IRONY

In Nation of  Meat Bans and Lynchings, India's Meat Exports Rose in Last Five Years: Govt Data

The Wire Staff
25/Mar/2026


Growth is driven primarily by buffalo meat exports, which accounts for an overwhelming share of India’s meat export earnings, at consistently around 97 to 98% over the five years.

A meat shop in Bengal's Andal, photographed because it was left open despite a directive from the BJP to keep it shut during Chhath Puja. Photo: Madhu Sudan Chatterjee/The Wire.

New Delhi: In the time that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and its foot-soldiers have harassed, injured and killed citizens over the sale, transportation and consumption of meat, India’s own exports of meat have only grown, an answer given by the government in parliament has revealed.

The government’s data shows India’s meat exports rising from $3.22 billion to $4.16 billion in the last five years.


Communist Party of India (Marxist) member of parliament John Brittas asked the Minister of Commerce and Industry for:

(a) quantum and details of the meat export from India during the last five years, the details thereof, state-wise and category wise;
(b) quantity of beef, buffalo and other categories of meat exported from India during the last five years, the details thereof, year-wise, State wise and category wise; and
(c) details of revenue earned from meat export during the last five years, the details thereof, year-wise, state-wise and category-wise.

In response, junior commerce minister Jitin Prasada said that the government maintains records only of “total meat exports” from India and does not have state-wise details. “The data for State wise exports of Meat is not maintained in absence of validation, as these are based on the basis of the state-of-origin code reported by the exporters in the shipping bills,” he said.

Prasada also claimed that as per Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT)’s Foreign Trade Policy (FTP), “the export of beef (meat of cow, oxen, calf) is prohibited and is not permitted to be exported.”

The government thus provided in its answer the quantity of buffalo and other categories of meat exported from India during the last five years, and year-wise details of revenue earned from meat export during the last five years.



In 2020-21, exports of 10.98 lakh metric tonnes were valued at about US $ 3.22 billion. This increased in 2021–22 to US $ 3.38 billion and about 11.90 lakh tonnes. In 2022-23, while the quantity remained almost similar at around 11.91 lakh tonnes, the export value dipped slightly to US $ 3.27 billion.

A sharp rise was seen in 2023-24, when exports climbed to US $ 3.83 billion and 13.13 lakh tonnes, marking the highest volume in the period. In 2024-25, export value reached its peak at about US $ 4.16 billion, although the quantity declined slightly to around 12.74 lakh tonnes.



From the above two charts, it is clear that India’s meat exports are dominated by buffalo meat, which contributes to the bulk of India’s earnings across five years.

Buffalo meat exports rose from 2020-21, dipped slightly in 2022-23, and then surged to a peak in 2023-24, with export earnings reaching their highest level in 2024–25 despite a drop in quantity.

Growth is driven primarily by buffalo meat exports, which accounts for an overwhelming share of India’s meat export earnings, at consistently around 97 to 98% over the five years.

Sheep/goat and poultry meat exports show growth in both volume and value, though they remain a small share. Processed and other meat categories fluctuate and decline over time, becoming negligible by 2024–25.

This data comes close on the heels of a Scroll.in report on the fact that the 160-year-old Allana group, India’s top exporter of buffalo meat, donated an unprecedented Rs 30 crore to the Bharatiya Janata Party.

This information comes in the background of numerous reports of Bharatiya Janata Party, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal and other Hindutva party workers issuing threats to shut down meat shops ahead of or during any Hindu festivals. Same threats appear from time to time for meat shops close to places of Hindu worship, often from governments.

Instances of Muslim and Dalit meat traders being beaten up or lynched to death by purported cow protectors are by now well known.

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: Search results for DALIT

Reclaiming Humanity Through Organic Food, Slow Life

At a time when analog is taking over and more are more startups are latching on to the “slowness” trend, these organisations have managed to carve a niche.

Chitrangda Singh
Published at: 7 March 2026

OUTLOOK INDIA


Reclaiming Humanity Through Organic Food, Slow Life


Summary of this article


The Farm, run by Shalini Philip and Arul Futnani, was started to sustain a family dairy farm as Chennai’s urban sprawl grew.


reStore, a non-profit organic shop, connects consumers directly with farmers where everything in this store is sourced directly from organic farmers who set their own prices.


Both initiatives emphasise community and sustainability, reminding consumers that what ought to be is called luxury.



