This year, hundreds of students who topped their respective boards found that the admission to their preferred college is no cake walk despite their high marks. The demand for 100% marks has illuminated the disorder towards which the Indian higher education system is headed. The lack of quality education and the rise in the number of students clearing qualifying board exams (10+2) has burdened the system and forced colleges and institutions to take decisions which defy logic.

Immediate steps, which are long term, need to be implemented to make the Indian higher education system accessible to all, especially to students who are bright, despite not scoring 100%.

Developing learning opportunities in fields such as basic science can help alleviate the pressure on engineering and medical colleges that are traditional fields of higher education in India. The new law, the Foreign Educational Institution (Regulation of Entry and Operation) which was passed in 2010, has opened gates of opportunity for foreign universities and colleges to establish campuses or partner with Indian institutes. It has given impetus to the higher education sector, increased the competition between institutes and given hope to many students who dream to pursue a particular course.