Economic Survey 2025-26 Chapter 11 Summary for UPSC
Chapter 11 of the Economic Survey 2025-26, titled Education and Health: What Works and What’s Next, explains how education and health form the foundation of India’s human capital, productivity, social mobility and Viksit Bharat journey.
The chapter studies both progress and emerging challenges. In education, it focuses on access, quality, learning outcomes, community participation, vocational education, higher education capacity, industry-academia collaboration and internationalisation. In health, it highlights gains in maternal and child health, public health schemes, digital health, non-communicable diseases, obesity, nutrition and digital addiction.
For UPSC, this chapter is important for GS Paper 2 topics such as education, health, welfare schemes, governance and human resources. It is also useful for essays on demographic dividend, inclusive growth, digital society, behavioural change and human capital-led development.
Chapter Snapshot: Most Important Facts
The chapter’s central message is that India’s demographic dividend can become a productivity dividend only if education quality, skill readiness, preventive healthcare, nutrition and digital well-being improve together.
Education: Enhancing Quality and Access
School education is the foundation of human capital and a key requirement for Viksit Bharat @2047. India has a major demographic advantage: nearly 27% of the population was in the 3-18 school-going age group in 2024, and this group will still be over 20% by 2047.
However, India’s expected years of schooling is 13.0, below several global peers and below the 15-year schooling structure envisioned by NEP’s 5+3+3+4 framework. Therefore, India needs a lifecycle approach covering early childhood education, foundational literacy and numeracy, universal secondary schooling, vocational skills and digital skills.
Cross-Country Comparison of Expected Years of Schooling
| Country | 3-18 Age Share, 2024 | HDI Education Index 2025 | Projected 3-18 Age Share, 2047 | EYS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | 26.94% | 0.372 | 20.14% | 13.0 |
| China | 18.78% | 0.626 | 10.44% | 15.5 |
| Russia | 18.97% | 0.768 | 15.72% | 13.2 |
| Brazil | 21.59% | 0.611 | 16.39% | 15.8 |
| Japan | 13.19% | 0.805 | 11.87% | 15.5 |
| Germany | 14.92% | 0.922 | 13.76% | 17.3 |
| Indonesia | 26.55% | 0.575 | 21.11% | 13.3 |
| USA | 19.39% | 0.882 | 17.14% | 15.9 |
NEP 2020: Education Reform Framework
NEP 2020 is the first major education policy reform in 34 years. It promotes a flexible, inclusive and learner-centric approach. In school education, it focuses on ECCE, FLN, reducing dropouts, universal access, curriculum reform, teacher capacity, equity and quality.
School Infrastructure and Government Programmes
India operates one of the world’s largest school systems with 24.69 crore students, 14.71 lakh schools and over 1.01 crore teachers. Government schools constitute 69% of all schools and enrol nearly half of all students.
| Programme | Purpose | Important Achievement |
|---|---|---|
| PM SHRI | Establish over 14,500 model schools with NEP-aligned holistic transformation. | 13,076 PM SHRI schools established in 33 states/UTs. |
| Co-located Anganwadi Centres | Strengthen ECCE and early learning. | Co-located AWCs present in 2,99,544 schools; 4,81,004 government and aided schools with Grade I have some pre-school facility. |
| PM-JANMAN | Support education and development of PVTGs. | 500 hostels approved with outlay of ₹1,255.24 crore. |
| Multilingual Textbooks | Promote learning in Indian languages and inclusive learning material. | e-Jaadui Pitara has over 3,000 e-contents; Bharatiya Bhasha Pustak Scheme offers materials in 22 Indian languages. |
| KGBVs | Residential schools for girls from socio-economically disadvantaged groups. | 2,682 KGBVs upgraded by 31 March 2025. |
| Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan | Residential hostels for tribal students. | 692 hostels sanctioned across 23 states/UTs. |
| ULLAS | Adult education and lifelong learning. | 3.1 crore learners, 47 lakh volunteer teachers and 1.7 crore neo-literates registered. |
Recreated Chart: Improvement in School Infrastructure
India has improved access and infrastructure, but the next challenge is quality: learning outcomes, secondary retention, teacher capacity, inclusive education, accountability and alignment with skills.
Learning Outcomes: Assessments, Accountability and Community Participation
The chapter stresses that enrolment alone is not enough. India’s next phase of education reform must focus on learning outcomes, meaningful assessments, teacher capacity, social-emotional learning and accountability.
