In 2020, I completed my Master’s in English, eager to pursue a PhD and a career in academia. The idea of immersing myself in literature, teaching in academia, and contributing to critical discourse felt not only intellectually fulfilling but also socially significant. I spent a year meticulously tailoring research proposals for various supervisors, trying to meet each institution's expectations.
But each rejection chipped away at my confidence.
I began to wonder if I was chasing an outdated dream in a world that no longer values the humanities.
Though a journalism role promised new horizons, I chose the path that offered a measure of stability over one that, while deeply aligned with my research passion, lacked that certainty.
Yet the question kept resurfacing, "Is a PhD in humanities still worth it in 2025?"
The urge to write this article grew stronger with the constant stream of social media posts, especially on professional platforms like LinkedIn, where fresh graduates were desperately seeking positions in universities, hoping for a foothold in academia to pursue their aspirations.
Is that truly the case, or has job-hunting become an endless pursuit? Has pursuing a PhD lost its significance, or can graduates still hope for meaningful opportunities?
Another question that simultaneously arose was whether the value of a PhD has declined in the country.
To find answers, I spoke with current and former PhD candidates, scholars at different stages, and professors from across India and abroad. What emerged is not a saga of hopelessness, but one of necessary realism, and a thinking that needs to adapt to the changing times.
The vanishing promise of academic careers
When speaking to most of the scholars, they decried that there was certainly a decline in academic job opportunities, especially within India. For many humanities & social sciences PhD graduates, the dream of teaching or researching at a university is now overshadowed by limited vacancies, opaque recruitment, and political interference.
Vageesh Vishnoi, a fifth-year sociology PhD scholar at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, described the job market, saying, “There is pervasive precariousness, especially for humanities students. Government universities suffer from funding shortages and political appointments. Private institutions, on the other hand, favour candidates with foreign degrees.”
Sharing a similar sentiment, Priyank*, a fourth-year doctoral student from IIT Delhi, said that many move ahead towards other opportunities so that their career doesn't stall.
He said, “There just aren’t enough vacancies. Even among those who complete their PhDs, many end up without a stable academic role,” he shared. His options, like many others, seem limited to either pursuing a postdoc or continuing to search for the "rare" faculty opening that comes out of the shadows.
Dr Sumallya Mukhopadhyay, an assistant professor at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Silchar and a PhD holder in Literature from IIT Delhi, acknowledged the structural fragility of the system. While he may not have been personally affected, he observed that several of his peers struggled to secure jobs in a timely manner. “Most of my peers with solid credentials and publications are struggling to find jobs. It’s sometimes just a matter of plain luck,” he stated.
Systemic hurdles: Nepotism, politics, and the ‘harmless’ scholar
Beyond scarcity, what frustrates many PhD aspirants is that academic hiring in India often depends less on merit, and more on conformity and connections.
Alankrita, a 2023 Political Science Master's graduate from Lady Shri Ram College for Women in New Delhi, a Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) awardee, found herself blocked by changing admission policies and opaque criteria. “The process wasn’t about my research. I was asked to revise my proposal repeatedly without clear feedback. It felt like they were looking for something ‘harmless’ politically.”
This complaint was a constant with the several accounts EdexLive heard. “Opportunities depend on how palatable you are,” she explained, highlighting the subtle pressure to depoliticise one’s research interests, or avoid challenging questions. Vageesh noted a similarity within this cycle, claiming, “Merit sometimes takes a back seat to political or institutional loyalties.”
Dr Rianka Roy, who pursued her second PhD in the United States after completing one in Media and Communication in India, expressed deep frustration with what she described as a broken system. Disillusioned by the rigid academic environment back here in India, she chose to shift disciplines and countries, opting for a PhD in Sociology abroad, where research opportunities tend to be more flexible.
“I think it was my disappointment and disillusionment with the poor research climate in India that prompted my drastic career change,” she shared. “Academic jobs in the humanities and social sciences are not only disappearing in India, but their quality, too, is declining. I hear from colleagues that PhD students are apparently no longer required to publish to earn the degree, and that faculty members no longer need a PhD to teach. This systematic killing of research is shameful and will harm the academic community in the long run.”
Although the process in the US was far more demanding, Roy believes it offered a more robust and transparent system of evaluation. “I applied to 21 jobs, received three campus invites, and one tenure-track offer. In India, the hiring process I underwent involved a short form and a ten-minute interview. That’s not how scholars should be evaluated,” she said.
A curriculum that may be out of step with the real world
One of the biggest concerns about PhD programmes in India today is how narrowly they are designed, often focusing only on academic research, while ignoring the practical skills needed for jobs beyond the university.
Priyank* opined that while the programme helped him grow intellectually, it left him unprepared for life outside academia. “It changed me as a person, but didn’t prepare me for life beyond the university. We need more professional skills integrated into our curriculum,” he said.
