I observe university students actively learning from an industry expert presenting on an interactive whiteboard, fostering intellectual curiosity. India’s experiment with bringing industry leaders into classrooms through the Professor of Practice (PoP) model under NEP 2020 is gaining scale, but its spread across institutional types reveals a distinct pattern: over 76% of all PoP appointments are in private and deemed universities, while central universities and Delhi-based institutions show comparatively cautious uptake.According to data shared in the Parliament by Ministry of Education; 1,841 Professors of Practice have been appointed across 349 higher education institutions as of January 2026, signalling steady expansion of practitioner-led teaching across the country.Private & Deemed Universities Power Early AdoptionType of InstitutionHEIsPoPs AppointedShare of TotalPrivate Universities18171538.8%Deemed Universities6369938.0%State Universities5721211.5%Central Universities11150.8%Colleges3720010.9%Total3491,841100%Together, private and deemed universities account for 1,414 PoPs, or 76.8% of total appointments, indicating that institutions with flexible curricula and strong industry-oriented programmes are moving fastest in operationalising the NEP reform.Central universities, despite their pivotal role in India’s public higher education ecosystem, have reported only 15 PoPs so far — suggesting a more calibrated and discipline-aligned approach rather than rapid scaling.Uniform Policy Framework, Divergent Institutional PathwaysProviding the policy perspective, Prof Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, Chairman, Review Committee for NEP 2020, Ministry of Education and former UGC Chairman, said: “The data shared recently in Parliament by the Hon’ble Minister of State for Education shows that over 1,840 Professors of Practice have already been appointed across 349 higher educational institutions in the country as part of NEP-2020 reforms. These institutions include central, state, private, deemed universities and colleges.”He further added that the UGC’s PoP guidelines provide complete flexibility to every higher educational institution, whether public or private, to engage distinguished industry experts. The framework is uniform for all kinds of institutions. PoP is a temporary, non-sanctioned position meant to strengthen industry–academia linkages. Any higher education institution is free to appoint PoPs as needed.The variation in numbers across institution types is therefore not a question of autonomy or regulatory constraints. UGC has granted the same enabling provisions to all institutions. Many government institutions adopt a phased and discipline-specific approach to such engagements. They align PoP appointments with their academic structure, ongoing research priorities, and the nature of specialized programmes they offer. This alignment naturally leads to differences in the number of PoPs appointed in these institutions.“Many institutions are appointing PoPs in fields like management, design, media, entrepreneurship, and emerging technologies. Any differences in the PoP appointments reflect institutional diversity rather than systemic limitations. What is encouraging is that the overall adoption of the PoP model is steadily rising across the country. As the NEP-2020 reforms continue to deepen and more programmes incorporate applied learning, we expect PoP engagement to expand further. The goal is to enrich teaching and enhance student exposure to real-world expertise across all segments of higher education,” said Prof Kumar. Delhi Paradox: Major HE Hub, Limited PoP NumbersDespite hosting several central universities (DU, JNU, Jamia Millia Islamia) and premier institutions (IIT Delhi, DTU), Delhi has reported only 16 Professors of Practice across seven HEIs, far below leading states such as Tamil Nadu (395), Maharashtra (193), Gujarat (179), Karnataka (170), and Uttar Pradesh (157).StatePoPs AppointedTamil Nadu395Maharashtra193Gujarat179Karnataka170Uttar Pradesh157Odisha132Delhi16The trend indicates that metropolitan public institutions may be integrating PoPs selectively, aligning them with specific disciplines and research ecosystems rather than adopting the model at scale across departments.Institutional View: Practitioner Diversity Strengthens Applied LearningOffering an institutional perspective, Prof. V Ramgopal Rao, Group Vice Chancellor of BITS Pilani and former Director of IIT Delhi, said: “Difficult for me to comment on others. I can speak for BITS Pilani. At BITS Pilani, we see Professors of Practice as a way to bring real diversity into the faculty pool. Along with strong academic researchers, we want practitioners who have built products, led plants, run large teams, and solved problems under real world constraints. Our internal goal is to take this to about 10% of our faculty strength over time. This diversity helps students learn better because classroom learning gets complemented by current industry context, live projects, and mentoring for internships and capstones. It also strengthens industry collaborations and improves our ability to attract sponsored research and translational funding, since practitioners bring both relevance and networks. Operationally, we are able to move fast once we have identified a good person and the Department is aligned on the need and fit.” Prof Rao went on to add that these appointments work best once an Institute at the leadership level has clarity on role, outcomes, and engagement. At BITS Pilani we have recruited over 25 such PoPs with vast industry experience and they are helping us immensely in our industry connect initiatives. Prof Rao’s comments underscore how practitioner-led faculty diversity is being embedded into applied learning, live industry projects, and translational research initiatives within some institutions. Process Rigor vs Agility: Public and Private Approaches Differ Adding another dimension, Prof M K Surappa, INSA Senior Scientist at the National Institute for Advanced Studies and former Vice-Chancellor of Anna University as well as former Director of IIT Ropar, said: “In govt institutions the process is slow and they have pass through lot of process to get the recruitment done while in private institutions the process isn’t that lengthy. Also we don’t know what is the quality of people who are being recruited by private institutions as there should be a study in what was the of education and research before they were appointed and what difference it made after appointment.” Prof Surappa’s observation points to a structural contrast: procedural rigor and multiple approval layers in public universities versus relatively agile hiring processes in private institutions. It also raises the need for long-term impact studies assessing how PoP appointments influence teaching quality, research output, and industry engagement outcomes.Emerging Ecosystem Logic of PoP Adoption The data and expert views together suggest that PoP adoption is not simply a question of compliance but of institutional strategy. Universities with strong industry-facing programmes, flexible academic structures, and leadership-driven hiring models appear to be adopting practitioner roles faster, particularly in fields such as management, entrepreneurship, design, media, and emerging technologies.Public institutions, meanwhile, are aligning PoP engagement with discipline-specific needs, ongoing research priorities, and internal governance processes — resulting in a slower but potentially more targeted rolloutReform in Motion, Impact Yet to Fully Unfold The early concentration of Professors of Practice in private and deemed universities indicates that NEP 2020’s industry–academia integration agenda is being piloted most actively within institutions that can rapidly redesign courses and incorporate applied learning. At the same time, the limited adoption in central universities and Delhi suggests that the reform is still evolving within publicly funded ecosystems.As more programmes incorporate experiential learning and interdisciplinary curricula, the PoP model is expected to expand further — potentially reshaping faculty composition and strengthening the interface between classrooms, research labs, and industry practice across India’s higher education landscape.
Published On Feb 17, 2026 at 12:20 PM IST
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