
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Budget for 2025-26 today, Saturday, February 1, as stated in a report by News18. This budget allocates Rs 1,28,650.05 crore to the education sector, aiming to strengthen both school and higher education in the country.
The Department of School Education and Literacy has received INR 78,572.10 crore, making up 61% of the total education budget. This funding will support initiatives to improve the quality of schooling across India and enhance educational infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the Department of Higher Education has been allotted INR 50,077.95 crore, which constitutes 39% of the education budget. This allocation is expected to facilitate the expansion of higher education institutions and improve access to advanced learning opportunities.
A day before the Budget, the Economic Survey 2024-25 was tabled in Parliament. The survey revealed that India’s school education system caters to 24.8 crore students across 14.72 lakh schools, with a teaching workforce of 98 lakh (UDISE+ 2023-24).
Government schools account for 69% of the total institutions, enrolling nearly 50% of all students and employing 51% of teachers. Meanwhile, private schools make up 22.5% of the total, educating 32.6% of students and employing 38% of the country’s teachers.
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 aims for a 100% Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) by the year 2030. At present, GER is nearly universal at the primary level (93%), while secondary (77.4%) and higher secondary (56.2%) levels require further improvement.
With this increased allocation, the government seeks to enhance access, quality, and infrastructure in both school and higher education, aligning with the long-term goals set by the NEP 2020.