Kadhambari S. Viswanathan, assistant vice-president, Vellore Institute of Technology, in conversation with L.V. Navaneeth, Chief Executive Officer, The Hindu Group, at The Hindu Tech Summit 2026 on Friday (February 13, 2026).
| Photo Credit: B. VELANKANNI RAJ

India’s school infrastructure is at a critical crossroads, demanding urgent attention not just to address existing gaps but to reimagine how our schools can prepare students for the challenges of the future. The recently released Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) 2023-24 report by the Ministry of Education highlights glaring deficiencies in basic amenities like drinking water, functional toilets, and electricity. However, beyond these immediate concerns lies an even more pressing question: are our schools equipped to nurture future-ready students with the skills and competencies needed to thrive in an increasingly dynamic world?

With technological advancement, Indian schools are struggling to meet even the most fundamental requirements of a future-ready education system. Many lack functional computer labs, well-equipped science labs and integrated learning devices. This not only highlights the pressing need for investments in foundational amenities but also in advanced educational infrastructure that aligns with the demands of a rapidly evolving world.

Digital Infrastructure In Schools 

According to the UDISE+ report, only 57%  of the 14.71 lakh schools in the country have computer facilities. Of these, merely 50.9% have functional computer systems that can be used for pedagogical purposes. Even more concerning is that just 8.1% of schools are equipped with functional integrated teaching-learning devices, and only 24.4% have operational smart classrooms. These figures highlight the digital divide that must be urgently addressed to prevent a generation of students from being left behind.

Post-COVID-19, the reliance on digital tools in education has increased exponentially. However, the progress in upgrading digital infrastructure has been woefully inadequate. Bridging the digital divide through affordable devices, reliable internet connectivity, and teacher training is no longer a luxury but a necessity. Without these investments, Indian students will remain ill-prepared for the skills and careers of tomorrow.

Skills For The Future

Technology is redefining the way we work, communicate, and learn. Subjects like coding, artificial intelligence, and data literacy should become integral to the learning experience. However, future-readiness goes beyond digital literacy. Schools must also focus on equipping students with critical thinking, analytical skills, communication abilities, and adaptability. These competencies are essential for navigating the challenges of a fast-changing global landscape.

Building Climate Resilient Schools 

As India faces the challenges of climate change, our students must be prepared to address this global crisis. Environmental education in schools should go beyond theoretical knowledge to include practical, hands-on experiences in sustainability. While the UDISE+ 2023-24 report reveals that only 10.5% of schools have solar panels and 36.2% have a kitchen garden, these numbers highlight both the need for and potential of schools to lead the way in fostering environmental responsibility. Programmes focused on waste management, renewable energy, and conservation can transform these existing resources into vibrant, living classrooms where students learn by doing.

Schools with solar panels can be a live lesson about renewable energy. Similarly, kitchen gardens can serve as a practical gateway to lessons in sustainable agriculture and nutrition. Encouraging participation in local climate action projects, combined with these resources, can further instil a sense of responsibility in finding climate solutions.

Additionally, the report shows that only 10.9% of schools have tinkering labs—an alarming gap given their importance in nurturing a problem-solving mindset. Integrating environmental challenges into tinkering lab activities could enable students to design creative, tangible solutions for sustainability. 

The Ministry of Education has a pivotal role to play in bridging these gaps and ensuring schools are prepared for the future. Investments must prioritise both foundational infrastructure, such as electricity, water, and sanitation, and advanced resources like computer labs, science labs, and smart classrooms. This is crucial to creating an equitable learning environment where every child has access to quality education.

Without future-ready schools, India risks widening the gap between those who have access to quality education and those who do not. The digital divide, if left unchecked, will exacerbate inequalities, leaving a large number of students unprepared for the demands of a technology-driven world.

Moreover, India’s demographic dividend—its large youth population—hinges on how well we prepare our students for the future. Schools are the incubators of this potential. Their transformation is not just an educational imperative but a societal one.

(The author is a general secretary of the management of the Independent CBSE Schools Association in Karnataka and a board member of Delhi Public Schools, Bengaluru, and Mysuru)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

Afghan primary school girls make their way to home near the Shuhada lake in Kabul on March 24, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AFP

The Taliban have deliberately deprived 1.4 million Afghan girls of schooling through bans, a U.N. agency said on Thursday (August 15, 2024). Afghanistan is the only country in the world with bans on female secondary and higher education.

The Taliban, who took power in 2021, barred education for girls above sixth grade because they said it didn’t comply with their interpretation of Sharia, or Islamic law. They didn’t stop it for boys and show no sign of taking the steps needed to reopen classrooms and campuses for girls and women.

UNESCO said at least 1.4 million girls have been deliberately denied access to secondary education since the takeover, an increase of 300,000 since its previous count in April 2023, with more girls reaching the age limit of 12 every year.

“If we add the girls who were already out of school before the bans were introduced, there are now almost 2.5 million girls in the country deprived of their right to education, representing 80% of Afghan school-age girls,” the UNESCO said.

The Taliban could not be immediately reached for comment.

Access to primary education has also fallen since the Taliban took power in Aug. 2021, with 1.1 million fewer girls and boys attending school, according to UNESCO data.

The U.N. agency warned that authorities have “almost wiped out” two decades of steady progress for education in Afghanistan. “The future of an entire generation is now in jeopardy,” it added.

It said Afghanistan had 5.7 million girls and boys in primary school in 2022, compared with 6.8 million in 2019. The enrollment drop was the result of the Taliban decision to bar female teachers from teaching boys, the UNESCO said, but could also be explained by a lack of parental incentive to send their children to school in an increasingly tough economic environment.