Secondary School Retention Challenge
Secondary age-specific net enrolment is only 52.2%. A key reason is uneven distribution of schools. About 54% of schools provide only foundational-preparatory education, while just 17.1% of rural schools provide secondary education. This causes transition losses, travel burden and dropouts.
Community Participation
Community-school partnerships improve accountability, enrolment and foundational learning. The chapter gives examples such as Chaduvula Panduga in Andhra Pradesh, Alokar Jatra in Assam, Aao School Chalein in Haryana and the Subject Friend peer-learning model in Maharashtra’s Zilla Parishad School Jalindarnagar.
Parental involvement improves student motivation and academic success.
Teacher communities improve peer support, motivation and policy implementation.
Community experts can teach vocational and academic skills.
Peer-learning models build confidence, comprehension and participation.
PARAKH 2024 and ASER 2024
PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 evaluates learning outcomes, competencies and holistic progress. It shows recovery at the foundational stage after COVID. Grade III mathematics proficiency rose to 65%, up from 42% in 2021, and language proficiency rose to 57%, up from 39%.
Assessment Reform: From Scoreboard to Feedback Tool
The Survey argues that assessment data should not remain a scoreboard. It should identify learning gaps, conceptual confusion and areas where teachers need support. International systems such as the US NAEP and Australia’s NAPLAN show how diagnostic assessments can guide teaching improvement.
PARAKH also found that only 35% of schools accommodate children with special needs and only 38% have trained teachers. Only 55% of students feel motivated to attend school, and less than half feel emotionally safe.
School-to-Skill Pathways: Reducing Dropouts and Improving Employability
The chapter highlights that most out-of-school children are in the 14-18 age group. According to PLFS 2023-24, nearly two crore adolescents aged 14-18 are out of school.
The biggest reason for adolescent dropout is the need to supplement household income, which accounts for 44% of dropouts. Among boys, this share is 67.32%. Among girls, domestic and care responsibilities affect over 55% of those who leave school.
Formal Training Fields Among 14-18 Year Olds
| Field of Formal Training | Number | Share |
|---|---|---|
| IT-ITeS | 5,99,714 | 52.94% |
| Textiles, handlooms, apparel | 1,28,202 | 11.32% |
| Office and business-related work | 97,942 | 8.65% |
| Beauty and wellness | 30,257 | 2.67% |
| Electrical, power and electronics | 29,264 | 2.58% |
| Artisan and cottage-based production | 20,567 | 1.82% |
| Healthcare and life sciences | 10,867 | 0.96% |
| Other | 2,16,021 | 19.06% |
Skill education in schools can reduce dropout by making education economically relevant. Composite schools, vocational exposure from Grades VI-XII, industry visits, MSME partnerships and apprenticeships can convert schooling into a pathway for productivity.
Higher Education: Access, Quality and State Capacity
Higher education institutions increased from 51,534 in 2014-15 to 70,018 as of June 2025. Universities increased from 760 to 1,338, colleges from 38,498 to 52,081, and medical colleges from 387 in 2013-14 to 819 in 2025-26.
Higher Education Progress
Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025
The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025 aims to reform higher education regulation. It proposes an apex body with three councils: Regulatory Council, Accreditation Council and Standards Council. It seeks to replace fragmented regulations with a unified, technology-driven, single-window system.
Reduces overlapping regulation and improves governance.
Supports quality benchmarking and student-centric information.
Coordinates standards across HEIs under the Ministry of Education.
Reduces compliance burden and delays through technology-driven systems.
State Public Universities
State Public Universities are central to higher education access. There are 495 SPUs, accounting for nearly 81% of total student enrolment in HEIs, about 3.24 crore students. Their quality improvement is essential for making India a talent, knowledge and innovation hub.
| State-Level Initiative | Purpose | Broader Lesson |
|---|---|---|
| Gujarat Public Universities Act 2023 | Greater autonomy, simplified procedures and better governance. | Governance reform improves university performance. |
| Maharashtra State Faculty Development Academy | Builds leadership capacity of VCs, registrars and administrators. | State capacity matters in higher education. |
| Odisha Mo College | Structured alumni engagement. | Alumni can support institutions beyond funding. |
| IIT Madras and IISc Research Parks | Structured research-industry interface. | Industry-academia links improve innovation. |
| Odisha Higher Education Programme | Research internships and Centres of Excellence. | Targeted interventions improve opportunity and quality. |
Industry-Academia Integration and Internationalisation of Higher Education
Industry-Academia Integration in STEM
The Survey argues that innovation depends on continuous interaction between government, industry and academia. STEM education provides scientific and analytical skills, but full benefits appear when research connects with industry for technology development, application and commercialisation.
