Government Should Step Back From Education Sector, Says Sadhguru at INSIGHT 2025
At INSIGHT 2025, Sadhguru said India must shift from certificate-driven education to competence-focused learning and urged the government to step back from regulating the sector. He warned that India’s demographic advantage could become a disaster without urgent action.
Calling for sweeping reforms in India’s education system, Sadhguru said the government must “take its hands off” the sector to enable more dynamic, competency-driven learning. He made the remarks on Day 2 of INSIGHT: The DNA of Success 2025, a leadership intensive currently underway at the Isha Yoga Center in Coimbatore.
Addressing over 200 business leaders from more than 20 countries, Sadhguru emphasized that the next decade will shift global priorities away from qualifications toward competence. “In the next ten years, people will not ask for a qualification. They will ask, ‘What are you competent with? What can you do?’” he said, urging the need for a new approach to learning.
He argued that the current certificate-driven system is outdated, noting that historically, opportunities were based on skills rather than paperwork. “This idea that doors open with a certificate is only about a hundred years old,” he said, adding that education must evolve in line with future needs.
Sadhguru urged the creation of more agile educational models, accusing existing boards of being “dead boards.” While government-run systems could remain for those without alternatives, he said families who can afford better options should move toward more dynamic learning pathways that aren’t constrained by rigid rules.
Discussing India’s demographic future, Sadhguru warned that the current youthful advantage could turn into a liability if the nation fails to cultivate competence and inspiration. “India is buzzing… but if we have an unfocused, incompetent, uninspired population, it will be the greatest disaster,” he said.
He stressed that national development requires urgency, nourishment, education, and better access to soft finance for entrepreneurs. India’s startup ecosystem, he said, must adopt more judicious practices to reduce the severe consequences of failure in the country.
Highlighting entrepreneurship as an act of nation-building, Sadhguru encouraged business leaders to proactively engage with policymakers. “If you have ideas, you must write a letter at least once a month,” he said, urging consistent communication with leadership at various levels.
INSIGHT 2025, hosted by Sadhguru Academy, brings together global executives to explore the science of scaling businesses while enhancing personal leadership capabilities.
