Students protesting in Ranchi, and before that in Delhi and other parts of the country, demanding accountability are highlighting a deeper malaise: education is not receiving the resources it deserves. The data bears them out. Unesco’s assessment of progress towards SDG 4 shows that India’s public spending on education has remained stuck at around 4.1% of GDP over the past decade — barely above the UN benchmark of 4% and well short of the 6% target successive governments have repeatedly pledged to achieve. Education’s share of total public expenditure stands at 14.2%, below the recommended benchmark of 15%, and down from 15.7% in 2015.

Rollout of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and infrastructure required under Right to Education Act lifted public spending in the early 2000s. Once that phase ended, states took on a larger share of funding, much of which is now consumed by salaries rather than quality improvements.

Chronic underfunding, combined with private schools’ English-medium appeal and lower teacher absenteeism, hastened the shift to private education. Today, nearly 40% of students attend private unaided schools while declining enrolment has forced the closure or merger of thousands of government schools.

India needs to spend more on education to improve the quality of existing state schools. This will require GoI, states and local governments to work in unison, translating the vision of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 into reality through higher public spending, stronger accountability, better teacher training, focus on learning outcomes and greater investment in innovation. Spending more on education is an investment in long-term growth, one that only the public exchequer can finance with the patience it demands.