#educational reforms

India doesn’t need more exams. It needs emotional engineers.

For decades, our schools have taught obedience, not stewardship. Rote memorization, not legacy imagination. Competitive success, not communal service.

It’s time to change that. It’s time to teach Seva & Sovereignty.

What Is the Seva Curriculum?

A weekly class in every school that teaches students how to serve, build, and govern with emotional clarity and strategic fire.

What Students Learn

Local Legacy Mapping: Students identify real community needs—farming, tech, education, food, dignity.

Budget Simulation: They allocate ₹1 crore to solve a local problem. Not theory—strategy.

Emotional Engineering: Role-play as farmers, teachers, civic leaders. Learn humility, not hierarchy.

Open-Source Service Projects: Build AI tools, farming guides, education kits. Create impact before adulthood.

Reflection & Ritual: Weekly journaling on service moments. Deepen emotional resonance.

Why This Matters

India earns $800B globally but still imports chips, neglects farmers, and underfunds education.

The problem isn’t money—it’s emotional misalignment.

The Seva Curriculum isn’t just a class. It’s a civic awakening.

It teaches students to serve before they lead.

To build before they speak.

To govern with soul, not slogans.

Ready to Simulate?

Let’s build the Seva Curriculum in your club, your school, your district. This isn’t just reform—it’s India’s sovereign reawakening.

By Sahil Gupta and Guncha Prakash

India’s education sector stands at a pivotal juncture, presenting a mix of significant opportunities and persistent challenges. With the National Education Policy (NEP) nearing its fourth anniversary, it continues to serve as a strategic guide for all stakeholders involved in shaping the future of education in India.

Current Landscape and Government Initiatives

Over the past three years, the government has increased budget allocations to enhance infrastructure, quality, and access to education, rising from Rs 99,300 crore in FY 2021 to Rs 1.12 lakh crore in FY 2024. Despite these improvements, investment in Research and Development (R&D) remains low at 0.7% of GDP, far below the global average of 1.8%. Strengthening industry-academia collaborations and the skilling and research ecosystem is essential for further progress.

Since the NEP’s implementation in 2020, regulatory reforms have aimed to internationalize Indian education through initiatives like dual degrees, twinning programs, and allowing foreign institutions to establish campuses in India. Additionally, measures such as the Institutional Development Plan (IDP), mandatory public self-disclosure by higher education institutions (HEIs), and the student grievance redressal mechanism have been introduced. The enactment of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) Act, 2023, seeks to enhance India’s research landscape.

Challenges and Budget Expectations

One significant barrier to establishing educational institutions in India is the lack of private capital investment, compounded by regulatory restrictions on foreign investments in trusts or societies. The Honourable Finance Minister’s 2020 announcement to enable foreign investment and External Commercial Borrowings (ECBs) for the education sector remains unfulfilled. Streamlining the process for attracting foreign donations is also crucial.

To facilitate new institutions, the government could create dedicated education zones with built-up infrastructure through public-private partnerships (PPP). These zones would reduce capital expenditures and offer shared facilities like housing, sports amenities, and research centers, fostering multicultural exchanges and cross-learning. Incentives such as subsidized land, tax rebates, or GST exemptions could encourage private sector participation.

The NEP mentions Special Education Zones for disadvantaged areas, but establishing zones near metropolitan cities could better leverage industry-academia collaboration and improve student accessibility.

Strengthening the Research Ecosystem and Addressing GST While the ANRF Act outlines a broad fund for research, clear definitions of fund allocation mechanisms, monitoring outcomes, and eligibility criteria are necessary. Additionally, the current GST framework increases the cost of education for students due to taxable inward supplies and exempt outward educational services. Either exempting inward supplies or zero-rating educational services would alleviate this financial burden.

Enhancing International Collaboration

Geo-political challenges have led many countries to impose caps on international student mobility and visa grants. For true internationalization, mutual recognition of qualifications between countries is essential. While India has made progress with Australia and the UK, expanding Government-to-Government (G2G) dialogues with other nations will promote student mobility, skilling opportunities, and research collaborations.

A Path Forward

Hemant Soren Emphasizes Quality Education and Youth Empowerment Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren distributed appointment letters to 1500 newly recruited post-graduate trained teachers, highlighting the government’s commitment to education and youth development. RANCHI – In a significant move towards strengthening the state’s education system, Chief Minister Hemant Soren handed over…

The 14th Edition of the ‘School of Tomorrow’ Conference to host Virtual Discussions on Educational Reforms

Beaconhouse, the country’s largest network of private educational institutions, is set to launch the 14th edition of its flagship ‘School of Tomorrow’ (SOT) conferences, this weekend on the 6th and 7th of November, 2021. The two-day virtual event, themed ‘Towards Happier Futures’ will host over fifty global and local thought leaders from various sectors, including education, development,…

From Universalisation of Education to Holistic Development of Students, Here are Key Features of NEP 2020

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The Union Cabinet approved the National Education Policy 2020 on Wednesday. Below are some of the key features of the new policy:

* This is the first education policy of the 21st century and replaces the thirty-four-year-old National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986.

* The new policy aims for universalisation of education from pre-school to secondary level with 100 per cent Gross…