At The Farm restaurant, the serenity is palpable as you walk through its tended garden, complete with a temple complex and a 40-year-old frangipani tree. It settles next to you at your table, under the shade of tall bamboo and leafy trees, or under the large, thatched roof with a view of wood-fired pizza ovens. The farm cats lounge in various corners, and you feel yourself unwind in their image as you settle in for a leisurely meal in a cocoon against the tirade of city life thundering just outside. Time moves slow.



Shalini Philip and Arul Futnani have been running The Farm on the rapidly developing outskirts of Chennai for 17 years and counting. Here, the food you eat still holds the spirit of the earth it was grown in. It is a small part of the thriving dairy farm that they have managed to keep alive amid skyscrapers, technology parks and myriad construction sites, symptomatic of the bleed of a metro city.


They tell me that they started the restaurant in a bid to sustain the family farm as Chennai’s urban sprawl crept closer to their doorstep. Selling produce wouldn’t help them break even on labour and land costs. “We were 100 per cent foolish. We followed our hearts and not our heads. We are not trained chefs, but we both love food,” Philip recalls with a smile.

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Calling their menu “lawless”, she tells me how it developed to use what the farm produces throughout the year. The wood-fired ovens were chosen over electric ovens to use the farm’s surplus eucalyptus wood (originally planted to improve arid soil). The residual heat of the ovens is used overnight to slow-cook the

pork and dry out breadcrumbs (made from leftover home-baked bread) to coat their crispy cutlets. The ash from the ovens is then sprinkled in the fields as pesticide.

Being a dairy farm, they taught themselves to make artisanal cheeses, which crown their famous cheese plates, accompanied by homemade crackers and preserves, and adorned with garden blooms. For Christmas, they use the winter roselle flowers from the farm to make a jam they swirl into fresh ice cream.



A micro-roastery sits cutely in a corner of the restaurant where special ‘The Farm’ blends are roasted. Responding to my quizzical expression, I am told that this was their lockdown project while they had time on their hands, and they now source beans from carefully chosen estates all over India to make blends “with their own names and stories” and even supply to friends’ cafes in the city.


The restaurant espouses sustainability, offering organic and local produce, farm-to-table dining and employing closed-loop agricultural practices. But this terminology is conspicuously absent from their brand and design language. “We don’t tomtom these buzzwords, because to us, these practices are simply the most logical way to do what we do,” Philip explains.



Nothing that happens at the farm, the restaurant and its little shop is accidental. Their farm grows what the restaurant needs, as much as the restaurant uses what the farm offers it. Futnani and Philip’s way of life and doing business is a labour of their love for their farm, their love for food and their steadfastness in placing profit secondary to this. Their food carries the flavour of this authenticity.

Restoring Farmers’ Faith

A little closer to Chennai sits a rustic house, across from an imposing KFC. As you enter the gate, you are greeted by some or the other herbs drying in the sun, and just up the path, baskets of farm-fresh vegetables are set out to be probed, weighed, and piled into the bags you should have brought with you.



Inside the house, you will first find an assortment of homemade laddoos and treats, and past that, a variety of treasures from spices and unpolished millets and pulses and local honey, to podis and chutneys and herbal skin and hair care. A little room holds tins of cold-pressed oils and a larger room with an intoxicating fragrance holds more than 20 varieties of local rice.


This is reStore—a non-profit organic store started in 2008 by a group of passionate residents of Chennai looking to build sustainable practices into their lives. Everything in this store is sourced directly from organic farmers who set their own prices, and the store operates on a zero-waste principle.



Radhika Rammohan, one of the founders of reStore, tells me that they were moved by the increasing farmer suicides and the fraying connection between food and its consumers. Combining their experience working with non-profit and farmers’ organisations, they tried to emulate the food cooperatives and farmers’ markets they had seen in the West to create a transparent and fair way to bring food from the farms to city consumers.

“re-Storing” Farmers’ Faith


When asked how popular the store was at a time when ‘organic’ was not even a trend, Rammohan says: “Our launch in 2008 was attended by over 300 people, and this was just because of print media and internet groups.” In its 18th year, reStore sees a steadily growing customer base, despite the challenges of quick commerce, which it simply can’t compete with and the appeal of unbruised, uniform produce packaged in shiny plastic.


