Higher Funding, Better Infra, And Making Education More Affordable: How Budget 2025 Can Help Boost Education Sector

The Union Budget 2025 can have a key role to play in advancing the education system in the country and making the vision of 'Education for All' come true.

Making higher education more affordable for the public via easier loans is a crucial ask of the sector.

Source : ABPLIVE AI

With the Union Budget 2025 merely hours away from being revealed, the public is keenly awaiting what reforms the government will bring to the Indian economy the document. The financial blueprint not only provides an insight into the tax structures and economic targets for the country, but also shares detailed information about the policies and funds allocated for each sector which can help it grow and contribute more to the development of the Indian economy.

While the public is eagerly waiting for what tax reforms or relaxations the government might provide through the upcoming Budget, another sector on the watchlist is education. India is currently the fastest-growing economy in the world and plans to maintain this status and become a developed country in the coming years. For an economy to grow, military power, industrial might, and agricultural dominance are some crucial contributors. However, another major factor that plays a key role in the Indian economy is its vast population. 

A huge mass of young and working population provides India the chance to enhance its human capital and become a leading force in the world. However, to capitalise on this asset, education is one of the key sectors to be focused on in the coming years. With an improved infrastructure and better access to education, the Indian population can achieve its maximum potential and become an efficient force in economic development. As such, the Budget 2025 can have a key role to play in advancing the education system in the country and making the vision of 'Education for All' come true. Let’s take a look at the major expectations of the sector from the incoming budget. 

Increase Budget Allocation

The experts called for 6 per cent of the overall Budget allocation to be set aside for the education sector. Dr Maithili Tambe, CEO, The Academy School, Pune, said, “This level of investment could significantly enhance the quality of education, ensuring access to modern teaching resources, training for educators, and improved infrastructure for schools, particularly in rural and underserved areas. Adequate funding can foster vocational training programs that equip students with practical skills aligned with industry needs, thereby reducing unemployment and empowering the youth.”

Promote Sports Culture And Skill Programmes

In addition to focusing on academics, Abhay G Chebbi, Pro-Chancellor, Alliance University argued that it is crucial to develop world-class sporting infrastructure at universities. The expert stated that this investment will not only help enhance a culture of fitness and athletic excellence among the younger generation, but also help boost India’s preparedness to host the Youth Olympics 2030 and the Olympics 2036.

Chebbi called for providing incentives for existing universities and educational institutions to establish Distinguished Skill Universities which can help address the critical skill gap by providing the next generation with industry-relevant expertise. This measure can help drive employment opportunities and also enhance the competitiveness of India in the international space, he explained.

Embrace Technology

The professionals in the education sector also pointed out that the upcoming Budget needs to push the current education scenario to grow with regards to futuristic technologies such as robotics and AI. Pravesh Dudani, Founder and Chancellor, Medhavi Skills University said the budget should look at increasing public spending on education and developing robust industry-academia partnerships. “The Budget 2025 should not only bridge existing funding gaps but also propel us into the future by integrating next-generation technologies like AI, IoT, and robotics into mainstream curricula,” he noted.

Ravichandran V, Chairperson and Trustee, eVidyaloka called for openly embracing technology and including it early on in the education curriculum. “To truly empower the next generation, AI, coding, and computer science must be integrated into the curriculum from 1st grade, with an enhanced focus on mathematics, building upon existing frameworks like the CBSE syllabus”

Further, Chebbi called for more funding through the Department of Science and Technology (DST) to set up Centres of Excellence in domains like aerospace, innovation, and artificial intelligence. 

Make Higher Education Affordable

Making higher education more affordable for the public via easier loans is a crucial ask of the sector. Dr Anunaya Chaubey, Provost, Anant National University said, “We hope the Union Budget 2025 builds on earlier provisions, particularly the financial support for loans of up to Rs 10 lakh for higher education in domestic institutions, making it more accessible to students.”

Vishal Anand, Founder and Pro-Chancellor, Shoolini University added that the Budget should prioritise the higher education sector, specifically research and intellectual property. He suggested that providing collateral-free education loans for student could even help boost enrollment numbers in the country.

Enhance Access To Education

Another aspect of making education accessible is to improve the reach of higher quality education and technology for rural and underserved areas. Dr Chaubey explained, “Investments in expanding connectivity, modernising classrooms and creating accessible online learning platforms are essential to bridging the digital divide and making education more accessible to all.”

Further, Ravichandran said, "Prioritising open-source platforms for Indian language SLMs/LLMs, expanding internet access to remote areas via satellite technology, and establishing digital classrooms nationwide will be critical steps in bridging the digital divide." He recommended that the investment should be done to expand access to quality education through both offline and online mediums and address teacher shortages by looking into public-private partnerships for learning solutions poweredby AI.