Education
Branding, Marketing & Communication in Education Sector MISS OUT AND BE LEFT OUT!
Marketing and branding of educational institutes should reflect their ability to change people’s lives and the world, says ANUSHKA YADAV.
We tend to believe that branding, marketing and communication are important factors in any field until we put them in the education context. While branding can be dated back to 1100 BC, school branding is a relatively new concept that surfaced in the early 1800s. Today, parents and children are the customers while other schools stand as competitors in the business-like market. Gone are the days when parents had a handful of schools to select from; today, they want their kids to go to schools that have the best of everything. But how do they get to know that they are getting the absolute best of education? This is where an institution’s strong brand identity comes in. To become the best, schools need to develop and market their brand which makes them stand out in the race of vying for students and, in some cases, funding.
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
It is time that we, as educational institutions, ask relevant questions… Do we have a strong and recognisable brand? Does our institution have a reputation that generates positive emotional response? While considering such questions, it is imperative that we evaluate the value and unique selling propositions of the institution as well as what negates and drives the customer.
However, the key to branding and marketing of educational institutions lies in remembering that education is a powerful tool. Your brand communicates to and with your audience. They deserve to know the vision behind your institution reflecting through the brand identity. It promises what the student experience will be like.
Here comes the question, whether major institutions with a deeply ingrained brand need marketing. Of course, they do. Just like the infrastructure of any school needs renovation, their brands need renovation and touch up with the changing times.
Today, school branding is about finding the institution’s unique competitive advantage. However, many schools struggle as they develop their own communications department that often ends up delivering messy messages. Effective message delivering requires the entire faculty along with leadership to commit as one voice to the brand promise. Proper branding, marketing and communication helps students to decide whether the school is a potential match to their requirements. Without branding, the same institutions tend to suffer and get lost amongst typically similar schools.
Adding to the point, Dr Swati Popat Vats, President, Podar Education Network, and Early Childhood Association India, maintained, “There are two types of Indian schools, one that spends only on branding and marketing at the cost of teacher salaries and quality curriculums and focuses on advertising about large spaces, air-conditioned rooms, extracurricular activities, senseless technology integrations that look nice but have no pedagogical impacts. And the other are those that are doing great work with children, have a superb curriculum, pay their teachers well but are unable to reach out to parents because their advertisements and marketing do not focus on these things.”
With a similar point of view, Devidutta Kanungo, Vice President – Education, People Combine, shared, “Schools are not defined by just the classrooms and the playgrounds. More and more, schools today are learning communities which reflect the value systems, priorities and convictions of the educators, leaders, students and the parents who come together to form it. And these value systems vary largely from school to school. Therefore, in today’s world, where there are so many schools competing for attention, it is absolutely critical for schools to develop a strong brand image which clearly reflects the school’s value system as it will not only enable it to reach the right set of parents with whom its value proposition will resonate, but also to the right teachers who will become part of the school because they trust and believe what the school stands for and in turn, they will make the school’s brand and value proposition stronger. Today, a school without a clear brand identity and a clear and eloquent plan to reach out to the segment it aspires to cater to, will very quickly get lost in the cacophony of social media noise.”
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
In a world where information is readily available on just a click, parents and students tend to search for the best institutes on the internet. Dr Swati firmly believes, “Education is the birth-right of every child. Quality education on the other hand is something that every child needs but does not get. Some schools deliver quality education and some don’t and this is where parents need to know which schools to choose for their children so that they are assured that their child will get an education and not just be literate.”
The world wide web and social media have been major marketing development of the last decade. From adding SEO content on your website to showcasing your campus and available facilities through social media platforms, everything makes a difference! It is the perfect way to blossom an open persona and present your school as a place that is open to criticism, scrutiny, transparency and easy communication. Nonetheless, schools often tend to fall in the trap of branding through mere websites, brochures and even tours. However, brand development is the key ingredient that is often missing. Brand development is possible only when branding missteps are avoided, and how do you cross these hurdles? Showcase your brand in education magazines and work on your brand development through advertising companies such as Mad About Ed, which would help you achieve the right student demographics by creating a brand that stands out in a crowded market.