“Unlike a modern store where the customer is king, we are unable to absorb costs to give them perfect produce because our farmers set these prices. As with anything organic, there may be minor spoilage or damage. At a supermarket, they can just include that difference in the price and give you what looks perfect.” At reStore, the customer has to bring a degree of empathy and understanding for the imperfections of organic produce and real food. The gentle request to remove your shoes before you enter the shop is symbolic of what reStore asks of its customers—incurring a slight inconvenience for something bigger than you.


Philip, Futnani and Rammohan acknowledge the demands of a world that runs on the profit and loss axis, but they do not let it shake them from the purpose that launched them on their respective journeys.


Philip wonders whether The Farm is missing out on attracting clientele because they do not exploit the buzzwords that draw eyeballs, but, instead, choose to let their work speak for itself. Rammohan, too, wonders whether more people would be inclined to buy from the store if it could serve greater delivery demands and use plastic to store and transport produce more efficiently.


But that is inconsistent with who they are. As the popularity of sustainability rises, the commodification of the principles they have not let go of will also increase the noise in the spaces that they operate in. Philip affirms that the trends may come and go, but they just continue doing what they do.


The trend of labelling it a ‘luxury’ to enjoy local food and buy direct from farmers implies that this is a privilege. The demands of the market will produce red herrings that commodify these principles and exacerbate this perception. But The Farm and reStore are examples of ventures that throw their doors open to share what they treasure and believe in—hero-ing what they stand for and not merely what makes money.


As Radhika points out: “It is ironic that what ought to be is called luxury.” They are not alone. With the rise of community-supported agriculture, it is becoming easier to support local farmers—organisations like Navadarshanam outside Bangalore and Solitude Farm in Auroville offer baskets of fresh produce for consumers at home. The rise of permaculture workshops and courses allows urban dwellers to take ownership of their food by growing produce in limited spaces. Organisations like Locavore have created communities where participants share knowledge of local ingredients and heritage recipes. But to meaningfully engage with this ecosystem, we must recognise those who are in it for the long haul rather than a quick buck.


While the internet creates confusion and cacophony, it is also a source of community and knowledge. The Instagram page of The Farm blew up during the pandemic, and harvested many new followers around the world.


Priyanka Patel, an ecology conservationist working on a re-wilding project outside Bangalore, muses that “people who love plants somehow always find each other”. Through her Instagram, she has met people around the world who are generous with knowledge and curious about her work—although she wonders how many people will show up for these causes beyond their screens.

organic farming


By being generous with our time and effort, we have the opportunity to go the extra mile from consumers to actors with agency—to get our hands off our touchscreens and into the earth. The year 2026 is predicted to be the ‘year of the analog’, and it hopefully identifies in us the desire to return to our intuition about what is good, for us, and for the world around us. As the market latches onto slowness as a trend, it too will become a strategy rather than a standard. But it is returning to our first principles of community, care and intention that will motivate us to make the effort to engage with our world offline, and support local businesses and efforts. To quote Vandana Shiva: “Our separation from the natural world is a form of dehumanisation.” Reclaiming our connection to and our consumption of food is also reclaiming our humanity.


Chitrangda Singh is a corporate lawyer-turning-academic with an inimitable love for food and a good story

It Matters Nothing — War Is War

A poem about the futility of war and growing indifference


Ashwani Kumar
Updated on: 23 March 2026

OUTLOOK INDIA

It Matters Nothing — War Is War Photo: Artwork by Anupriya



Another girl is dead, another boy wounded. It matters nothing—war is war.

The oven is quiet in my kitchen. A cup grows cold beside the window.


I take a bite of the shrinking day, light a candle, and bake myself in the open for those who are dying for coffee.


Strange coincidence: I no longer remember there are not many bakeries in town.


Is it the wrath of God, or a futile struggle for survival?


Another girl is dead, another boy wounded. It matters nothing—war is war.


Ashwani Kumar is a poet, writer and professor in Mumbai. His most recent collection of poems is titled Map of Memories.

India’s First Court-Approved Passive Euthanasia Patient Harish Rana Dies

Once a BTech student at Panjab University, Rana became the face of India’s end-of-life debate after the Supreme Court allowed the withdrawal of life support under a supervised medical protocol at AIIMS Delhi.


