- By Sarju Saran Tiwari
- Sun, 18 Jan 2026 03:51 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Budget 2026: As India prepares for Union Budget 2026–27, the education sector is calling for a decisive shift in priorities. With the country’s large youth population at the heart of its economic future, experts say it is time to move beyond infrastructure expansion toward improving learning quality, employability and access.
Industry leaders believe Budget 2026 can become a turning point by strengthening teachers, embedding skills into higher education, supporting innovation and reducing financial barriers for students, especially in Tier 2, Tier 3 and rural regions.
How Is the Focus Shifting from Infrastructure to Quality?
Sandeep Rai, Founder of The Circle, says Budget 2026 should be treated as a strategic investment, not a routine expense. He stresses moving away from chasing enrolment numbers and buildings toward outcomes-driven spending that improves learning quality.
Rai highlights investments in teacher recruitment, training, public–private partnerships for model schools and stronger industry–school collaboration as essential to unlocking India’s demographic dividend.
What Teacher-Related Investments Are Being Demanded?
Experts argue that teachers are the backbone of education reform. Rai advocates for better recruitment systems, continuous professional development and modern training methods to raise classroom quality across public and private institutions.
Improving teacher capacity, he says, is critical to ensuring that education translates into real-world skills and long-term employability for students.
Why Is Skills-Based Higher Education Central to Budget 2026?
Supriya Pattanayak, Vice Chancellor of Centurion University, calls for skills-embedded higher education to be the foundation of nation-building. She proposes a 20% funding increase, or at least Rs 10,000 crore, to set up AI-powered, industry-linked labs in 500 Tier 2 and Tier 3 institutions.
She also recommends tax incentives and easier CSR norms to strengthen industry–academia partnerships, potentially unlocking Rs 5,000 crore annually for apprenticeships and hands-on training.
How Can Budget 2026 Make Education Affordable and Future-Ready?
Ashish Munjal, Co-founder and CEO of SUNSTONE, says affordability remains the biggest barrier for students outside metro cities. He suggests subsidised or interest-free education loans, expanded scholarships and employer-sponsored learning credits.
While Budget 2025–26 reduced GST on essential school supplies to 0–5 per cent, the 18 per cent GST on private coaching and ed-tech services remains. Sector leaders continue to demand GST relief on digital learning to align education costs with NEP 2020 goals.
Overall, the education sector wants Budget 2026 to deliver quality teaching, practical skills, innovation and affordability; key ingredients to closing skill gaps, boosting employment and building a resilient, future-ready India.