IIITH is spearheading innovations that promise faster, more accurate, and non-intrusive solutions. Prof S Bapi Raju highlighted the institute’s advancements in automatic diagnosis of sleep stages, a critical step in diagnosing conditions such as insomnia, sleep apnea, and narcolepsy. Sleep plays a vital role in physical, cognitive, and emotional health. Poor sleep has been linked to cardiovascular diseases, metabolic diseases, and even mental health issues like anxiety and depression. Traditional diagnosis of sleep disorders involves labor-intensive processes like overnight polysomnography (PSG). AI, particularly deep learning (DL), is now offering a paradigm shift. Sleep is divided into NREM (N1, N2, N3) and REM stages, with disorders linked with disruptions in these stages. AI models such as Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs) have demonstrated remarkable performance in classifying sleep stages using annotated datasets from polysomnography. This technology has resulted in an 8x increase in training efficiency.

In 2025, higher education shifted from expansion to impact, with institutions now judged on graduate readiness and research relevance. This structural reinvention was driven by AI’s integration, the erosion of the degree as the sole competence marker, and a global reality demanding adaptable, outcome-driven learning. Universities are now continuous talent-development platforms, prioritizing skills and lifelong learning for relevance. Prof. Sandeep K Shukla, Director of International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad, highlights how NEP-enabled credit sharing and online education—such as IIITH’s four-semester AI and Machine Learning minor—are enabling flexible learning across institutions. At the same time, there is renewed attention on human skills like communication, empathy, resilience, and ethical thinking, leading to a stronger integration of the humanities into technical education. However, several academic leaders also caution against adopting new technologies without careful evaluation.

In 2025, Indian higher education marked a decisive shift toward global relevance, with universities strengthening their role as hubs of advanced research, innovation, and talent creation. Institutions increasingly focused on interdisciplinary learning, industry-linked curricula, and the integration of AI and emerging technologies to address real-world challenges. One of the most disruptive forces reshaping curriculum design today is the rapid normalisation of Generative and Agentic AI. As Prof. Sandeep K. Shukla, Director of IIIT Hyderabad, notes, when AI systems can effortlessly write essays, generate code, and answer questions, traditional content-based assessments no longer measure learning meaningfully. He emphasises the need for universities to rethink evaluation through transparent GenAI usage policies, oral examinations, and personalised assessment models. Prof. Shukla also cautions that students trained primarily in tasks easily automated by AI may face significant employability challenges.