Outlook News Desk
Curated by: Pritha Vashishth
Updated on: 24 March 2026 7:25 pm


Hairsh Rane


Summary of this article


Harish Rana, the first patient in India to be granted passive euthanasia by the Supreme Court of India, died at All India Institute of Medical Sciences Delhi.


The Supreme Court had allowed doctors to withdraw life-support measures through a carefully supervised medical protocol, marking a significant step in India’s legal and ethical approach to end-of-life care.


Rana’s case has become a landmark in India’s debate on the right to die with dignity, highlighting the role of palliative care, medical ethics, and legal safeguards in decisions around passive euthanasia.


Harish Rana, the first person in India to be granted passive euthanasia by the Supreme Court of India, died on Tuesday at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences Delhi, bringing an end to a long and painful chapter that has come to symbolise the country’s evolving conversation around dignity in death and end-of-life care.

The press release by AIIMS read Mr. Harish Rana passed away at 4:10 PM on 24th March 2026 at AIIMS, New Delhi. Hewas under the care of a dedicated team of doctors and was admitted to the Palliative Oncology Unit (IRCH), led by Dr. (Prof.) Seema Mishra, HoD, Onco-Anaesthesia.

Rana was just a young engineering student when his life took a tragic turn in 2013. At the time, he was pursuing a BTech degree at Panjab University. A fall from the fourth-floor balcony of his hostel left him with severe head injuries that caused irreversible brain damage. The accident pushed him into a permanent vegetative state, a condition in which patients remain alive but show no signs of awareness or cognitive function. For the next thirteen years, Rana survived with the support of artificial nutrition and intermittent oxygen assistance, while his family navigated the emotional and medical complexities of caring for someone who could neither communicate nor recover.

Over time, Rana’s case moved beyond the personal tragedy of one family and entered the national legal and ethical arena. The prolonged nature of his condition, with no meaningful hope of recovery, raised profound questions about whether life should be sustained indefinitely through medical intervention when consciousness and quality of life have effectively disappeared. These questions ultimately reached the Supreme Court of India, which in March 2026 allowed passive euthanasia in Rana’s case.

Supreme Court Allows Withdrawal Of Life Support In Landmark Passive Euthanasia Case

The court’s order permitted doctors to withdraw life-support measures in a carefully regulated manner. Passive euthanasia, unlike active euthanasia, does not involve administering substances to cause death. Instead, it involves the withdrawal or withholding of life-sustaining medical treatment, allowing the natural process of death to occur. The decision was seen as a landmark moment in India’s legal landscape, translating the court’s earlier recognition of the right to die with dignity into a concrete medical application.

Following the Supreme Court’s directive, Rana was shifted from his home in Ghaziabad to the palliative care unit at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences Delhi. The procedure was overseen by a multidisciplinary team of specialists, including experts in neurosurgery, anaesthesia, palliative medicine and psychiatry. The team worked under a carefully structured protocol designed to ensure that the withdrawal of life support was carried out gradually and ethically, while prioritising the patient’s dignity.


Doctors first assessed Rana’s condition in detail and then began the gradual withdrawal of artificial nutritional support under continuous monitoring. The process was conducted with sensitivity, reflecting both the legal scrutiny surrounding the case and the ethical weight of the decision. Medical professionals involved in the procedure emphasised that the goal was not to hasten death but to allow a dignified and natural end to a life that had long been sustained solely through medical intervention.



Rana’s death on March 24 marked the conclusion of a case that has had wide-ranging implications for India’s healthcare and legal systems. For years, discussions around euthanasia in India remained largely theoretical, shaped by court rulings and philosophical debates but rarely implemented in practice. Rana’s case transformed that conversation into a lived reality, forcing institutions, doctors and policymakers to confront the complexities of end-of-life decision-making.


The case has also drawn attention to the broader role of palliative care in India, a field that focuses on improving the quality of life for patients with severe or terminal conditions. Experts say the Rana case underscores the need for clearer medical protocols, stronger legal safeguards and greater awareness among families about patients’ rights and medical options at the end of life.

 

The History And Meaning Of Easter Eggs: Origins, Symbolism & Traditions

Have you ever wondered about the true Easter eggs meaning? Long before they were made of chocolate and hidden in gardens, eggs were profound ancient symbols of rebirth and spring. For Christians, Easter egg symbolism represents the sealed tomb and the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ. From the royal courts of King Edward I to the legendary red egg of Mary Magdalene, discover the fascinating history of Easter eggs, the true origin of the Easter egg tradition, and exactly why we decorate Easter eggs to celebrate this joyful season.

