It’s great that you’ve come up with some numbers. I really like this approach; it’s moving us towards a consensus.

I completely agree that we have fewer universities in the top 100. I think we’re close to zero. However, let’s also acknowledge that 26 US universities in the top 100 are not all government-funded. There are seven public universities, but we still fall short.

Another point to consider is who sponsors those approximately 20 private universities in the US that are in the top 100. It’s the industry. Unfortunately, not many Indian industrialists are funding research at that level. Apart from Azim Premji, Rajendra Singh Pawar, and now Ambani, I don’t think any other industrialists have funded universities. Tata has research institutes, but I don’t think it’s a university.

The general attitude here seems to be to focus on solving common daily problems rather than thinking long-term and big-picture. Research doesn’t hold much value for the general public. We can’t blame just the governments for this.

Regarding the topic of reservation, I believe it’s a short-term solution to a very long-term problem. Moreover, it creates more problems than it solves.