The “90% Marks” Trap

I recently met a fresh engineering graduate with a 9.5 CGPA…
but couldn’t explain how a supply chain disruption impacts a production line.

This isn’t the student’s fault.
It’s the system’s limitation.

In the age of AI, Industry 4.0—and soon Industry 5.0—academic excellence alone is no longer a competitive advantage.
Real value lies in practical understanding, problem solving, and system-level thinking.

Today’s industry does not need “high scorers.”
It needs “industry-ready professionals” who can identify root causes, optimise processes, interpret data, and drive improvement.

So the question is not “How do students score higher?”
The real question is “How can our education system build industry-ready engineers?”

A few actionable reforms that can create meaningful change:

1️⃣ Longer, meaningful industry internships
And these should reflect in the final mark sheets as demonstrable capability—not just attendance certificates.

2️⃣ Industry-oriented viva evaluations
Assess the ability to solve operational challenges, not just recall definitions.

3️⃣ Problem-solving driven interviews
Test thinking, not memory.

Marks represent memorisation.
Industry requires transformation.

If India wants to build the future manufacturing talent of the world, we must bridge the gap between classroom excellence and shop-floor readiness.

Because tomorrow’s competitive advantage will not be who knows more…
but who can solve more.

#EngineeringEducation #Industry40 #SkillDevelopment #SystemsThinking #ManufacturingTransformation #FutureOfWork #SwanhansConsulting