Echoing this feeling, Dr Rachel Jacob, an Associate Professor at Royal Thimphu College in Bhutan, said that while she was passionate about her subject, and did not think beyond academic pursuits, she shared that she found her PhD valuable for building a strong research base, but felt the coursework lacked direction when it came to real-world application. “The PhD gave me a strong foundation in research. But the coursework was limited, and industry alignment wasn’t clear. Post-PhD upskilling, especially in teaching and administration, has been very challenging,” she noted.
Dr Sumallya pointed out that his training was entirely academic, with no exposure to digital research methods, soft skills, or Artificial Intelligence tools. “It was strictly academic. That’s a problem today when the job market demands a broader skill set,” he said.
Although there's a common belief that students from the humanities struggle to adapt to practical tools or that AI has little relevance to their work, Vageesh challenged this notion. He pointed out that a few disciplines are already evolving by incorporating hands-on training. “Political science and sociology could benefit from institutionalising quantitative methods or training in statistical software. Without these, we’re limiting employability,” he added.
The emotional cost of a PhD, rewarding enough?
Pursuing a PhD is not just an academic challenge, it’s also a deeply emotional and financial one, especially for students from less privileged backgrounds. While the journey is often described as intellectually rewarding, it can come with years of uncertainty, unpaid labour, and tough personal choices.
Priyank*, admitted that financial need played a major role in his decision to enroll. “I was 26, unemployed, and needed income. The monthly fellowship was a big motivator,” he said.
Even those with scholarships face major hurdles. After submitting their thesis, students often have to wait months, sometimes over a year, for the final defense. During this time, funding stops, and job prospects remain out of reach. “That’s the most testing time,” explained Dr Sumallya. “You’re unqualified to work, yet unpaid to research.”
Dr Jacob managed to maintain financial stability by pursuing her PhD part-time while holding a job, but it came with its own sacrifices. “I stretched my working hours just to stay on track,” she shared.
Still, despite the uncertainty, many scholars describe the PhD journey as deeply transformative.
Vignesh, a PhD candidate in English at IIT Madras, finds inspiration in his research on retired professors. “Talking to them, learning their life stories — it’s been incredibly inspiring. It shows me what teaching can mean at its best,” he shared. Moved by their experiences and those of other mentors, he acknowledged that while many remain wary of the time and effort a PhD demands, for him, it has been a true learning curve, one he believes he will never regret.
Similarly, Priyank* reflected on the internal changes the programme brought in him, “The reading, the reflection, it’s changed how I think, how I relate to the world. That transformation is real, even if job prospects aren’t.” For Dr Jacob, the motivation was never seeking external validation. "It was a fulfilling journey of self-discovery and intellectual depth," she added.
Adapting beyond academia
With academic job opportunities shrinking and timelines growing more uncertain, many PhD scholars are beginning to look beyond the university for meaningful work.
This shift isn’t always easy, but it has opened up new pathways in fields like publishing, museum work, policy, and education.
Dr Sumallya, for instance, found an unexpected calling. Though trained in literary research, he applied the oral history methods he learned during his PhD to secure a position as a curator at the Partition Museum. “That wasn’t part of my formal curriculum, I built that skill myself,” he said. “It gave me a whole new career option.”
Others, like Vignesh, still hope for a future in academia, but are keeping their options open. His experience includes working in publishing, and dabbling in journalism, which, he says, has broadened his sense of what’s possible. “If academia doesn’t work out, I can apply my research training elsewhere,” he explained, seeing value in the critical thinking, and communication skills the PhD has sharpened.
Alankrita, too, is now exploring work in curriculum development and educational publishing. She remains committed to the core idea of knowledge-sharing, but no longer believes it needs to be confined to a university campus. “I still want to make a meaningful contribution,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be within the walls of a university.”
However, this move beyond academia often feels like a renewed effort, hinting at a deeper structural problem. Dr Rianka Roy believes rebuilding institutional credibility is essential. “Research is resistance,” she said. “It’s how we carve new pathways. But to do that, scholars need proper institutional support, and right now, that’s missing.”
In 2025, the question “Will I ever get a job?” continues to haunt humanities PhD candidates. Academic job scarcity, political interference, and outdated curricula make the path more difficult than ever, but it remains a space for deep learning, transformation, and, in the best cases, a launchpad into diverse fields.
As Dr Jacob wisely concluded, “Yes, I’d recommend a PhD, but only to those driven by curiosity and commitment, not prestige. Without reform, it remains a difficult journey. But done right, it can still be one of the most enriching experiences of your life.”
In my case, I’ve found a fulfilling space in editing, writing, and critical thinking, athough through a path different from what I once imagined. The research hasn’t ended, it has simply taken new forms, branching into a range of issues.
While my dreams of an academic career may have shifted, the underlying drive to engage deeply with ideas and contribute meaningfully to knowledge remains very much alive.
(*name withheld due to privacy concerns)
