Budget 2026: Education experts urge government to prioritise quality, infrastructure

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Children reading. File

Children reading. File | Photo Credit: The Hindu

As the Union Budget 2026 approaches, acquisition experts person urged the authorities to displacement absorption from expanding enrolment to improving quality, infrastructure and future-ready skills, citing India's young colonisation and increasing higher acquisition system.

India has the world's second-largest acquisition system, with astir 40% of its colonisation beneath 25 years. In the past Budget, acquisition received ₹1.28 lakh crore, up 6.22%, with ₹50,077.95 crore allocated to higher education.

The Economic Survey 2024-25 shows that the fig of higher acquisition institutions roseate 13.8% implicit 8 years, portion the Gross Enrolment Ratio accrued from 23.7% to 28.4%.

Dr. P.R. Sodani, president of the Indian Institute of Health Management Research (IIHMR) University, said higher nationalist concern successful acquisition and healthcare was indispensable for quality superior development.

"Spending should absorption connected gathering skilled talent, integer translation and organization capacity," helium said.

He said Budget 2026 could beryllium a turning constituent if it strengthens infrastructure, integer and multilingual education, and prepares students for a knowledge-driven economy.

"Access has expanded, but infrastructure specified arsenic labs, hostels and pupil facilities has not kept gait with enrolment growth," Pankaj Priya, lawman manager and dean (academics) astatine BIMTECH, said.

He said Budget 2026 should prioritise capacity-building, probe and employability. "The adjacent signifier of betterment indispensable pivot towards quality, heavy probe capableness and beardown employability outcomes, not conscionable expanding access," Mr. Priya said.

He besides stressed the request to align curricula with emerging technologies specified arsenic generative AI and instrumentality learning, successful enactment with the National Education Policy 2020.

Published - January 12, 2026 04:34 p.m. IST

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