New Delhi: In a powerful address at the 4th Convocation Ceremony of the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) in Kota, Rajasthan, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar delivered a scathing critique of coaching centres, describing them as “poaching centres” that have become “black holes for talent in regimented silos.” Speaking to students, faculty, and dignitaries, including Rajasthan Governor Haribhau Kisanrao Bagde, Lt. Gen. (Retd.) A.K. Bhatt, Chairperson of the Board of Governors, and IIIT Director Prof. N.P. Padhy, the Vice-President emphasized the urgent need to reform the education system, promote technological leadership, and ensure digital sovereignty for India. His remarks, made on July 12, 2025, have sparked widespread discussion about the coaching culture in Kota and the broader implications for India’s education and technological future.
Coaching Centres: A Menace to Youth and Education
Vice-President Dhankhar did not mince words when addressing the proliferation of coaching centres, particularly in Kota, which is widely regarded as the hub of coaching institutes for competitive exams like the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). He warned that these centres are “mushrooming” and pose a significant threat to the youth, who represent the future of the nation. “Coaching centres have turned out to be poaching centres. They have become black holes for talent in regimented silos,” he said, highlighting how these institutes stifle creativity and intellectual growth.
Dhankhar expressed deep concern over the psychological toll of the coaching culture, noting that the obsession with achieving perfect grades and standardized scores has “compromised curiosity, which is an inalienable facet of human intelligence.” He pointed out that the intense focus on exam preparation “robotizes” students, stifling their ability to think critically and creatively. “Their thinking has absolutely stymied. A lot of psychological problems can arise out of it,” he cautioned, referencing the alarming rise in student suicides in Kota, where the pressure to perform in competitive exams has led to tragic outcomes.
The Vice-President also criticized the aggressive marketing tactics of coaching centres, which rely heavily on billboards and newspaper advertisements. He questioned the source of their funding, stating, “Money is poured into billboards and advertisements in newspapers. This money comes from those who either take loans or who painstakingly paid to make their future brighter. This is not optimal utilisation of money, and these advertisements are alluring but they are eyesores for our civilisational ethos.” Dhankhar urged civil society and public representatives to address this “disease” and work to “restore sanity in education.”
Coaching Centres and the National Education Policy
Dhankhar emphasized that the coaching centre culture is fundamentally at odds with the objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP). “Coaching centers are against the flow of the National Education Policy. This creates unnecessary hiccups and impediments in growth and progress,” he stated. The NEP, which aims to foster holistic education, critical thinking, and skill development, is undermined by the rote learning and exam-centric approach of coaching institutes. Dhankhar called for a shift in focus, urging coaching centres to transform their infrastructure into skill development hubs. “We need coaching for skill,” he asserted, advocating for a system that prioritizes practical knowledge over memorization.
The Vice-President’s remarks resonate with broader concerns about the education system’s reliance on cramming, which he described as a “crisis” that transforms “vibrant minds into mechanical repositories of temporary information.” He warned that this culture produces “intellectual zombies rather than creative thinkers,” adding, “Cramming creates memory without meaning and adds degrees without depth.” Dhankhar encouraged students to look beyond their marksheets, stating, “Your marksheets and grades will not define you. When you take a leap into the competitive world, your knowledge and thinking mind will define you.”
A Call for Skill Development and Educational Reform
In a passionate appeal, Dhankhar urged coaching centres to repurpose their infrastructure to focus on skill development, aligning with the needs of a rapidly evolving global economy. “Coaching centres must use their infrastructure to transform into skill centres,” he said, emphasizing the importance of equipping students with practical skills that prepare them for real-world challenges. He called on civil society and public representatives to converge and address the “urgency of this disease” to restore balance to the education system.
Dhankhar also referenced India’s historical tradition of knowledge-sharing, invoking the image of a Gurukul, one of the 22 visual depictions in the Indian Constitution. “How can we even speak of Gurukuls today?” he asked, lamenting the shift away from holistic education rooted in the “donation of knowledge.” His remarks underscored the need to return to an education system that nurtures curiosity and intellectual growth rather than focusing solely on exam performance.
Digital Sovereignty: The New Frontier of Patriotism
In addition to his critique of coaching centres, Vice-President Dhankhar addressed the critical issue of digital sovereignty, warning that reliance on foreign digital infrastructure poses a significant threat to national security. “Nations will no longer be compromised or colonized by armies as armies have now been replaced by algorithms. Sovereignty will not be lost through invasions, but through dependence on foreign digital infrastructure,” he said. He highlighted the risks of importing technology-driven equipment, particularly in critical sectors like defence, noting that such dependence gives foreign powers the ability to “bring us to a standstill.”
