The real skilling challenge facing the country is not producing more certificates but helping young people navigate a fast-changing labour market. AI generated image Successive Indian governments have spent years building a skilling ecosystem aimed at preparing the young population for a changing labour market. But the answer to a key question remains elusive: how do young people know which skills they should acquire in the first place? As technology reshapes occupations and

India cannot become a scientific power by funding laboratories while burdening scientists with the very bureaucracy that prevents them from using them effectively. Indian science presents a curious paradox. We celebrate our scientists for achieving remarkably good results with limited resources. But how much more could they achieve if they did not also have to spend so much time and energy dealing with the system? This question came to my mind while reading NITI Aayog’s recen

What does it mean to democratise science? At its simplest, it means widening participation, ensuring that the opportunity to ask meaningful questions, access resources, and contribute to knowledge is not confined to a narrow set of institutions or individuals. It means that scientific talent, wherever it exists, can find expression. It also means that public investment in science serves not only excellence at the top but also capacity across the system. India’s scientific pot