Union Budget: Experts call for big push to healthcare, edu reforms
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Mumbai: Experts believe that the healthcare and education sectors require a strong policy push in the forthcoming Union Budget to address structural gaps and build future-ready capabilities.
The healthcare sector, they say, needs a significant boost through higher investments in talent, digital transformation and infrastructure, while education reforms must focus on quality, research and employability to make India globally competitive.
Dr P. R. Sodani, President, IIHMR University, said public health spending must rise substantially to further reduce out-of-pocket expenditure and improve service delivery.
“The government should effectively utilise the increased public health spending to enhance the capability and capacity of human resources, attract talent, and support training and capacity building, thereby improving the management of healthcare services and facilitating the digital transformation of healthcare, research, and development,” he said.
On education, Pankaj Priya, Deputy Director and Dean (Academics), Birla Institute of Management Technology (BIMTECH), Greater Noida, said addressing cognitive skill gaps alone is not enough and the responsibility cannot rest solely with State governments. “With the Centre driving the national skilling agenda, there is a pressing need for coordinated action,” he said.
At the higher education level, Priya stressed the urgent need to align curricula with Industry 4.0 and emerging technologies such as Generative AI and machine learning.
“The National Education Policy 2020 recognises this shift and targets exposure to skill-based learning for at least 50 per cent of students across school and higher education by 2025,” he said.
While the Economic Survey 2024–25 shows that the number of colleges has increased by 13.8 per cent over the past eight years and the Gross Enrolment Ratio has risen from 23.7 per cent to 28.4 per cent, Priya noted that the next phase of reform must pivot towards quality, deep research capacity and strong employability outcomes rather than merely expanding access.
“This Budget presents a critical opportunity to transform India’s education system into a globally competitive engine for innovation and future-ready talent, while fostering a mindset of entrepreneurship to maximise the benefits of government initiatives in cutting-edge technologies,” he said.
