Home · Insights
Real data on Indian education decisions
What students actually do, where they actually go, what actually works. Honest analysis, no spin. Every article cites official sources at the bottom — no hot takes, no marketing tone. Anonymised platform aggregates will ship here as Shishya's user base grows large enough to publish them responsibly.
- Entrance exams2026-04-15 · 6 min read · Shishya editorial
JEE Main vs NEET UG: who actually has it harder by the numbers
Both exams gate ~15 lakh aspirants each year. But the seat-to-aspirant ratios, attempt limits, and downstream choices are structurally different — and most students don't pick on the right axis.
Read more → - Study abroad2026-04-20 · 5 min read · Shishya editorial
Where Indian students actually go to study abroad in 2024
The narrative says "US dominance". The numbers say Canada now ties US for the largest cohort, the UK is catching up fast, and Germany is the dark-horse destination for engineering PG.
Read more → - Colleges2026-04-25 · 5 min read · Shishya editorial
NIRF rank vs actual employment outcomes — where the correlation breaks
NIRF's Outreach + Perception scores are stable signals. Its Graduation Outcomes (employment) component is the noisiest. Here's how to read the ranking honestly.
Read more → - Scholarships2026-04-30 · 4 min read · Shishya editorial
Why deserving Indian students miss out on scholarships they qualify for
The National Scholarship Portal disburses ~₹2,000 crore annually. Most eligible students never apply. The gap is discovery + application UX — not eligibility.
Read more → - AI in education2026-05-05 · 5 min read · Shishya editorial
Where AI tutoring actually helps Indian aspirants — and where it doesn't
After a year of running an AI tutor across 160+ exams, the clearest signal is: AI is excellent for explanation and drilling, marginal for strategy, and counter-productive for original problem-solving practice.
Read more → - Colleges2026-05-12 · 5 min read · Shishya editorial
Why a tier-3 engineering college isn't the career ceiling you think
If you're at a tier-3 BTech college and feel doomed, the data says you're wrong. Here's what actually determines outcomes 5-7 years out.
Read more → - Coaching2026-05-15 · 6 min read · Shishya editorial
What the Indian coaching industry actually costs Indian families
₹58,000 crore industry. The math behind why most coaching is over-priced for the outcomes it delivers — and which categories are worth the money.
Read more → - Finance2026-05-18 · 5 min read · Shishya editorial
The Indian education loan trap — when not to take one
Education loan interest compounds. So does graduation salary growth — but only at top institutions. Math the trap before you sign.
Read more → - Education2026-05-20 · 6 min read · Shishya editorial
Which Indian states actually deliver for girl education — 2024 data
Beyond enrolment headlines: completion rates, board pass percentages, college transition, and what state policies actually moved the needle.
Read more → - AI2026-05-22 · 7 min read · Shishya editorial
Which Indian careers will AI disrupt by 2030 — honest projections
Not every job is at risk. Routine cognitive work gets squeezed; expertise + judgement compounds. Here's where to position now.
Read more → - SSC CGL2026-05-22 · 7 min read · Shishya editorial
SSC CGL vs SSC CHSL: salary, career growth, and which one is right for you
Same recruiter, very different posts. SSC CGL is graduate-level Group B/C; SSC CHSL is 12th-pass-level Group C. We compare the actual pay matrix, career trajectory, and the realistic conversion gap between the two.
Read more → - JEE Main2026-05-22 · 6 min read · Shishya editorial
JEE Main January vs April attempt: which to take seriously, which to use as a warm-up
Two sessions a year, best score counts. The right strategy isn't 'try harder in April' — it's understanding what each attempt is actually for, what % of toppers peak in which session, and how to use the gap.
Read more → - NEET UG2026-05-22 · 7 min read · Shishya editorial
NEET UG: MBBS vs BDS — when to pick which, and the honest career gap
Same exam, two very different careers. We compare the realistic NEET score ranges for each, the cost of education, the early-career income gap, and the honest answer to 'should I drop a year for MBBS instead of taking BDS now?'
