India’s education system has much to celebrate. Gross enrolment ratios in higher education have climbed from 10% in 2000 to over 28% today, with more than 43 million students enrolled in colleges and universities. Literacy has risen to 77%. The sheer scale of access built over two generations is a legitimate achievement.

But access without engagement is an empty promise. Across many lecture halls today, seats are filled, screens are glowing, fingers are moving, but attention is thinning. According to a 2023 study by Emeritus, over 60% of college students admitted to being distracted by devices during lectures for more than half the class time. Faculty report that their energy, enthusiasm, and depth visibly diminish when they sense they have lost the hall. A teacher cannot give their best to an audience that has already left.