A nation’s strength is not just measured in its economic growth figures but in the quality of life it ensures for its people. Yet, year after year, India’s budget allocations reflect a glaring imbalance ~ while infrastructure and other sectors receive attention, education and healthcare remain woefully underfunded. This disparity is not just an oversight; it is a fundamental failure in policy priorities that could have far-reaching consequences for India’s future. Education has long been touted as the key to India’s progress, but the reality on the ground tells a different story. Public spending on education remains at a mere 2.9 per cent of GDP, far below the 6 per cent target set decades ago.

The consequences are stark ~ overcrowded classrooms, a shortage of 1.2 million teachers, and an outdated curriculum that fails to equip students with the skills needed for the future. In many government schools, the student-teacher ratio exceeds 50:1, making meaningful learning nearly impossible. Worse still, nearly 40 per........

© The Statesman