Abstract
What is the role and relevance of universities in the contemporary Indian society is the fundamental question that bothers students, intellectuals and policy makers. A brief review of literature on university education reveals that universities are in a transition phase and undergoing a crisis across the nation states including India. The primary aim of the paper is to analyse to what extent the universities in India reflect the centre of universal teaching and research. It also aims to map the expectations and experiences of students in a university. This paper is broadly divided into two parts. The first part presents the broader debates on the idea of a university, critically examining the current status of university education! in India. The second part captures the demographic composition, personal experiences and ideological convictions of students on the role of a university in nation building, social transformation and social and economic mobility.