KEY BRANDING ELEMENTS
Talking about key ingredients, you might want to know the key elements to school branding…
First and foremost, school branding is nothing without the school name which may include the full or partial or even an acronym that the school is or wants to be popularly known as.
Secondly, it helps to have a visual representation of the school that identifies the school brand through a mascot or logo. Schools may even choose to have an interlocking logo with two or more letter interlocking to form an alternative logo or identity. An important element that has been given much importance in the recent years includes a trademarked logo with movement. Another important part of this element also includes the school colours that an institution might choose as a form of recognition.
Thirdly, a school’s vision is best represented through a careful selection of words in its motto, catchphrase or tagline. The branding slogan is typically used to create a memorable phrase that summarises the school’s and its pupil’s character; something that unites them.
“Branding should be about your principles, practices, and pedagogy and not about your mascot or name or how many schools you have. Marketing should be about your impact on the learning skills of children and not about false promises, tall promises about creating geniuses. It’s time to be real about education, it’s time to ditch the frills and froth of false branding and marketing and get real about children, childhood and education. It’s time to talk about the ‘why’ you do the ‘what’ and ‘how’ it is necessary for children. It’s time to be a brand…a brand that stands for trust and market your practices instead of how you ensured that five children stood first! It’s time to use branding, publicity and marketing to talk about the impact your school can bring on all children and not only on the achievers. It’s time to rethink and recalibrate your marketing to be about truth and not false promises.” says Dr Vats.
She also wishes for schools in India to be careful of the concepts of branding and marketing, “Impactful branding should be about advocating parents about the benefit of the curriculum and materials that the school invests in, for their child. Marketing in Indian schools should be about changing traditional mindsets that harm children instead of glorifying ‘material’ additions in schools.
Do not talk about physical assets in your marketing, talk about children…all children.
Avoid making tall promises, talk about the deep impact you have made on children and their education.
The number of years you have been in education or the number of children you have touched or the number of schools you have is not as important as the kind of changes you have brought about in education and how you made each child a winner.
Never spend on branding and marketing at the cost of teacher salaries or curriculum.
Never ever make discounts your selling point… people who discount fees will discount education!
BRANDING AND MARKETING BENEFITS
Amidst a plethora of benefits of branding and marketing in the education sector, here are a few major ones:
It reflects and increases school and student pride.
It builds brand trust and loyalty.
It unifies school sports and clubs to a single identifiable logo or mascot.
It validates the school’s mission and core values; further, establishing the school’s history.
It provides the school with discernible identification and recognition.
It aligns with the school’s internal culture and external reputation.
It establishes authenticity and helps in creating an emotional connect.
Pramod Sharma, Principal, Genesis Global School, believes, “It is necessary to introduce impactful branding and marketing in the education sector because it is the most powerful tool to maximise our impact and influence on all the major stakeholders. While most businesses do this for profit, education sector has a nobler aim of creating futures. Hence, the most fundamental unit of education sector, a school, needs to brand itself as a space in which tomorrow lives. It is also true that without proper marketing, branding and advertising the best of products fail. Having said that, there is more to education sector which goes beyond marketing and branding for the simple reason that while false or hyper branding might take a school to the top initially, the fall will follow soon. In other words, branding and marketing, in order to be impactful needs long and sustained effort and strategic planning keeping in mind the requirements of the larger community which we aim to serve. One has seen countless schools COVER STORY who had a dream start but were soon lost in the mists of time. Which means that a major aspect of impactful branding and marketing is the desire for staying relevant, more so because the scholars we serve today are citizens of tomorrow. One needs to be aware of the latest trends and be ready to take risks instead of basking in the glory of past achievements. While the latter strengthen the brand they will falter if the planning for future gets lost in the triumphs of the past. Branding and marketing must be done keeping in mind the lives affected by it. This will help us in keeping the priorities right thus keeping us motivated to our goal of promising futures.”
