4 min readOct 13, 2026 06:33 PM IST First published on: Oct 13, 2026 at 06:33 PM ISTIn the 1950s and early 1960s, the IITs entered an academic landscape in which several older universities already had distinguished reputations, outstanding faculty and long-established traditions. Yet over the decades, the IITs steadily built formidable reputations while some institutions that had once been among India’s best lost ground. What lessons do they hold for India today as it seeks to build universities among the world’s best?Three things, in my view, determine whether an institution can achieve and sustain excellence: Talent, resources, governance and culture. All three matter, but governance and culture determine how effectively an institution can attract, develop and use the other two. There is no upper limit to excellence: However good the talent, resources, governance or culture, there is always room for each to improve.AdvertisementUniversities depend on faculty, students, non-teaching staff and members of governing boards. Strong institutions are serious about whom they bring in and continually seek to raise the quality of their people in all these roles. At leading universities, there is often an implicit aspiration that every new faculty appointment should be at least as good as, and preferably better than, the faculty already there. A mediocre appointment can affect an institution for decades. Recruiting outstanding people is only the beginning. A strong institution should enable talented people to become even better over time, expanding their capabilities and ambition rather than allowing them to stagnate.Universities also need resources: Buildings, hostels, laboratories, libraries, scholarships and research support. These come not only from government grants or tuition fees; alumni, donors and industry relationships are important institutional assets. A strong university will probably never feel that it has enough resources, because greater ambition creates new possibilities and new needs. It must therefore keep building resources and directing them to the right academic priorities.Also Read | Crackdown on Jantar Mantar 2.0, amid other closures, calls for redemocratisationThis is where governance and culture become crucial. Universities need sufficient autonomy for decisions to be taken close to where information and responsibility reside. They need transparent processes, appropriate delegation and clear accountability. Culture is less visible but equally consequential. When people are respected, information is shared, participation is sought and differing views are genuinely considered, they are more likely to feel ownership of the institution. That ownership brings the ideas, energy and passion of faculty, staff and students into building the university.AdvertisementThe IITs benefited from substantial public investment and, compared to typical Indian universities, had a strong resource base. They attracted highly capable students and were exacting in faculty recruitment, with a strong norm that positions need not be filled if suitable candidates were not found. They also enjoyed considerable academic autonomy, with substantial freedom to shape curricula, teaching, faculty recruitment and internal academic practices. Uniformity in curricula, grading or recruitment practices across the IIT system was not the guiding principle; each institution had room to innovate and develop its own identity. This combination helped the IITs build strong institutions. But they are not permanently protected from decline. If recruitment standards weaken, governance deteriorates, culture erodes or autonomy becomes less purposeful, they too can lose ground.The three pillars reinforce one another. Institutions with sound governance and a strong culture find it easier to attract good people. Better people strengthen teaching, research and reputation, while greater trust helps mobilise resources. Better resources make more ambitious work possible; ambitious work, in turn, attracts still better people.If India wants universities among the world’s best, the answer cannot simply be more money or better ranking strategies. Talent must keep improving, resources must keep expanding, and governance and culture must keep evolving. There is no finishing line.The writer has been vice-chancellor, Banaras Hindu University and founding director, IIT Gandhinagar