Key Industry-Academia Tools
Allows industry professionals to bring real-world experience into classrooms.
Pilot to train 350 faculty members in 2025-26; planned expansion to 1,500 annually.
National portal for sharing publicly funded R&D facilities.
Co-created curriculum, industry-led courses, industrial tools and project-based learning.
Internationalisation of Higher Education
NEP promotes internationalisation by making Indian education globally comparable, attracting foreign students and reducing outbound student migration. UGC regulations allow twinning, joint and dual degrees with reputed foreign universities. 100% FDI is allowed in higher education.
India can use education tourism through STEM, Ayurveda, yoga, philosophy, classical arts, innovation labs and rural immersion modules. However, internationalisation must avoid excessive commercialisation and protect inclusion and indigenous knowledge systems.
Health: Strengthening Public and Preventive Healthcare
Public health is the second core pillar of human capital. India has made significant gains in life expectancy, fertility reduction, maternal health, child health, immunisation, public health infrastructure and digital health access.
Digital Health and AI
India has used digital technologies to improve healthcare access, insurance integration, transparency and evidence-based policymaking. Initiatives include ABDM, Hospital Management Information System, e-Sanjeevani and AI-driven clinical support.
AI Centres of Excellence for healthcare reform have been established at AIIMS Delhi, PGIMER Chandigarh and AIIMS Rishikesh. AI tools are being used for clinical decision support, disease surveillance, diabetic retinopathy screening, TB screening and drug-resistant TB detection.
Progress in Health Schemes
| Scheme | Purpose | Important Progress |
|---|---|---|
| Ayushman Bharat | Continuum of care from primary to tertiary levels. | 1,82,944 AAM operational; 506.50 crore footfall; 42.66 crore teleconsultations. |
| Human Resources | Support states with health workforce. | Nearly 3.78 lakh health human resources provided to states. |
| AB PM-JAY | Financial protection for hospitalisation. | 42.78 crore cards generated; 10.98 crore hospital admissions; 49% beneficiaries female. |
| NP-NCD | Identify high-risk individuals and link them to care. | 40.13 crore hypertension screenings; 39.86 crore diabetes screenings. |
| PM-ABHIM | Strengthen primary, secondary and tertiary health systems. | 9,519 building-less sub-centre HWCs, 5,456 urban AAMs and 621 critical care blocks. |
| National TB Elimination Programme | Reduce TB incidence, mortality and treatment gap. | Incidence declined 21%; mortality declined 25%; treatment coverage increased to 92%. |
| Universal Immunisation Programme | Digital immunisation records through U-WIN. | 14.32 crore beneficiaries registered and 60.98 crore doses recorded. |
| PM National Dialysis Programme | Financial risk protection for dialysis patients. | 30.12 lakh patients served and 389.65 lakh haemodialysis sessions held. |
Epidemiological Transition, NCDs and Obesity
India is experiencing an overlapping epidemiological transition. Infectious diseases such as TB and vector-borne diseases continue, while non-communicable diseases like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancers are rising rapidly.
NCDs account for more than 57% of all deaths in India. Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death for both men and women.
Tackling the Obesity Challenge
NFHS 2019-21 reports that 24% of Indian women and 23% of Indian men are overweight or obese. Among women aged 15-49 years, 6.4% are obese, and among men, 4.0% are obese. Excess weight among children under five rose from 2.1% in 2015-16 to 3.4% in 2019-21.
Ultra-Processed Foods: Policy Response
Explore restrictions on UPF/HFSS advertising, especially targeted at children and adolescents.
Front-of-pack warning labels can be more effective than ranking-style labels.
Explore higher GST slab and surcharge for UPFs crossing sugar, salt or fat thresholds.
FSSAI may define UPFs in addition to HFSS using Nova classification or cosmetic additives.
India’s health challenge is no longer only about expanding hospitals. It now requires preventive health, regulation of unhealthy food environments, school-based wellness, physical activity, nutrition awareness and behaviour change.
Nutrition: From Food Security to Nutrition Security
The chapter highlights a complex nutrition landscape: child malnutrition, nutrient deficiencies among adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating mothers, micronutrient deficiencies, obesity and lifestyle diseases.
