"I feel very sad when I find that out of top 200 universities, not a single Indian institute finds its place," he said.
The country has over 600 universities, 30,000 degree giving colleges and 16 IITs among others and none of them are of world standard, he rued.
"We must improve our educational system which must not only provide quality education but ensure that India becomes centre of global higher education," the President said.
Citing the glory of ancient Nalanda and Takshila universities, he said institutions need to make efforts to find their right place in the world's top universities.
He said improvement in education system can be done by creating a team of inspiring teachers, by establishing close linkages with global community though information technology and national network of technology.
"What needs to be done is to take pro-active measures (in this regard)," he said.