Budget 2026: Education stakeholders seek stronger fiscal push aligned with NEP 2020 goals

With the Union Budget 2026 set to be presented on February 1, stakeholders across the education sector are calling for a stronger fiscal push aligned with the objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, particularly in the areas of quality, equity and future readiness.There is a broad expectation that education will receive a higher budgetary allocation, reflecting its central role in building India’s talent base and supporting the country’s long-term growth ambitions. Industry leaders have stressed that translating policy intent into tangible outcomes on the ground will require sustained public investment, especially in teacher capacity-building, infrastructure and technology. Shishir Jaipuria, chairman of the Jaipuria Group of Educational Institutions, said education creates the foundation of a talent pool that drives other sectors and should receive its due allocation in line with NEP 2020 recommendations.“My biggest expectation is in terms of the professional development of educators, because empowered teachers enhance the standards of education more than anything else,” Jaipuria said, as quoted by news agency PTI. He also called for a greater thrust on vocational and skill-based education to support CBSE’s mandatory skill education reforms for Classes 6 to 8 through national programmes and structured funding.Highlighting equity concerns, Jaipuria said allocations must focus on improving infrastructure, ensuring adequate teacher availability in public schools and enhancing learning quality in rural areas. He also sought announcements encouraging public-private partnerships in education to attract private capital and raise global standards.Siddharth Banerjee, CEO of Univo Education, said the sector welcomes the government’s continued focus under NEP 2020 on improving the quality and outcomes of higher education.“With India’s youth forming the world’s largest demographic cohort, investment should focus on building skilled talent, accelerating digital transformation, and strengthening institutional capacity,” Banerjee said, as quoted by PTI. He added that targeted investments in digital infrastructure could scale high-quality online education and help online degree programmes move into the mainstream, supporting the Gross Enrolment Ratio target of 50 per cent by 2035 and advancing the vision of a Viksit Bharat.Shweta Sastri, managing director of Canadian International School, Bengaluru, said stakeholders were optimistic that education would continue to receive focused, future-oriented attention.“A higher allocation would support the establishment of new K-12 schools, strengthen educational infrastructure, bridge the urban-rural education gap, and improve outcomes nationwide,” she said, adding that technology integration and lower interest rates on education loans would improve access and inclusion.Niru Agarwal, managing trustee of Greenwood High International School, said while recent policy reforms have laid a strong foundation, the Budget must now prioritise increased access, upskilling and technological capacity-building, particularly in rural and underserved regions.She also emphasised the need to strengthen skill-based education and build a blended learning ecosystem integrating digital tools, physical infrastructure and experiential learning to improve future readiness.