Ryan Pinto, CEO, Ryan International Group of Institutions, holds the view that, “India’s education sector needs a new brand and marketing strategy because of several reasons; firstly, the number of players in K12 education has grown exponentially over the past two decades, especially in large cities. Whereas in the past there might have been one or two schools in most neighborhoods, today it is not uncommon to see several. Secondly, by and large new entrants have modelled themselves similar to the existing players, thereby creating commoditisation. There are some differences created through graphic identity, such as lettering and logo, but this is largely superficial. Thirdly, differentiation is mostly in terms of curriculum offered from among SSC, ISC, CBSE, IGCSE and IB, and less so on ‘philosophies of education’ and other variables. Lastly, K12 generally attracts less top-class marketing talent and generally sees less marketing investment than other sectors. There is of course some admissions support communication, but very little genuine brand creation marketing.”
Pinto believes there are four thrusts that hold a school in good stead: 1. Investing in genuine holistic marketing at a brand level 2. Responding to stakeholder needs at a school level 3. Securing the best practices of the past while exploring innovation 4. Updating products and services with the times
It is an established fact that education is a big business in today’s world; if schools expect parents and students to spend big bucks on tuition, it is a necessity for them to have a strong, appealing and worthy brand with effective marketing through bona fide communication.
“Should education be a business and spend on Branding and Marketing? Well, yes education should be a business, because business is not a bad word. People who really ‘mind their business’ know that one cannot ‘play’ around with quality; business is all about good practices and keeping the customer happy! And this is what Indian private schools should do, keep the child and parent happy by ensuring that the parent is educated about what is right for their child and by investing in the right materials to ensure that children get the right education that is developmentally appropriate and meaningful for life.” concludes Dr Vats.
Thus, the key to marketing and branding educational institutes is to target and showcase everything you do; education is a powerful tool that has the ability to change people’s lives and the world, and your marketing should reflect that with crystal clarity.
Education
OpenAI Academy Launches in India to Democratise AI Education for Students, Teachers, and Startups
In a landmark move to scale artificial intelligence education across India, OpenAI has officially launched its first international educational initiative—OpenAI Academy India—in partnership with the IndiaAI Mission under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). The initiative aims to equip a wide cross-section of learners with AI skills, from students and educators to civil servants, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit leaders.
As part of the collaboration, OpenAI and the IndiaAI Mission have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) outlining shared goals under the “FutureSkills” pillar of the national AI strategy. The curriculum will initially be available in English and Hindi, with future plans to expand into regional languages to enhance accessibility and inclusivity.
The Academy will offer a hybrid model of digital and in-person learning, combining on-demand modules, webinars, expert-led workshops, and peer-based collaboration. The content will also be hosted on platforms such as the FutureSkills portal and the iGOT Karmayogi platform, enabling central and state government officials to upskill in emerging technologies.
One of the initiative’s most ambitious goals is to train one million teachers in the practical use of Generative AI tools in education. This is aligned with OpenAI’s broader mission to empower educators to integrate AI into classrooms meaningfully.
OpenAI will also host hackathons across seven Indian states, aiming to reach 25,000 students, and conduct workshops in six major cities. Winners of these hackathons will earn the chance to attend OpenAI Dev Day events abroad. In addition, 50 startups or fellows selected by the IndiaAI Mission will receive up to $100,000 in API credits to support their AI-based innovation projects.
Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw called the initiative a significant leap forward in democratising access to cutting-edge technology. “This partnership makes the latest AI tools available to India’s startup ecosystem and government workforce alike,” he noted, adding that it will accelerate local innovation and adoption.
Jason Kwon, Chief Strategy Officer of OpenAI, praised India’s growing influence in the global AI landscape. “India is one of the most dynamic countries for AI development. We’re proud to launch OpenAI Academy India to help more people gain confidence and skills to use AI meaningfully,” he said.
The platform will host a free Knowledge Hub offering a variety of resources—video tutorials, virtual events, hands-on training modules, and community forums—designed to make AI literacy engaging and practical.
