India’s education system is under growing pressure, with students preparing for competitive exams like JEE and NEET facing intense academic competition, rising dependence on coaching and the pressure of having their future decided by a single examination. So what needs to change? Should India rethink its high-stakes examination system? Can technology make these exams more secure and fair? And has coaching become an unofficial requirement for success? Times Now Digital spoke to Professor R. C. Kuhad, former Vice Chancellor of Central University of Haryana, who believes the answer begins with strengthening school education. In this conversation, he shares his views on reforming competitive examinations, reducing students’ stress and making education more equitable and focused on genuine learning. Here’s a lowdown of the conversation
1. What is the one big change that Indian education desperately needs today?
Professor R. C. Kuhad: The most important change needed today in Indian education today is strengthening the quality of teaching so that every child receives meaningful learning within every classroom. Every child deserves not only access to education but also the opportunity to develop strong conceptual understanding, critical thinking, creativity and confidence. Parents should not feel financially burdened to seek private coaching for their children because schools are unable meet students learning needs. From a student’s viewpoint, school should be centres of curiosity, discovery and holistic development and should not be merely feeders for coaching centres. Achieving this requires well-prepared teachers, continuous professional development, modern teaching methods, regular academic mentoring and supportive learning environment in schools. Researchers and scientists affirm that a robust school foundation is essential for cultivating critical thinking, creativity, and a scientific temper. This directly honours our constitutional commitment to providing equitable and dignified education for all. Ultimately, improving the quality of class room education is the most fundamental educational reform. It is a collective responsibility shared by the government, institutions, educators, parents, and society.
2. Students preparing for exams like JEE and NEET spend years working relentlessly, yet their future is often determined by a single day’s performance. Is this model still fair?
Professor R. C. Kuhad: In its present structure, a single-day assessment model raises profound questions regarding fairness and empathy. Students invest years of disciplined preparation, yet unforeseen circumstances such as sudden illness, anxiety, or technical problems—on the day of examination can disproportionately affect the outcome. While competitive examinations are necessary because professional seats are limited, an assessment system should recognise sustained learning rather than relying exclusively on performance in a single examination. A more balanced system would preserve merit while reducing the consequences of setbacks. Such a system would be academically rigorous and more compassionate.
3. What alternatives should India seriously consider?
Professor R. C. Kuhad: India can adopt several reforms without compromising academic standards. a) Conduct national entrance examinations multiple times each year and consider the best score b) Expand secure computer-based testing with robust digital infrastructure across urban and rural c) Build large, independently audited question banks with transparent quality assurance d) Gradually strengthen continuous school-based assessment as classroom quality improves nationwide e) Explore adaptive testing only after rigorous pilot studies to demonstrate fairness across diverse socio-economic and linguistic backgrounds. Any meaningful reform must reduce unnecessary stress on young minds while maintaining transparency, reliability and academic excellence.
4. Can technology make high-stakes exams like NEET more transparent, secure, and fair?
Professor R. C. Kuhad: Yes but only when technology is combined with strong and fair governance. Advanced computer-based examinations, secure biometric verification, real-time surveillance, centre AI assisted monitoring, and randomised encrypted question generation and delivery and comprehensive digital audit trails can significantly prevent malpractice and improve public confidence. Equally important are transparent answer keys, clearly defined evaluation procedures, and timely grievance redressal. Technology should enhance trust rather replace institutional accountability. Ensuring equal access to digital resources, multilingual support, reliable infrastructure independent auditing is essential when modern technology is introduced.
5. What are some anxieties or pressures Gen Z students face today that policymakers, parents, and educators may be overlooking?
Professor R. C. Kuhad: Beyond academic workload, many young students experience emotional pressure. Increasingly common ‘drop years’ for competitive examinations preparation often creates feelings of uncertainty and social pressure. Social media intensifies constant comparison through rankings and success stories. Many students also carry the emotional burden of meeting parental expectation and justifying their families’ financial sacrifices. Students living away from home in coaching hubs may experience loneliness during crucial period of personal development. In pursuing examination, many young students sacrifice friendships, hobbies, physical activity, adequate sleep, and opportunities for personal growth. Educational success should therefore be measured not only by examination score but also by students’ emotional wellbeing, resilience and overall development.
6. If you could redesign JEE, NEET, or CUET from scratch today, what would you keep, and what would you change?
Professor R. C. Kuhad: A redesigned system should retain a transparent, merit-driven national examination framework aligned with the core Class XI and XII curricula, along with examinations offered in multiple regional languages and robust measures against malpractices to ensure equal opportunity for students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. At the same time, several thoughtful changes would strengthen fairness and reduce unnecessary pressure. Transitioning to secure, multiple examination opportunities each year where candidates best score be considered. Question patterns should place greater emphasis on conceptual understanding, critical thinking, analytical reasoning and problem-solving rather than memorisation. Better alignment between school education and entrance examinations to reduce dependence on coaching. Adaptive assessment methods should be explored only after comprehensive nationwide validation. Incorporating moderated board examination results through standardised normalisation techniques alongside entrance scores would create a more comprehensive evaluation. Expanding independently audited, high-quality question banks, alongside transparent grievance redressal mechanisms and robust institutional governance, would further strengthen trust. The objective of the examinations should be to identify talent fairly while encouraging genuine learning instead of examination-oriented preparation.
7. Has coaching culture become an unofficial prerequisite for success in India? If yes, how can this be changed?
Professor R. C. Kuhad: For many aspiring students, coaching has become an informal prerequisite for success. It is not because coaching is inherently superior but because many students believe that school education alone is insufficient for highly competitive examinations. The long-term solution is to strengthen mainstream school education. School should provide high-quality conceptual teaching, effective academic support, regular assessment aligned with entrance examinations and opportunities for problem solving and critical thinking. National agencies should also provide freely accessible highly quality digital learning resources so that every student has equal access regardless of their financial background. Government should introduce and follow reasonable regulations such as transparency in fees, ethical advertising, students’ welfare and mental health support in coaching institutions
To conclude, when schools consistently provide excellent education, coaching will naturally become an optional rather than an essential requirement.