“UNESCO is alarmed by the harmful consequences of this increasingly massive drop-out rate, which could lead to a rise in child labour and early marriage,” it said.

The Taliban on Wednesday (August 14, 2024) celebrated three years of rule at Bagram Air Base, but there was no mention of the country’s hardships or promises to help the struggling population.

Decades of conflict and instability have left millions of Afghans on the brink of hunger and starvation and unemployment is high.

National Education Policy expected to yield foundational literacy and numeracy for every child passing the third standard in the near future. File (representational image)
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

Convergence of efforts across the Centre, States, and local bodies is needed to improve the quality of education, especially primary education, the Economic Survey has suggested.

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is expected to yield foundational literacy and numeracy for every child passing the third standard in the near future, said the Survey for 2023-24 tabled in Parliament on July 22.

Also Read:Economic Survey 2023-24 LIVE updates

The Survey noted education is one of the most critical areas for India’s development, and mission-mode and cost-effective implementation of well-designed and well-intentioned programmes is essential to improve the quality of education, especially primary education, without which further years of education add little value.

“To realise the same, unity of purpose and convergence of efforts across the Centre, State, and local governments is called for, as ‘public education’ is a concurrent list subject,” the Survey document said.

Click here to download Economic Survey 2023-24

According to the Survey, the government’s spending on social services including education rose by 9.36% to ₹23.50 lakh crore in FY24 from ₹21.49 lakh crore in FY23. Of the total, ₹8.28 lakh crore was spent on education alone during FY24, around 8% higher from ₹7.68 lakh crore in FY23.

Houston:

The governor of Louisiana signed a bill Wednesday requiring the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public school classroom in the conservative US state, reigniting the debate over separation of church and state.

The legislation, the first of its kind in the nation, mandates that the biblical text be on display starting in 2025 in all public school classrooms from kindergarten through state-funded universities.

“If you want to respect the rule of law, you gotta start from the original law given — which was Moses,” Jeff Landry, Republican governor of the southern state, said at the bill’s signing ceremony.

The law requires the Ten Commandments to be displayed as a poster or framed document “and shall be printed in a large, easily readable font,” the bill’s text reads.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) responded to the legislation by indicating it would take the case to court.

“The law violates the separation of church and state and is blatantly unconstitutional,” the organization said in a statement.

The First Amendment of the US Constitution forbids the establishment of a national religion or the preference of one religion over another.

The bill, HB 71, is the first of its kind to be signed into law, though similar bills have been drafted and put forth in other southern states within the US “Bible Belt.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Raipur:

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday promised free education in government schools and colleges in Chhattisgarh and Rs 4,000 a year for ‘tendu’ leaf collectors if his party retains power in the state.

Addressing an election rally in the Bhanupratappur assembly constituency in Kanker district, Mr Gandhi asked that if Prime Minister Narendra Modi brings up ‘OBC’ (other backward classes) in his speeches, why was he scared of a caste census.

A caste census will be conducted in the country if the Congress is voted to power, he added.

Bhanupratappur is among the 20 constituencies that will see polling on November 7 in the first phase of the Chhattisgarh elections. The second phase will be held on November 17.

“We are going to take a major step for you which we call ‘KG to PG’. From KG (kindergarten) to PG (post-graduation), free education will be provided in government institutions to students (if Congress retains power in state). They will not have to pay a single penny,” Mr Gandhi said.

Mr Gandhi promised that if the Congress forms the government in the state after polls, tendu leaf collectors will be given Rs 4,000 per year under the Rajiv Gandhi Protsahan Yojana. This is being seen as a major announcement from the Bhanupratappur seat, which is a part of the tribal-dominated Bastar region.

Pitching for a caste census, he said, “Narendra Modi ji uses the ‘OBC’ word in every speech but why is he scared of the caste census… OBCs have to become aware as they are being ditched.” Mr Gandhi also announced that the Congress would conduct a caste census in the country if it is voted to power in Delhi (at the Centre). “We have already made this promise for Chhattisgarh,” he said.

Key promises made by the Congress ahead of the last assembly polls have been fulfilled in Chhattisgarh, Mr Gandhi claimed. 

Objecting to the use of ‘vanvasi’ in place of ‘Adivasi’ for tribals, he said its use by the BJP is an insult to Adivasis and an attack on their culture, history and language.

During his speech, Mr Gandhi stopped briefly and walked to the other corner of the stage carrying a bottle of water apparently after someone fainted on the ground. He returned to the dais and asked if the person was alright. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Dharamshala:

The Dalai Lama on Saturday congratulated jailed Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi on winning the Nobel Peace Prize and said the award was also in recognition of the vital role women play in people’s lives. Mohammadi, 51, was awarded the prize on Friday in recognition of her tireless campaigning for women’s rights and democracy and against the death penalty.

In a letter to her on Saturday, the Tibetan spiritual leader said, “Today, the values of democracy, transparency, respect for human rights, and equality are increasingly recognised on every side as universal values, which can only benefit us all.”

“I have met and held discussions with previous Nobel laureates, including your sometime colleague, Mrs. Shirin Ebadi. I admire their efforts to overcome discrimination against women and improve society in a peaceful way. I believe that the award of this Nobel Peace Prize is also in recognition of the vital role women play in the lives of us all from the very day we are born,” the Dalai Lama wrote.

He said there is a growing desire for change in the world, a change that will see conflicts resolved through dialogue and non-violence.

“The foundation of such change will be kindness, compassion and human responsibility. I believe that this goal can be achieved through education based on a deeper appreciation of the oneness of humanity. Because we are so interconnected, this is a question of the well-being of us all,” he wrote.