engineers, doctors or government servants. That aspiration was understandable. Career options were limited, computers were only beginning to enter a few cities and institutions, and the economy offered relatively few professional pathways.
Today, digital technologies, social media and artificial intelligence have transformed that landscape. Students are now exposed to careers that scarcely existed a decade ago: from content creators, podcasters and game developers to AI specialists and prompt engineers.
This raises an important question: Is India preparing the right mix of talent for an AI-powered economy?
The latest All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE 2023–24) offers an interesting perspective. India now has more than 4.5 crore students enrolled in higher education. Arts accounts for 32.1% of undergraduate enrolment, followed by Science (13.5%), Engineering & Technology (12.9%) and Commerce (12%). These figures remind us that India’s future workforce will emerge from many disciplines, each contributing differently to national development.
With the world’s largest youth population, India cannot afford to channel its brightest students into only a handful of professions. New age professions will require youth with grounding from their chosen field --be it liberal arts, sciences, commerce or computers. Artificial intelligence is changing not the importance of knowledge but the nature of work itself.
The coming decades will reward graduates who combine technical literacy with creativity, communication, business understanding and an appreciation of human behaviour. AI can analyse data, generate software, write reports and automate routine tasks with astonishing speed. Yet it cannot easily replicate empathy, leadership, negotiation, ethical judgement or cultural understanding. As intelligent machines become commonplace, these uniquely human capabilities will become even more valuable.
Tomorrow’s professionals may no longer fit neatly into conventional academic categories. A commerce graduate with data analytics skills may lead digital finance. A psychology graduate may design customer experiences for global brands. A visual communication specialist may use generative AI to create immersive content. A biologist may collaborate with computer scientists on precision medicine. Increasingly, success will belong to professionals who can integrate knowledge across disciplines rather than remain confined within one.
Instead of asking, “Which degree should I pursue?” students should begin by asking, “What kind of problems do I want to solve?” The degree is only one pathway; the destination is the career.
Those drawn to business have opportunities stretching far beyond traditional commerce, from finance and entrepreneurship to human resources, business analytics and supply chain management. Students who enjoy working with people can build fulfilling careers in hospitality, tourism, aviation, healthcare administration, retail management and customer success. Those with a creative bent can thrive in media, branding, corporate communications, visual communication, animation, gaming and content creation.
The digital economy offers exciting possibilities in user experience design, digital products, fintech, e-commerce and platform businesses. Students motivated by social impact may find their calling in education, public policy, sustainability, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), and social innovation. Equally, a strong grounding in Physics, Chemistry, Biology or Biotechnology can open doors not only to research but also to engineering, advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, robotics and other frontier technologies.
The boundaries between these domains are becoming increasingly porous. A sustainability professional may need data analytics. A business graduate may require AI skills. A healthcare administrator may work with digital platforms. A designer may collaborate with software engineers. Employers are therefore looking less for graduates from a single discipline and more for professionals who can bridge technology, business and society.
India’s National Education Policy 2020 anticipated this shift by promoting multidisciplinary education, flexible curricula and greater mobility across disciplines. Students should be encouraged to combine economics with artificial intelligence, commerce with analytics, psychology with neuroscience, engineering with design, or visual communication with digital media. Such combinations are likely to produce graduates who are more adaptable and better equipped for an uncertain future.
One profession deserves far greater attention than it usually receives during career counselling—education itself. India’s aspiration to become a developed nation will require not only more schools and colleges but also many more capable teachers. If classrooms are to prepare students for an AI-enabled economy, they will need educators who can inspire curiosity, encourage critical thinking and nurture lifelong learning. Teaching should be viewed not merely as a noble profession but as one of the country’s most strategic careers.
Choosing the right programme, however, is only the beginning. Academic qualifications alone will no longer determine career success. College should be seen not merely as a place to earn a degree but as an opportunity to develop capabilities that AI cannot easily replace.
Students should read beyond prescribed textbooks, participate in theatre, music, debating, writing, sports and community service, and seek internships, hackathons and entrepreneurship projects. Such experiences cultivate creativity, collaboration, leadership, resilience and emotional intelligence. Networking, too, deserves greater emphasis. Building relationships with alumni, faculty, industry professionals and peers often creates opportunities that never appear on recruitment platforms. Employers will increasingly recruit not only for technical competence but also for curiosity, adaptability and a commitment to lifelong learning.
A degree may secure the first interview. The ability to think critically, communicate effectively, collaborate with others and keep learning will determine how far a graduate progresses over the next four decades.
Parents, too, may need to broaden their understanding of career success. For decades, conversations about higher education revolved around medicine, engineering and the civil services. Those professions will continue to be important. But they are no longer the only pathways for India’s brightest minds.
Perhaps the more relevant question is no longer, “Which course offers the best placement?” but “Which education will prepare my child for a lifetime of learning, adaptation and reinvention?”
There is no single “best” career for India’s brightest minds. The future will belong to those who choose a field they genuinely enjoy, master its fundamentals, continuously acquire complementary skills and remain lifelong learners. In an AI-powered world, adaptability may well become the most valuable qualification of all.
(Khadar Nawaz is Principal, Sona College of Arts and Science, Salem.
Published - July 31, 2026 08:00 am IST
education
Source: TheHindu
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