Skip college after Class 12? Saurabh Mukherjea says degrees are failing young Indians
Saurabh Mukherjea said India's education system is leaving many graduates without jobs. He argued rote learning and a blind faith in degrees are at the heart of the problem.
"Out of every 100 graduates coming out of college, only three are getting a job in the year of their graduation."
That is the sharp warning from Saurabh Mukherjea, Founder and CIO of Marcellus Investment Managers, who says middle-class India has spent too long treating college as the only route to success.
He made this statement in a recent podcast, where he said the country is still trapped in an old model of memorisation while the economy is moving towards AI, electric vehicles, biotechnology and clean technology.
He said that India's education system is producing degrees, but not always job-ready young people.
THE ROTE-LEARNING TRAP
Mukherjea said the problem starts early. In his view, schools and colleges still reward repetition over understanding. “Ratta maaro and regurgitate in the exam,” he said.
He argued that this system leaves students unable to adapt to a world that now values problem-solving, creativity and technical skill. For him, the issue is not only about education quality but about whether the system is preparing young Indians for the jobs of the future.
WHEN DEGREE DOES NOT MEAN JOB
Mukherjea pointed to unemployment data to make his case.
He said that graduate unemployment is much higher than unemployment among people with little or no formal education. In his words, the system has become so weak that “you are better off in India not going to university”.
His point was not that education has no value, but that a degree alone is no longer enough. He said Indian employers are effectively signalling that college is not adding enough to make graduates more employable.
MIDDLE-CLASS DREAMS, HARD REALITY
Mukherjea also challenged a belief common in middle-class homes: that a university degree is the safest path to a stable income. He said some of the best earners in India are those who stop after Class 12 and enter the workforce directly.
He cited examples from Mumbai, saying a construction worker or a JCB operator may earn more than a graduate looking for an air-conditioned office job.
For Mukherjea, the debate is bigger than salaries. He believes India must move away from memorisation and build a system that teaches young people how to think, solve problems and work in modern sectors.
"Out of every 100 graduates coming out of college, only three are getting a job in the year of their graduation."
That is the sharp warning from Saurabh Mukherjea, Founder and CIO of Marcellus Investment Managers, who says middle-class India has spent too long treating college as the only route to success.
He made this statement in a recent podcast, where he said the country is still trapped in an old model of memorisation while the economy is moving towards AI, electric vehicles, biotechnology and clean technology.
He said that India's education system is producing degrees, but not always job-ready young people.
THE ROTE-LEARNING TRAP
Mukherjea said the problem starts early. In his view, schools and colleges still reward repetition over understanding. “Ratta maaro and regurgitate in the exam,” he said.
He argued that this system leaves students unable to adapt to a world that now values problem-solving, creativity and technical skill. For him, the issue is not only about education quality but about whether the system is preparing young Indians for the jobs of the future.
WHEN DEGREE DOES NOT MEAN JOB
Mukherjea pointed to unemployment data to make his case.
He said that graduate unemployment is much higher than unemployment among people with little or no formal education. In his words, the system has become so weak that “you are better off in India not going to university”.
His point was not that education has no value, but that a degree alone is no longer enough. He said Indian employers are effectively signalling that college is not adding enough to make graduates more employable.
MIDDLE-CLASS DREAMS, HARD REALITY
Mukherjea also challenged a belief common in middle-class homes: that a university degree is the safest path to a stable income. He said some of the best earners in India are those who stop after Class 12 and enter the workforce directly.
He cited examples from Mumbai, saying a construction worker or a JCB operator may earn more than a graduate looking for an air-conditioned office job.
For Mukherjea, the debate is bigger than salaries. He believes India must move away from memorisation and build a system that teaches young people how to think, solve problems and work in modern sectors.
