Health and education remain the core pillars of India’s human capital strategy and are central to achieving the goal of a developed nation by 2047, according to the Economic Survey 2025–26 tabled in both the houses of Parliament.
The Survey noted that sustained public investment and policy reforms have delivered measurable gains in both sectors, strengthening productivity, resilience and long-term growth prospects.
In education, progress has been marked by improved literacy, higher enrolment across school and higher education levels, expansion of vocational pathways and institutional reforms under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) reached 90.9 at the primary stage and 90.3 at the upper primary stage, while secondary and higher secondary GER stood at 78.7 and 58.4, respectively.
India currently operates one of the world’s largest school systems, catering to 24.69 crore students across 14.71 lakh schools, supported by over 1.01 crore teachers.
School education, described as the foundation of human capital, has seen expanded infrastructure and improved access through schemes such as Samagra Shiksha, PM-SHRI schools, PM POSHAN and digital platforms like DIKSHA and PM e-Vidya.
Learning outcomes have shown recovery post-pandemic, with the PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 reporting a sharp improvement in Grade III proficiency in mathematics and language compared to 2021 levels.
Higher education has expanded rapidly. The number of institutions increased to 70,018, with India now home to 23 IITs, 21 IIMs and 20 AIIMS, alongside international IIT campuses in Zanzibar and Abu Dhabi. Student enrolment rose to 4.46 crore in 2022–23. Structural reforms such as the Academic Bank of Credit, covering 2,660 institutions with over 4.6 crore IDs, flexible entry-exit options and biannual admissions aim to raise higher education GER to 50 per cent by 2035. Internationalisation has gained momentum, with regulations enabling joint and dual degrees and 15 foreign universities expected to set up campuses in India.
On health, the Survey highlights sustained improvements in key indicators. Since 1990, India has reduced maternal mortality by 86 per cent, under-five mortality by 78 per cent, and neonatal mortality by 70 per cent, outperforming global averages. Infant mortality declined by over 37 per cent in the past decade, reflecting better access to primary healthcare, nutrition and institutional deliveries.
Digital health initiatives such as the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission and e-Sanjeevani have expanded access and improved system efficiency. At the same time, the Survey flags emerging challenges including obesity, rising consumption of ultra-processed foods, digital addiction and mental health stress among youth. Programmes such as Tele-MANAS, POSHAN 2.0, the Pragyatah framework and the Online Gaming (Regulation) Act, 2025 are cited as part of a multi-pronged response.