Read more → - UPSC2026-05-22 · 8 min read · Shishya editorial
UPPSC PCS vs UPSC CSE: which to target first, and the case for attempting both
UPPSC PCS is a less-celebrated cousin of UPSC CSE — but the prep overlap is ~70% and the conversion rate is 30x higher for similarly-prepared candidates. We break down the honest case for prepping both simultaneously.
Read more → - CTET2026-05-22 · 6 min read · Shishya editorial
CTET vs UPTET: which teacher eligibility test to target, and when to do both
Central vs state pathways for school-teacher recruitment in India. We compare reach, salary outcomes, validity, and the strategy of doing both — because the prep overlap is ~85% and the second test costs almost no incremental study.
Read more → - SBI PO2026-05-22 · 6 min read · Shishya editorial
SBI PO vs IBPS PO: salary, prestige, and effort — which one is actually worth chasing
Banking aspirants almost always assume SBI PO is harder and more prestigious. The salary numbers say SBI does pay more, but the cutoff and effort difference is smaller than the reputation suggests. We break down the honest math.
Read more → - MBBS2026-05-22 · 8 min read · Shishya editorial
MBBS abroad vs Indian MBBS: the honest comparison after the 2023 FMG rule changes
Russia, Ukraine, Philippines, Bangladesh, China — Indian students go abroad for MBBS when home seats are out of reach. We compare total cost, FMGE pass rates, government recognition risks, and the realistic career outcomes 5-7 years after graduating.
Read more → - GATE2026-05-22 · 7 min read · Shishya editorial
GATE for IIT M.Tech vs PSU recruitment: same exam, two very different optimisations
GATE is the gate to both IIT M.Tech and PSU recruitment (BHEL / IOCL / GAIL / NTPC / ONGC). But the cut-off, the choice rationale, and the post-clearing path differ sharply. Pick your target before you start preparing.
Read more → - Tamil Nadu2026-05-22 · 9 min read · Shishya editorial
Tamil Nadu government jobs 2026 — the complete picture by department + salary
TNPSC, TNUSRB, TRB, TET — Tamil Nadu has ~12 different recruitment boards across departments. We map every major recruitment exam, salary by pay level, and the realistic timeline from notification to joining.
Read more → - Bihar2026-05-22 · 7 min read · Shishya editorial
Bihar police salary chart 2026 — Constable to Senior SP, complete pay matrix
Bihar Police's pay structure, post by post — Constable, Sub-Inspector (Daroga), Inspector, DySP, SP. We include the 6th Pay Commission (state) implementation status, field/risk allowance, and the realistic career trajectory.
Read more → - Maharashtra2026-05-22 · 7 min read · Shishya editorial
Maharashtra government job salary structure 2026 — by Pay Level + department
MPSC, MH Police, Maharashtra Educational Services — the state's recruitment + pay landscape. We break down 7th CPC Maharashtra pay matrix (Levels 1-30), the post families, and what each Pay Level translates to at Mumbai vs Pune vs rural postings.
Read more → - Uttar Pradesh2026-05-22 · 7 min read · Shishya editorial
UP government jobs after Class 12 — every path that doesn't need a Bachelor's degree
UP Police Constable, UPSSSC Lower Subordinate, RRB Group D, SSC MTS, UP Forest Guard, UP Excise Constable — the complete list of UP government jobs reachable straight after Class 12, with salary + exam timelines.
Read more → - Karnataka2026-05-22 · 7 min read · Shishya editorial
Karnataka government recruitment 2026 — by department, exam body, and Pay Level
Karnataka has ~13 different recruitment bodies — KPSC, KSP, KEA, KTET, Karnataka Forest Department and others. We map every major exam, the post families it opens, and the realistic salary by Pay Level.
Read more →
What's coming
- Annual "State of Indian Education Decisions" report — published every March, free, with downloadable aggregate data
- Topic-wise weakness aggregates across exam categories (anonymised attempt data, only when sample size is statistically responsible)
- Year-on-year admission cycle deep-dives
- Scholarship discovery + utilisation analytics
Editorial policy
Every article cites the sources it draws on. We don't invent stats. We don't push affiliate products. We don't accept paid placements. If you spot something factually wrong, the verification badge on each claim lets you flag it — same trust mechanism we use across the platform.