Parliamentary Panel Urges Increased Spending on Education

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Context and Background

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports suggested raising public spending on education to 6% of GDP.
This recommendation follows the core goals set by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports shared this view in its 381st Action Taken Report focusing on higher education grants for 2025-26.
The committee checked the funds given to the Department of Higher Education and tracked progress under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 aims to push public spending on education up to 6% of GDP.
Total spending on education reached only 4.12% of GDP in 2021-22.
The Budget Estimates for Higher Education in 2025-26 saw a smaller jump than the year before.
The committee advised raising the budget by at least 8-10% every year to beat inflation.
The Gross Enrolment Ratio for both male and female students grew very slowly between 2018-2023.
India needs more money to meet the GER goals of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 by 2035.
Countries like Bhutan spend 7.47% of GDP and Maldives spend 4.67% of GDP, which is more than India.
This comparison shows that India must invest more public money in its education system.

Spending more money on education leads to better learning, stronger research, fresh ideas, and higher worker output.
Good funding helps schools and colleges reach goals for GER, multi-subject learning, digital tools, and internal reforms.
Investing in education builds better job skills and makes the country more competitive for long-term economic growth.