Sanamdeep Chadha, a prominent education reformist and the Director of Genesis Global School, Noida, has voiced her expectations for the upcoming Union Budget, urging the government to prioritise significant advancements in the education sector. She highlighted the critical need for increased allocation and reforms to address pressing challenges in the urban education ecosystem.
Reflecting on last year’s budget, Sanamdeep remarked, “The allocation for the education sector in the Union Budget is uniformly increased almost every year. The previous budget, for instance, allocated an amount of over Rs 1.25 lakh crore for the education sector, of which a significant chunk was dedicated to the K-12 or school education in the country.”
However, she emphasised that a more substantial increase in funding is essential to upgrade foundational education, which she referred to as the cornerstone for “citizens of tomorrow”. “For a true futuristic nation-building, there is an urgent need for a massive increase in the allocation for upgrading foundational education,” she added.
Ms. Sanamdeep Chadha, Director of Genesis Global School, Noida.
Sanamdeep also called for targeted measures to enhance digital education and integrate emerging technologies into the curriculum. “Policies, provisions, and allocations that facilitate digital education and adoption of technologies like AI, robotics, and coding must be one of the priorities of the government in the upcoming Union Budget,” she suggested, underlining the importance of preparing students for the demands of a technology-driven future.
Additionally, the education reformist advocated for public-private partnerships to improve teacher training programmes. “The other expectation is encouraging public-private partnerships for teacher training programmes, focusing on digital pedagogy and subject specialisation,” she stated, stressing the need for robust teacher development initiatives.
She also reiterated the significance of aligning public spending on education with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. “A strong call for a significant rise in public spending on education is imperative, aiming to align with the NEP 2020’s recommendations,” she noted.
As the Union Budget announcement approaches, Chadha’s insights reflect the broader expectations of stakeholders in the education sector, emphasising the necessity of transformative changes to create a more equitable and future-ready educational framework.