Dhankhar called for a new vision of patriotism rooted in technological leadership, declaring, “We are getting into a new era, an era of new Nationalism. Technological leadership is the new frontier of Patriotism. We have to be world leaders in technological leadership.” He emphasized that the battleground of the 21st century is no longer land or sea but “code, cloud, and cyber.” India, he argued, must transition from being a passive user of borrowed technologies to becoming a global leader in innovation.
Building Bharatiya Systems for Global Impact
The Vice-President urged India’s youth to take the lead in developing technology tailored to the country’s unique needs. “A smart app that doesn’t work in rural India is not smart enough. An AI model that doesn’t understand regional languages is incomplete. A digital tool that excludes the disabled is unjust,” he said, emphasizing the importance of inclusive and localized solutions. Dhankhar encouraged students to become “conscious keepers of the tech world” and to build “Bharatiya systems for Bharatiya users” that can be globalized.
He stressed the importance of digital self-reliance, stating, “We must rise as architects of our own digital destiny and also influence the destiny of other nations. Our coders, data scientists, blockchain innovators, and AI engineers are the modern-day nation builders.” Dhankhar noted that India, once a global leader, cannot afford to remain a passive consumer of foreign technology. “Earlier we used to wait for technology. The gap was decades. It has narrowed down to weeks now. We should actually be exporting technology,” he said.
Addressing the Digital Divide and Global Power Dynamics
Dhankhar’s remarks highlighted the shifting nature of global power dynamics in the digital age. “The battleground of the 21st century is no longer land or sea. Gone are the days of conventional warfare. Our prowess, our power has to be determined by code, cloud, and cyber,” he said. He underscored the need for India to assert its technological leadership to safeguard its sovereignty and influence global innovation.
The Vice-President’s address also touched on the broader implications of technological dependence, particularly in critical sectors like defence. “If we get technology-driven equipment from outside, especially in sectors such as defence, that country has the power to bring us to a standstill,” he warned, advocating for self-reliance in technology development.
A Vision for India’s Technological Future
Dhankhar’s speech at the IIIT Kota convocation was a clarion call for educational reform, skill development, and technological self-reliance. His critique of coaching centres as “poaching centres” that stifle creativity and intellectual growth has sparked a renewed debate about the role of such institutes in India’s education system. By linking technological leadership to patriotism, he underscored the importance of innovation in securing India’s place on the global stage.
The Vice-President’s remarks also serve as a reminder of the challenges posed by the coaching culture in Kota, where the pressure to succeed in competitive exams has led to significant mental health concerns among students. His call for coaching centres to transform into skill development hubs aligns with the goals of the National Education Policy and offers a path forward for addressing these challenges.
As India navigates the complexities of the digital age, Dhankhar’s vision of a technologically self-reliant nation driven by innovation and inclusive solutions resonates strongly. His address at IIIT Kota will likely inspire students, educators, and policymakers to rethink the role of education and technology in shaping India’s future.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What did Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar say about coaching centres during his address at IIIT Kota?
Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar criticized coaching centres, particularly in Kota, calling them “poaching centres” and “black holes for talent in regimented silos.” He highlighted their negative impact on students, stating that they stifle curiosity, promote rote learning, and “robotize” minds, leading to psychological issues and intellectual stagnation. He urged these centres to transform into skill development hubs to align with the National Education Policy (NEP) and restore sanity in education.
2. Why did the Vice-President emphasize digital sovereignty in his speech?
Dhankhar warned that dependence on foreign digital infrastructure threatens national sovereignty, as “armies have now been replaced by algorithms.” He stressed that reliance on imported technology, especially in critical sectors like defence, could allow foreign powers to disrupt India. He advocated for technological leadership as a new form of patriotism, urging India to become a global leader in innovation and build self-reliant digital systems.
3. How did Vice-President Dhankhar critique the coaching culture’s impact on students?
He described the coaching culture as creating a “crisis of cramming culture” that turns vibrant minds into “intellectual zombies” by prioritizing perfect grades over curiosity and critical thinking. Dhankhar noted that this approach leads to degrees without depth and memory without meaning, contributing to mental health issues, including the rising student suicides in Kota due to exam pressure.
4. What solutions did Vice-President Dhankhar propose for coaching centres and education reform?
Dhankhar called for coaching centres to repurpose their infrastructure into skill development centres to foster practical skills rather than exam-focused rote learning. He urged civil society and public representatives to address this “disease” in education and align with the NEP’s goals. He also encouraged students to prioritize knowledge and critical thinking over grades, emphasizing that these qualities define success in the competitive world.
5. What was the Vice-President’s vision for India’s technological future?
Dhankhar envisioned India as a leader in technological innovation, urging the youth to build “Bharatiya systems for Bharatiya users” that are inclusive, support regional languages, and cater to rural and disabled populations. He emphasized that India must transition from being a passive user of borrowed technologies to an exporter of technology, narrowing the innovation gap and influencing global digital destiny through coders, data scientists, and AI engineers.