With inputs from PTI
It’s June 5. There’s a poster-making competition happening in the library. “Say No to Plastic,” one child writes, her glitter pen catching the sunlight. In the background, a teacher sips from a plastic bottle of mineral water. On the ground — a single dustbin, filled with half-eaten sandwiches, the plastic wrappers they came in, and the poster that didn’t win.
Welcome to World Environment Day. The annual ritual of colouring inside the lines of climate awareness, only to throw the sketch away at 3:00 p.m.
And nowhere is this performance of eco-consciousness more apparent than in the average Environmental Studies (EVS) class. A subject that, in theory, is about the environment. In practice, it is about completing the syllabus before the assessments begin.
EVS is full of the right words: sustainability, waste segregation, reduce-reuse-recycle. It teaches children the parts of a plant, but not how to grow one. It tells them about carbon footprints, but not about the quiet pride of switching off a fan when they leave a room.
It is, in short, a subject that ends at the bell. Let’s pause and ask: how many schools actually segregate their waste? How many have separate bins for wet and dry garbage — not just during inspection week or annual day, but on a random Tuesday in August?
Most schools don’t have a waste problem. They have a waste denial problem.
Because admitting there’s a problem would mean someone has to do something about it. And doing something is messy. It requires time, training, tantrums. It requires telling people they can’t use fifteen thermocol plates for a two-hour workshop. It requires building a system where children see that the habits they are being asked to adopt are not just lesson objectives, but lifestyle choices being modelled by the adults around them.
Right now, most EVS classes are like that school function where the Chief Guest arrives in a diesel SUV to plant a sapling. Ceremonial. Shallow. Slightly offensive.
But here’s the good news: children get it. Better than we think. They’re not too young to understand why the cafeteria needs to stop using plastic spoons. They don’t need a unit on climate change to know that the AC doesn’t have to be set to freezing for learning to happen.
They just need one thing: to see the grown-ups walking the talk.
Start small. Set up separate bins — label them, colour-code them, talk about them. Let kids bring waste from home and run a sorting drive. Make a habit of auditing your school’s paper usage. Assign class monitors for turning off switches. Let kids design posters that don’t end up in the bin — or better yet, design the bins themselves. And while you’re at it, stop calling it an EVS period.
Call it the lab of life.
If you really want children to learn how to care for the world, don’t just teach them the names of forests. Teach them how to keep their classrooms clean. Don’t just mention Greta Thunberg in a chapter. Ask what they would skip school for. Don’t say “reduce-reuse-recycle” like it’s a rhyme. Say it like it’s a revolution.
And show them the bin.
Despite India’s near-universal school enrolment at the primary level, the latest UNESCO Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report 2024–25 paints a sobering picture of foundational learning and systemic leadership gaps in Indian education.
According to the report, over 95% of children in India are enrolled in primary school, yet basic learning outcomes remain dismal. ASER 2023 found that only 43% of Class 3 students could read a Class 2-level text, underscoring a national learning crisis.
While India boasts a 60% female workforce in elementary education, the leadership landscape tells a different story. Only 13% of vice-chancellors in central universities were women as of 2022, and formal principal training is absent in many Indian states despite NEP 2020’s mandate of 50 hours of annual professional development for school leaders.
This gender leadership gap reflects a global trend, with only 87 boys per 100 girls achieving minimum reading proficiency, and in middle-income nations like India, the number drops to 72 boys per 100 girls. The pandemic also reversed pre-COVID gains in gender parity for maths, with girls now underperforming in countries like Brazil, the UK, and Italy.
The GEM report also highlights bright spots. India’s policy commitment through NEP 2020 and innovative peer-mentorship pilots—like Delhi’s middle leadership model—demonstrate the potential of decentralised leadership to foster trust, collaboration, and improved school culture.
Global evidence cited by UNESCO shows that female-led schools in parts of Africa resulted in one full additional year of learning gain, proving that gender-inclusive leadership can enhance academic performance.
However, implementation remains inconsistent. Many leadership positions in India still lack transparent selection and promotion processes, and states fall short in meeting training targets. The digital divide, especially post-pandemic, has further deepened inequities, hitting girls in under-resourced regions the hardest.
