‘Campuses Not Career-Ready’: Karnataka Minister Flags Urgent Reset in Higher Education

Admitting to a widening gap between degrees and employability, Karnataka Higher Education Minister MC Sudhakar has said Karnataka’s higher education system must undergo a structural reset, as the state prepares for its Campus2Career (C2C) Summit on May 15–16.

Speaking at the curtain raiser of the C2C Summit, which will focus on “future-ready universities and colleges,” Sudhakar struck an unusually candid note: “We should accept that our campuses are not ready for careers.”

The remark sets the tone for what the government is positioning as a first-of-its-kind platform to bring academia and industry into closer alignment, amid rising concerns over graduate employability and shifting job market demands.

At the heart of the minister’s message was a clear shift in approach—moving away from post-degree skilling models toward embedding employability within the degree itself. Questioning the relevance of finishing schools and add-on training after graduation, he said, “I don’t think we should be wasting the time of the graduates… If they directly got the skill sets, they would have saved time and energy.”

Sudhakar also pointed to a lack of proactive engagement from the industry in shaping academic outcomes. “Industry is still not open to come out here and give their suggestions… what exactly they require,” he said, adding that institutions must prepare graduates in line with real-world demand.

The Minister underscored that industry expectations have fundamentally changed. “The industry wants somebody as a ready-made [resource] wherein they can kick-start immediately,” he noted, stressing that time and cost pressures are forcing companies to seek job-ready talent rather than train fresh hires from scratch.

A key concern flagged was the stark infrastructure gap across institutions. Calling existing facilities inadequate, Sudhakar said, “What facility right now we have… is very primitive.” 

He contrasted this with exposure to advanced equipment in select institutions, citing high-end CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machines costing several crores as examples of the kind of hands-on learning required to build confidence and capability among students.

Alongside infrastructure, he highlighted a growing quality challenge in academia, particularly around faculty depth. With universities rapidly expanding course offerings, he questioned the availability of specialised teaching talent: “I don’t know where they get the faculty… the same people are only teaching AI, data science, cyber security.” He added that true transformation would require domain-specific specialisation in teaching.

The Minister emphasised the need to retain and revive interest in core engineering fields while simultaneously building capabilities in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity, and healthcare technology.

Beyond domestic employment, Sudhakar pointed to growing international demand for skilled labour, particularly in countries such as Germany, Japan, and Slovakia. He stressed the importance of language training as a gateway to these opportunities, suggesting that higher education policy must align more closely with global labour market needs.

“We need to have an outcome-based education,” he said, adding that government institutions, in particular, must upgrade labs, software access, and training infrastructure.

The upcoming C2C Summit will bring together stakeholders from higher education, industry, and multiple government departments—including skill development, IT, commerce, and agriculture—to chart a coordinated roadmap. Sudhakar said the objective is to create a platform where industry can openly articulate not just current skill requirements but also anticipate future demand, enabling students to make informed career choices.