The Indian Government is preparing for the Annual Budget for the fiscal year 2026-27, and education is an important part of it that can decide the future of the country in the long-term. Every Year, multiple Universities, Schools, Research and Skill-Institutions waiting for the budget with hope in their eyes and hearts for the development of the youth generation. According to the educational stakeholders, the government must treat national education as a strategic national capacity building norm and not as social expenditure to achieve the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047.
The educational reformists are expecting from the 2026-27 Budget things like improving learning outcomes and rigorous implementation of NEP 2020. According to them, the government should focus on building innovation-led universities or institutions, accelerate translation research, foster entrepreneurship and make digital education more accessible to the faraway places in India. These strategies help in the development of youth which leads to a developed and confident India.
Indian Budget 2026-27 for School Education
India’s new challenge is not going to be accessibility of education but the quality of education. That has to be determined by the government and other stakeholders in the education system. Atul Temurnikar, Chairman and Co-founder of Global Schools Group, stated that “with over 250 million students, India must move beyond enrollment numbers to focus on learning outcomes. Education should be treated as national capability-building, and not just social spending.” He also urged the government to focus on students’ practical learning.
Renu Sing, Director Principal of Amity International School, Noida, said that the educational budget must focus on school inputs over infrastructure alone. Besides that, A government school teacher, Narmata Bordoloi, said that the Union budget should focus on strengthening the government schools where a majority of Indian students and teachers gather and build the future.
Education Budget 2026: Higher Education Expections
The Budget must prioritise scale and quality to strengthen the higher education system, according to Professor V Ramgopal Rao, Group Vice Chancellor of BITS Pilani and the former director of IIT Delhi.
Professor Rao stated, “India must build world-class higher education capacity at home so talented students can see credible options within the country, not only abroad.” Higher education must be based on experience or experimental learning for the science and humanities students.
These things will help in achieving the Viksit Bhart 2047 national goal. Professor Mahadeo Jaiswal, Director of IIM Sambalpur, says, “A strong higher education is essential to achieving Viksit Bharat 2047.” According to the top educationsists India has to be research-oriented to attract global attention, which can only be done by investing in advanced laboratories, research parks, and international research collaborations. So that Indian talent doesn’t go outside anymore for valuable recognition or anything else.