Daily per capita intake of calories and protein increased in both rural and urban areas between 2009-10 and 2023-24. Calorie intake in rural and urban areas is now similar at almost every income level, suggesting a narrowing nutritional gap.
Nutrition Policy and Behaviour Change
NFSA 2013 ensures food security. Nutrition security is supported through Saksham Anganwadi and POSHAN 2.0, PMMVY and Poshan Shakti Nirman. The chapter says the next phase must focus not only on access but also food quality, dietary diversity, bioavailability and outcome tracking.
| Nutrition Challenge | Policy Direction | UPSC Use |
|---|---|---|
| High cereal dependence | Promote dietary diversity, millets, pulses, milk, fruits, vegetables and protein-rich foods. | Food security to nutrition security. |
| Micronutrient deficiency | High-quality fortified foods and supplements with outcome tracking. | Public health and human capital. |
| Food fads and taboos | Culturally relevant nutrition education and behavioural campaigns. | Behavioural governance. |
| School nutrition | Healthy cafeterias, water access, fruits, physical activity and wellness councils. | Preventive health from childhood. |
| Nutraceutical grey area | Clear information that supplements are not equivalent to clinically validated therapies. | Consumer protection and health regulation. |
Rajasthan Cash Plus Model
Rajasthan’s Cash Plus Model combines direct benefit transfer with social and behaviour change communication to improve maternal and child nutrition in tribal districts. It targeted pregnant and lactating mothers, husbands, mothers-in-law, family members and communities.
Nutrition schemes must combine financial transfers with behaviour change. Without changing household decisions, myths, gender norms and food habits, cash support may not translate into nutrition outcomes.
Digital Addiction: Cognitive and Psychological Impacts
The chapter treats digital addiction as an emerging behavioural health risk. India’s digital economy is expanding rapidly, and access is now widespread. The digital economy contributed 11.74% to national income in FY23 and is projected at 13.42% in FY25.
What is Digital Addiction?
Digital addiction refers to excessive or compulsive engagement with smartphones, internet, gaming, social media or streaming that causes distress and functional impairment. It can reduce sleep quality, attention, academic performance, workplace productivity and social connectedness.
Reduced focus, sleep debt, lower study hours and weaker academic performance.
Anxiety, stress, depression, low self-esteem and cyberbullying stress.
Productivity loss, financial harm, online purchases, gaming and cyber fraud.
Weaker peer networks, lower community participation and reduced offline skills.
Global and Indian Responses
| Country / Institution | Response | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| WHO | Recognised gaming disorder in ICD-11. | Public health recognition of online gaming addiction. |
| Australia | Nationwide ban on social media accounts for children under 16. | Protect children from digital harm. |
| South Korea | Shutdown law introduced in 2011, later replaced with parental control models. | Regulate youth gaming behaviour. |
| China | Fatigue system and real-name registration for online gaming. | Limit gaming time among minors. |
| Singapore | Media Literacy Council. | Promote responsible digital citizenship. |
| India CBSE | Guidelines on safe internet use. | School-level digital safety. |
| Tele-MANAS | 24/7 toll-free mental health helpline 14416. | Mental health support and early intervention. |
| Online Gaming Act 2025 | Bans online money games involving wagering and restricts advertising. | Reduce addiction, financial harm and mental health risks. |
Way Forward for Digital Wellness
The goal is not to demonise technology. The policy challenge is to preserve digital progress while reducing addictive design, harmful content, sleep disruption, social isolation and financial harm.
Outlook: Building a Healthy, Educated and Skilled India
The chapter concludes that India’s health and education sectors need sustained attention to unlock the nation’s true potential. New challenges such as NCDs, digital addiction, poor nutrition, obesity and mental health issues can weaken the demographic dividend if not addressed.
The chapter calls for open public discussion, constructive acknowledgement and nationwide campaigns on mental health, screen-time habits, lifestyle-related health issues and nutrition.
Technology-driven surveys using UDISE+, AISHE, ABDM and AI tools can help identify health and education hotspots, such as obesity in urban slums or digital addiction in peri-urban schools.
Learning outcomes, accountability, teacher capacity and skill alignment.
NCD prevention, nutrition, obesity control and early screening.
Digital hygiene, mental health, offline engagement and platform accountability.
Healthy, skilled and educated citizens for Viksit Bharat.