Syed Ayan Mojib

Published on: 28 March 2026 

OUTLOOK INDIA

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The History And Meaning Of Easter Eggs: Origins, Symbolism & Traditions

When we think of Easter, a few familiar images instantly come to mind: colourful spring blooms, playful bunnies, and, most iconically, beautifully decorated eggs. Whether they are carefully painted, intricately designed, or made of chocolate and hidden for a festive hunt, they are a cherished part of the holiday. But what is the true meaning of Easter eggs, and how did this practice begin? Beyond their bright colours lies a fascinating story. By exploring the history of Easter eggs and the origin of the Easter eggs tradition, we uncover a beautiful blend of ancient spring festivals, profound Easter egg symbolism, and evolving cultural practices.

What Do Easter Eggs Really Mean?

At its heart, the egg has long been a universal symbol of new life, renewal, and fertility. This meaning existed well before Christianity, tracing back to ancient spring festivals that celebrated the end of winter and the rebirth of nature. The image of a chick emerging from an egg naturally came to represent fresh beginnings and the cycle of life.

With the rise of Christianity, this powerful symbol was given a deeper spiritual meaning. For Christians, the Easter egg represents the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The hard shell is seen as a symbol of the sealed tomb, while cracking the egg signifies Jesus rising from the dead, bringing with it hope, renewal, and the promise of eternal life.

In many traditions, eggs are also dyed in vibrant colours, especially red, which symbolizes the blood shed by Christ during the crucifixion. Over time, these symbolic practices blended with local customs, eventually evolving into the joyful Easter egg traditions we see today, where meaning, faith, and celebration come together in one simple yet powerful symbol.

Why Are Eggs Part of Easter?

The connection between eggs and Easter developed over centuries, blending ancient customs with Christian practices. Long before the rise of Christianity, many cultures celebrated spring festivals around the time of the vernal equinox. These festivals often focused on fertility and the return of light and life after winter, and symbols like eggs and rabbits (known for their prolific breeding) were likely used in these celebrations. As Christianity spread, it often incorporated existing pagan symbols and traditions, adapting them to fit Christian narratives. The egg, with its potent symbolism of new life, was a natural fit for celebrating the resurrection, the ultimate story of new life in Christian belief.

There was also a very practical reason rooted in religious observance. For centuries, Christians traditionally abstained from eating certain foods, including eggs, meat, and dairy products, during Lent – the 40-day period of fasting and repentance leading up to Easter. However, hens continued to lay eggs throughout this period. By the time Easter Sunday arrived, households often had a large surplus of eggs. What better way to celebrate the end of the fast and the joyous occasion of Easter than by decorating, sharing, and feasting on these accumulated eggs? This practical necessity helped solidify the egg's place as a staple of Easter celebrations.

Legends and Royals: The History of Easter Eggs

The origin of the Easter egg tradition is also steeped in fascinating legends and royal history. One of the most famous stories in early Christianity involves Mary Magdalene. According to Eastern Orthodox tradition, Mary attended a banquet hosted by Emperor Tiberius Caesar. She held up a plain egg and proclaimed, "Christ is risen!" The Emperor laughed, stating that Christ rising from the dead was as likely as the egg in her hand turning red. Miraculously, the egg immediately turned a brilliant red, cementing the tradition of dyeing eggs for Easter.

Historically, the practice of gifting decorated eggs can be traced back to the Middle Ages. One of the earliest recorded instances was in 1290, when King Edward I of England ordered 450 eggs to be covered in gold leaf and decorated. These luxurious eggs were presented as Easter gifts to the royal household, sparking a tradition of elaborate egg gifting that would eventually lead to the creation of the famous, jewel-encrusted Fabergé eggs in the 19th century.

The Ancient Art of Pysanky

When asking why we decorate Easter eggs, one cannot ignore the breathtaking Ukrainian tradition of Pysanky. Unlike standard dyeing, Pysanky involves a complex wax-resist method where intricate folk motifs and geometric patterns are drawn onto the eggshell using beeswax before dipping it into various dyes. These eggs are not meant to be eaten but are preserved as powerful talismans, believed to ward off evil and bring prosperity, showcasing how deeply Easter egg symbolism is woven into global cultures.