What India Needs Next:
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Institutionalise mandatory leadership certifications.
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Accelerate women’s inclusion in senior roles.
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Shift focus from enrolment to outcome-driven learning metrics.
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Embed leadership training into teacher education.
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Scale up local mentorship models proven to work.
The UNESCO report is a reminder that enrolment alone cannot guarantee education quality. Bridging the gap between policy intent and on-ground implementation is critical if India is to transform its education system into one that is equitable, inclusive, and future-ready.
At a time when Artificial Intelligence (AI) headlines dominate global discourse, a quieter but more consequential conversation is unfolding in India’s education sector—one that cuts through the hype to explore whether AI is genuinely improving learning outcomes or just riding a wave of fascination.
In its latest article titled “Not Just Hype: What Investors Really Think About AI in Indian Education”, Entrepreneur India reported on insights shared by Ganapathy Venugopal, Co-founder & CEO of Axilor Ventures, at the IGIS 2025 forum. Offering a candid investor’s lens, Venugopal remarked, “We’ve seen plenty of hype around AI. But for us, it’s about where the real value lies—can it solve something fundamental, like India’s teacher-student gap?” According to him, the most investable AI tools are not the flashiest but the most functional—those that support teachers, amplify their effectiveness, and reach where human resources fall short.
Echoing this, Kobi Gal from Ben-Gurion University pointed out that while AI has democratised access to learning, it hasn’t yet changed the core of how we learn. “The education system remains rigid. AI can increase reach, yes, but transformation is still elusive,” he said.
India’s edtech sector is poised for growth with its vast K–12 student base and rapidly expanding internet access. However, a major challenge remains—only 24% of households have internet, per NSSO data. This makes Tier II–IV cities a key battleground for AI-powered learning tools. Investors are now shifting focus from “edtech” as a label to learning outcomes, engagement, and job-readiness, with AI viewed as an enabler rather than a product category.
Venugopal pointedly questioned current trends: “Are we building tools to complete homework, or to change how we learn?” His statement taps into the broader tension—between consumer-friendly shortcuts and pedagogically sound, scalable solutions.
At ScooNews Global Educators Fest (SGEF) 2023, this theme of AI with a conscience was also central. Held in Jaipur, the festival brought together educators, artists, and changemakers to discuss how artificial intelligence can serve—not replace—human values in education. Noted speakers like Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Rama Datt, and Padma Shri Anand Kumar reinforced the idea that technology must remain grounded in empathy, inclusivity, and purpose. A memorable moment was Anand Kumar’s speech on whether AI could ever truly replace a teacher’s role—a thought-provoking precursor to the investor sentiments voiced at IGIS 2025.
The conversation today is no longer about AI replacing the classroom, but enhancing it. With investor confidence growing in tools that support hybrid delivery models, regional customisation, and lifelong learning, the sector appears headed toward a more sustainable future.
Yet, Venugopal issued a final word of caution: “We look at sectors where demand is unquestionable and the cost of not solving the problem is high. Education in India fits that bill. But we must build with humility—and rigour.”
As India’s AI-powered education future unfolds, investors, educators, and innovators alike seem to agree: the goal is not disruption for disruption’s sake, but designing systems that serve learners in meaningful, measurable ways.
📌 Stay tuned for SGEF 2025 — This year, we gather under the theme: “Purpose-Driven Education: Designing for Future Realities.” Explore how we can reimagine school curricula to align with the evolving needs of our society and the professional world. Register here
The Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education, observed World No Tobacco Day on 31st May 2025 with a national workshop held at Rang Bhawan, Akashvani Bhawan. Inaugurated by Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, DoSEL, the event convened key stakeholders from the Ministries of Health, Home Affairs, NCERT, CBSE, UNODC, and State representatives, alongside students, civil society members, and domain experts.
During the workshop, Kumar launched the Nationwide School Challenge on Tobacco Awareness on the MyGov platform, set to begin on 10th June 2025. Aimed at student engagement, the initiative encourages schools across India to lead awareness campaigns. Participants also took the No-Tobacco Pledge, underscoring the shared responsibility of educators and communities in protecting students from tobacco exposure.
