The misguided approach of building more institutions is not only bad public policy but also creates social expectations that get belied very quickly. The Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Smriti Irani, has set out an ambitious agenda to seek reforms in higher education. There is no greater challenge to the future of India than the urgent need to revamp our institutions of higher education. The reform that has to take place will have to address the fundamental problem of institutionalized mediocrity, deeply embedded in these institutions. It is not enough to talk about pursuing excellence; to establish and build world-class universities of excellence, the ecosystem of higher education has to change dramatically. These are some of the changes required.