How Do You Prepare Easter Eggs?

The most common way involves real chicken eggs:

1. Hard-Boil Them: Cook the eggs in boiling water until the inside (yolk and white) is solid. This stops them from breaking easily and makes them safe to handle (and eat later if you keep them cold!).

2. Let Them Cool: Make sure the eggs are cool before you decorate them.

3. Decorate! This is the fun part:

   • Dyeing: Use special Easter egg dye kits you can buy at the store. You mix colours with water and vinegar, then dip the eggs in.

   • Painting: Use non-toxic paints to paint designs on the shells.

   • Crayons: Draw on the warm, hard-boiled egg with crayons (the wax melts a bit onto the shell). You can even dye them after drawing for cool effects.

   • Stickers: Use Easter-themed stickers.

Nowadays, many "Easter eggs" are also chocolate eggs (often hollow and filled with candy) or plastic eggs that you can open and fill with small treats or toys.

What Do People Do With Easter Eggs?

Easter eggs are the centrepiece of many joyful springtime activities:

• Easter Egg Hunts: Grown-ups hide decorated eggs (real, chocolate, or plastic) around the house or garden, and children race to fill their baskets.

• Egg Rolling: A popular tradition, most famously hosted at the White House, where children use long spoons to roll decorated hard-boiled eggs down a grassy hill.

• Egg Tapping (or Egg Fights): A traditional game where two people hold a hard-boiled egg and tap them together. The person whose eggshell remains uncracked wins!

• Festive Decorations: Beautifully painted eggs serve as stunning centrepieces for the Easter dinner table or are hung on decorative Easter trees.

• Sweet Treats: Let’s not forget eating them! While hard-boiled eggs are enjoyed as a breakfast treat, hollow chocolate eggs filled with candy remain a global favourite.

From ancient fertility symbols to representations of Christian resurrection, and from simple dyed hen's eggs to elaborate chocolate creations, the Easter egg has journeyed through history, adapting and accumulating layers of meaning. Whether you're decorating them, hunting for them, or simply enjoying a sweet treat, Easter eggs remain a powerful and joyful symbol of new beginnings, hope, and the enduring spirit of spring. Happy Easter!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Why do we decorate Easter eggs?

We decorate Easter eggs to celebrate new life and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Historically, Christians painted eggs bright colours to mark the end of the strict Lenten fast, turning a practical food surplus into a joyful, vibrant celebration.

2. What is the Easter egg symbolism in Christianity?

In Christianity, the Easter egg symbolizes the resurrection of Jesus. The hard outer shell represents the sealed tomb of Christ, and the cracking of the egg represents Jesus rising from the dead and the promise of eternal life.

3. What does a red Easter egg mean?

In Orthodox Christian traditions, Easter eggs are dyed a deep red to symbolize the blood shed by Jesus Christ during his crucifixion on the cross.

4. Who invented the Easter egg hunt?

The Easter egg hunt is widely believed to have originated in Germany. Protestant reformer Martin Luther is said to have organized egg hunts for his congregation, where men hid eggs for women and children to find, symbolizing the discovery of the empty tomb.

 

India’s Education Expansion: Building Human Capital or Just Producing Degrees?

Tajamul Rehman Sofi | 16 Mar 2026

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The country is producing more graduates than ever but not enough productive employment.

Image Courtesy: Needpix.com

India stands at a demographic turning point. By the end of this decade, the country will possess the largest youth population in the world. In policy discourse, this is often celebrated as a demographic dividend. But demographic advantage is not automatic; it depends on whether young people can translate education into productive employment.

The expansion of education spending and reforms under the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) aim precisely at strengthening India’s human capital base. The real question, however, is whether expanding education alone can deliver economic opportunity when job creation itself remains uneven.

Recent Union Budgets reflect an ambitious push to modernise India’s education system. The Union Budget 2025-26 allocated around ₹1,28,650 crore to education, prioritising infrastructure and digital access. Initiatives included broadband connectivity for schools, the expansion of Atal Tinkering Labs, digital learning materials in Indian languages and new infrastructure for the Indian Institutes of Technology.

The following year, the Union Budget 2026-27 increased allocations to ₹1,39,285.95 crore, an increase of about 8.27%. New proposals included girls’ hostels in every district, university townships, specialised institutes in healthcare and pharmaceuticals, and a committee focused on “Education to Employment and Entrepreneurship.”