Kumar highlighted the alarming influence of tobacco advertising on youth and emphasised the importance of proactive involvement from School Management Committees (SMCs), parents, and local bodies to create tobacco-free campuses. Additional Secretary Anandrao V. Patil reinforced this message in his keynote, focusing on student health, well-being, and preventive education.
Other key speakers included CBSE Chairperson Rahul Singh, who spoke on the integration of health and wellness modules in schools, and Economic Advisor A. Srija, who stressed inter-sectoral collaboration for effective implementation of Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI) Guidelines.
Technical sessions covered mental health (Manodarpan), life skills education (Navchetna), the School Health Programme, and digital monitoring of ToFEI compliance. Experts from NCERT, CBSE, UNODC, and the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare contributed insights on embedding wellness in school ecosystems.
State nodal officers from Chandigarh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Puducherry presented best practices—from dental health drives to creative student engagement tools like comics and animation. Efforts to contextualise ToFEI manuals in regional languages were also shared.
The workshop concluded with a call for consistent monitoring, awareness campaigns, and holistic health education to build tobacco-free, safe learning environments.
A recent report by The Indian Express reveals a worrisome shift in India’s school enrolment patterns—more students are opting for private institutions, even in states with a robust network of government schools. During meetings held by the Ministry of Education with state officials in March–April 2025 to discuss projects under the Samagra Shiksha scheme, the Centre flagged this as a “disturbing trend.”
In states like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Uttarakhand, the enrolment in unaided private schools has consistently risen despite government schools forming the majority in number. For instance, in Andhra Pradesh, 73% of schools are government-run, yet they account for just 46% of total student enrolment. Similarly, Telangana’s government schools form 70% of total schools but educate only 38% of students, compared to nearly 61% in private schools.
This trend isn’t isolated. Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, and several northeastern states have also reported declining numbers in government school enrolment. The Union Ministry has urged states to reverse this decline, citing the need for introspection and reform. In Tamil Nadu, for example, government schools make up 64% of the total but serve just 37% of the student population.
Interestingly, some states have responded by conducting Aadhaar-based “data cleansing” to explain the drops. Still, the Centre believes deeper, systemic issues—such as rising aspirations and perceptions of quality—are driving families towards private schooling.
The concern goes beyond statistics. According to UDISE+ 2023–24 data, 36% of total school enrolment in India (over 9 crore students) is now in private schools. In 2022–23, it was 33%. Pre-pandemic figures already indicated this steady rise.
Where Do Government Schools Go From Here?
The falling trust in government schools paints a grim picture—especially when education budgets face cuts and systemic reform remains slow. However, all is not lost. States like Madhya Pradesh are setting examples through initiatives like the CM Rise Schools, which aim to rejuvenate public education with upgraded infrastructure, teacher training, and modern pedagogy.
But such success stories remain scattered. Without strong policy backing, increased funding, and public support, the future of government schooling appears uncertain. In an era of aggressive privatisation—be it formal schooling or the booming coaching industry—government schools risk being sidelined unless urgently revitalised.
Why must they survive? Because they remain the only accessible option for millions, especially in rural and marginalised communities. They are not just institutions—they’re vehicles of social equity, offering a shot at mobility to those who may otherwise be left behind.
Education
Over 10,000 Unrecognised Schools in Bihar, Jharkhand: Education Ministry Flags Violation of RTE Act
In a startling revelation, the Ministry of Education has flagged that over 10,000 unrecognised schools are operating in Bihar and Jharkhand, enrolling more than 1.6 million students and employing over 88,000 teachers—despite being in violation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009.
Jharkhand has the highest number of unrecognised schools in India, with 5,879 such institutions enrolling over 8.3 lakh students and staffed by more than 46,000 teachers. Bihar follows with 4,915 unrecognised schools, catering to over 7.7 lakh students and 42,000 teachers.
