New Delhi, Aug. 18 -- Bertie misses the years he spent in a dorm room. His inability to remember anything that failed to interest him, combined with the preponderance of Greek-riddled finance and abbreviation-laden marketing courses, quickly convinced him that he was not destined for anywhere close to the top of the class. That eased a lot of the pressure and made life straightforward-just enough classes and assignments to earn a respectable marksheet and sovereignty over the rest of his time without any attendant responsibilities.

This was what he particularly cherished: reading things he liked irrespective of whether they would contribute to his grades; a cavernous library stuffed with all manner of texts; sundry sporting activities; a...