State governments have also expanded spending. Uttar Pradesh, for example, allocated ₹80,997 crore to basic education while increasing investment in vocational programmes, smart classrooms and artificial-intelligence laboratories. These initiatives suggest that governments are trying to align education with emerging technological and knowledge sectors.

The broader policy framework guiding these reforms is NEP 2020, which seeks to transform the education system through multidisciplinary learning, flexibility in degree programmes and greater emphasis on skills. One of its most ambitious goals is to raise the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education to 50% by 2035, up from around 27% in 2018. According to the All-India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE), enrolment in higher education has been steadily increasing in recent years

The policy also aims to expose at least half of all learners to vocational education by the middle of the decade. In principle, this shift could bridge the long-standing divide between academic education and labour-market skills. Yet the expansion of access raises a deeper question: does more education automatically translate into better human capital?

One persistent concern is the quality of teaching. The NEP emphasises continuous professional development for teachers and highlights teacher training as a cornerstone of reform. However, financial allocations for teacher education remain modest relative to the scale of transformation envisioned.

Under the Samagra Shiksha programme, which integrates several school-education schemes, teacher training accounts for only a limited share of total education spending. Without substantial investment in teacher capacity, improvements in learning outcomes may remain limited. International experience shows that infrastructure expansion alone cannot guarantee educational quality.

The push toward vocational education faces similar implementation challenges. Several states, including Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh, have expanded vocational programmes through school-based skill streams, polytechnic institutions, and partnerships with industry. For instance, Tamil Nadu has strengthened vocational pathways within higher secondary education, while West Bengal has introduced skill-oriented courses in thousands of secondary schools.

Yet, despite these initiatives, vocational education remains a relatively small component of the overall education system. According to data from the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+), only a limited share of secondary school students is enrolled in vocational courses, indicating that skill-based education has yet to become a mainstream pathway.

Labour-market evidence reinforces this concern: data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) suggests that a significant proportion of graduates still lack the practical skills required by industry. But even if education reforms succeed in improving employability, the central puzzle remains unresolved: where are the jobs?

Industry partnerships, internships and apprenticeships can help graduates transition into employment, but they cannot replace the fundamental requirement of large-scale job creation. When the economy itself does not generate enough employment opportunities, educational expansion alone cannot absorb the growing number of graduates.

Recent labour-market trends highlight this structural tension. India’s overall unemployment rate fell to about 4.8% in 2025, yet youth unemployment remains significantly higher. At the same time, employability indicators have improved only marginally. According to the India Skills Report, employability rose from 54.81% in 2025 to 56.35% in 2026.

Sectoral patterns also reveal the limits of labour absorption. The information-technology sector is expected to generate millions of jobs by the end of the decade, particularly in fields such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and data science. Healthcare employment is also projected to expand significantly, while renewable energy is emerging as another important source of future jobs. Yet these sectors together cannot absorb the millions of graduates entering the labour market every year.

Historically, manufacturing has played a crucial role in generating mass employment in developing economies. In India, however, manufacturing growth has become increasingly capital-intensive, with automation limiting its capacity to create jobs at scale.

This growing mismatch between education expansion and labour-market demand raises the risk of degree inflation a situation in which the number of graduates rises faster than the availability of suitable employment opportunities. In such circumstances, graduates may find themselves underemployed or working in occupations that do not require their qualifications.

Another dimension of NEP 2020 is its encouragement of greater private participation in higher education. Private institutions can expand capacity and introduce innovation, but they also raise concerns about affordability and equity. Higher tuition costs may restrict access for students from economically weaker backgrounds, while quality assurance across institutions remains uneven.

Ultimately, education policy cannot be separated from economic strategy. Human capital formation depends not only on better schools and universities but also on an economy capable of productively employing skilled workers.

India’s education budgets and NEP 2020 represent an important step toward expanding access and modernising the education system. But the success of these reforms will depend on whether economic growth generates sufficient employment opportunities for the country’s rapidly expanding pool of graduates.

If education policy and economic strategy move together, India’s youth population could become a powerful engine of growth. If they move apart, the country may discover that producing degrees is far easier than producing jobs.

Dr. Tajamul Rehman Sofi is an economics researcher specialising in financial stability, banking efficiency, jobless growth and public policy analysis. The views are personal.