Education, skilling, health, nutrition and digital wellness must be treated as one integrated human capital agenda. This holistic approach can help India build resilient, productive and future-ready citizens.
UPSC Prelims, Mains and Essay Takeaways
- India has 24.69 crore students, 14.71 lakh schools and over 1.01 crore teachers.
- India’s expected years of schooling is 13.0.
- PM SHRI schools established: 13,076.
- ULLAS registrations: 3.1 crore learners and 47 lakh volunteer teachers.
- Higher education institutions increased to 70,018 by June 2025.
- Higher education GER reached 29.5 in 2022-23.
- IMR declined from 40 in 2013 to 25 in 2023.
- Ayushman Bharat cards generated: 42.78 crore.
- Access has improved, but learning outcomes and retention remain key challenges.
- Community participation strengthens accountability and foundational learning.
- Vocational education can reduce dropout and improve employability.
- State Public Universities are crucial for inclusive higher education expansion.
- India’s health system must shift from curative to preventive care.
- Digital addiction is a behavioural risk to the demographic dividend.
- Human capital as the foundation of Viksit Bharat.
- From schooling to learning.
- Preventive health in a changing India.
- Digital progress versus digital addiction.
- Nutrition security beyond food security.
- Demographic dividend and future-ready workforce.
Key Terms Explained
| Term | Simple Meaning | UPSC Use |
|---|---|---|
| EYS | Expected years of schooling a child is expected to receive. | Education quality and human development. |
| GER | Total enrolment at a level as percentage of official age-group population. | Access to education. |
| NER | Enrolment of official age-group children at the corresponding level. | Retention and actual participation. |
| FLN | Foundational Literacy and Numeracy. | NEP and NIPUN Bharat. |
| PARAKH | Performance Assessment, Review and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development. | Assessment reform. |
| APAAR | Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry. | Student academic tracking. |
| NCD | Non-communicable disease such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease. | Public health transition. |
| UPF | Ultra-processed food. | Obesity and lifestyle disease. |
| SBCC | Social and Behaviour Change Communication. | Nutrition and health behaviour. |
| Tele-MANAS | National tele-mental health helpline. | Mental health and digital addiction response. |
Internal Links for UPSC Economy and Social Sector Preparation
Continue your preparation with the Economic Survey 2025-26 complete summary for UPSC. You can also use these related IASment study sections:
- Previous Chapter: Economic Survey 2025-26 Chapter 10 Environment and Climate Change
- UPSC Economy Notes for concept clarity.
- UPSC Prelims Economy Strategy for MCQ-focused preparation.
- UPSC Mains GS Paper 3 Economy Notes for analytical answer writing.
FAQs on Economic Survey 2025-26 Chapter 11
What is Economic Survey 2025-26 Chapter 11 about?
It is about India’s education and health sectors, focusing on human capital, school education, higher education, learning outcomes, skilling, public health, NCDs, obesity, nutrition and digital addiction.
Why is this chapter important for UPSC?
This chapter is important for GS Paper 2 because it covers education, health, welfare schemes, human resources, governance and social justice. It is also useful for essays on demographic dividend and human capital.
What are the most important facts from this chapter?
Important facts include 24.69 crore students, 14.71 lakh schools, 13,076 PM SHRI schools, higher education GER of 29.5, IMR decline from 40 to 25, 42.78 crore Ayushman cards and NCDs accounting for more than 57% of deaths.
What is the main education challenge highlighted in this chapter?
The chapter says India has improved access and infrastructure, but learning outcomes, secondary retention, vocational exposure, teacher capacity and accountability need further strengthening.
What is the main health challenge highlighted in this chapter?
The chapter highlights the double burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases, rising obesity, ultra-processed food consumption, nutritional gaps and digital addiction.
Why is vocational education important?
Vocational education is important because many adolescents leave school to supplement household income. School-based skilling can make education relevant and improve employability.
What is digital addiction?
Digital addiction is excessive or compulsive use of smartphones, internet, gaming, social media or streaming that harms sleep, focus, mental health, academic performance and social connectedness.
What is the final message of Chapter 11?
The final message is that India must integrate education, skilling, preventive health, nutrition and digital wellness to build a healthy, educated, skilled and productive population.
Official Source and Chapter Navigation
For the official document, refer to the Official Economic Survey 2025-26 source.
This IASment page is a UPSC-oriented educational summary prepared for revision, conceptual clarity and exam use.