Will Budget 2019 bring a renewed focus on India’s education sector?

Abstract

The Indian education sector has an impending task to fulfil. It has not delivered fully on its promise as a driver of economic success. At least, not yet. At 13.5 per cent, youth unemployment remains one of the biggest challenges facing the nation today. As we fasten our seatbelts for Modi 2.0, we will need safeguards of a strong education system that is learning-focused, value-driven, and quality-robust to achieve our employment targets and unleash our muchdiscussed demographic dividends. Imitating on decades of attention to enrolment in more advanced countries has led India to undertake rapid expansion of access and school attainment. For example, consider the enactment of the Right to Education Act (2009). The Act endeavoured to make education a fundamental right, free and compulsory for every child between six to 14 years of age. While this was a strong step in theory, in implementation it faced some nagging challenges.