These figures emerged during the 2025-26 Project Approval Board (PAB) meetings under the Samagra Shiksha scheme, held earlier this year. The Ministry stated that the existence of these schools goes against Section 19 of the RTE Act, which mandates that all pre-existing schools meet prescribed norms within three years of the Act’s implementation. Failure to comply should lead to withdrawal of recognition and closure of the institutions.
The Ministry has directed both states to take appropriate action, either by recognising these schools through proper channels or by ensuring their closure in accordance with legal norms. Notably, Jharkhand’s education department has formed district-level recognition committees and claims that many of these schools began operations before the RTE Act came into effect.
Additionally, the Ministry raised concerns over discrepancies in data regarding Out-of-School Children (OoSC). For 2023–24, Jharkhand reported 37,409 OoSC on the PRABANDH portal, whereas the NSSO survey for 2022–23 recorded 1,07,639 ‘never enrolled’ children aged 6–14. In Bihar, the contrast was even more stark: 33,285 OoSC on PRABANDH versus 6.27 lakh ‘never enrolled’ according to NSSO.
To address this gap, the Ministry has advised strict data monitoring and called for special enrolment drives, with full support from School Management Committees (SMCs), to bring every child back into the education system.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan delivered the valedictory address at the PadhAI: Conclave on AI in Education, held in New Delhi and organised by the Centre of Policy Research and Governance (CPRG). The two-day conclave brought together senior policymakers, educationists, and technology experts to discuss the growing role of artificial intelligence in reshaping India’s education landscape.
In his address, Pradhan emphasised that artificial intelligence is not merely a technological tool, but a transformative force and a catalyst for innovation in education. “AI is a bridge between empathy and technology,” he said, underlining the need for India’s human intelligence to take the lead in the global AI revolution.
The Minister highlighted several initiatives undertaken by the government to promote AI in education, including the establishment of Centres of Excellence in AI and plans to promote AI integration in Indian languages. He stressed that leveraging AI to foster critical thinking in classrooms was no longer optional but essential, marking a transition from “chalkboards to chipsets.”
He also called upon academicians and technologists to collaborate on policy suggestions that would enable India to responsibly and effectively integrate AI in school and higher education systems.
The conclave featured a series of panel discussions and keynote addresses exploring how AI is transforming classroom teaching, expanding learning beyond the four walls, and the structural challenges that need to be addressed for effective implementation.
Notable speakers included Jitin Prasada, Minister of State for Commerce & Industry and Electronics & IT; Ashish Sood, Minister for Education and Higher Education, Delhi; Vineet Joshi, Secretary, Department of Higher Education and Chairperson, UGC; Abhishek Singh, CEO, IndiaAI Mission; Pankaj Arora, Chairperson, NCTE; Anil Sahasrabudhe, Chairman, NETF; Yogesh Singh, Vice Chancellor, University of Delhi; Sanjeev Bikhchandani, Co-founder, Info Edge; and Rashmi Das, Chairperson, Higashi Autism School.
The event concluded with a call for increased collaboration between the public and private sectors to harness AI for inclusive and accessible education.
In a significant development for India’s higher education sector, the University of Liverpool—one of the United Kingdom’s most prestigious academic institutions and a member of the Russell Group—has announced plans to establish its first international campus in Bengaluru. The university aims to commence operations by 2026.
This marks the first time a Russell Group university, often likened to the Ivy League for UK higher education, will set up a physical campus in India. Known for its world-class research and academic rigour, the University of Liverpool was founded in 1881 and has produced nine Nobel laureates. Its entry into the Indian education landscape is expected to bolster the globalisation of Indian higher education and widen access to top-tier international programmes.
Initially, the Bengaluru campus will offer undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Business Management, Accounting and Finance, Computer Science, Biomedical Sciences, and Game Design—making it the first UK university to offer these programmes from within India. The range of disciplines is expected to expand over time.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah hailed the development as a “landmark moment” in the state’s educational journey. “For many years, our brightest minds left the country to study abroad. Today, a top global university is choosing to come here,” he said, adding that the government would ensure full support through policy and infrastructure.
In a move to bridge industry and academia, the university also signed an MoU with Bengaluru-based IT major Wipro to collaborate on research, innovation, and skill-building programmes.
Delhi University’s Executive Council (EC) has approved sweeping curriculum revisions that have sparked sharp protests from faculty members, igniting a fresh debate over academic freedom, ideological influence, and the future of higher education in India. The changes, ratified during the EC’s 1,275th meeting, affect multiple departments including Psychology, Sociology, and English, and introduce new programmes in journalism and nuclear medicine.
Among the most contentious shifts is the removal of conflict-based case studies from the Psychology of Peace paper. Case references to Kashmir, Palestine, India-Pakistan relations, and the Northeast have been replaced with conflict-resolution examples drawn from Indian epics like the Mahabharata and Bhagavad Gita. Similarly, a Sociology paper has dropped foundational thinkers like Karl Marx and Thomas Robert Malthus, along with key sections such as the Sociology of Food and the critical lens on the Sociology of Law.
Faculty members are sounding the alarm. As per a story in Business Standard, EC member and Associate Professor at Kirori Mal College, Rudrashish Chakraborty, called the changes “a complete disregard for disciplinary expertise” and warned they could severely damage DU’s global academic standing.
At the heart of the backlash is a deeper concern about ideological overreach in curriculum design. Critics say the move replaces rigorous, research-based frameworks with selectively religious narratives, undermining the pluralism that once defined Indian academia.
Why These Topics Were in the Curriculum in the First Place
Incorporating geopolitical issues like Kashmir and Palestine in social science syllabi wasn’t about courting controversy—it was about helping students understand conflict, diplomacy, and peace-building through lived realities. Scholars like Marx and Malthus, often labelled as ideologues, contributed frameworks that shaped global discourse on inequality, population, labour, and social justice. To erase them from academic memory is not just selective—it’s intellectually dishonest.
Their inclusion wasn’t about promoting one ideology over another but about exposing students to a spectrum of thought. If academic institutions stop encouraging intellectual plurality, they risk becoming echo chambers that simply mirror prevailing politics.
What Could Have Been Done Differently
If the aim was truly to Indianise or decolonise the curriculum—as has been cited in many recent reforms—it could have been done with scholarly rigour. Including Indian thinkers alongside global ones, offering critical engagement rather than replacement, and developing interdisciplinary modules that draw on Indian social realities would have strengthened rather than diluted the curriculum.
A meaningful curriculum reform should be inclusive, consultative, and pedagogically sound. Instead, these changes appear abrupt and top-down, with several faculty members alleging they were not adequately consulted. As one member remarked, “Modernisation cannot come at the cost of academic autonomy.”
The counter to a whitewashed curriculum should not be to do the exact opposite. Figures like Karl Marx are not just ideologists; their legacies extend beyond nation-states. They presented global ideas that remain relevant to Indian society, especially in an age grappling with inequality and labour rights.
And religion—while an important part of many societies—must never dominate education policy. When one faith is elevated in academic materials meant for students of all backgrounds, it chips away at the secular fabric of our democracy.
Replacing complex geopolitical issues with religious scripture is not only pedagogically flawed—it’s, frankly, a dangerous precedent.
New Programmes and Policy Decisions
Beyond the curriculum overhaul, DU has also announced the launch of a two-year M.A. in Journalism in both Hindi and English, and a BSc in Nuclear Medicine Technology, to be offered at the Army Hospital (R&R) for Armed Forces Medical Services personnel. The EC also introduced a new policy for determining teacher seniority, with age taking precedence over API scores when qualifications are equal.
A committee has been constituted to assess the implications of a DoPT circular mandating periodic review of employees aged 50 and above—raising concerns about forced retirement policies within the university system.
As the NEP rollout moves ahead, universities like DU need to walk the path wisely. Reforms should fuel learning, not push a story. Education isn’t meant to box students into ideologies—it’s meant to open minds, spark debate, and shape citizens who can think for themselves. Our classrooms should dig deeper, not go narrow. We can’t afford to swap knowledge for one-sided thinking.
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