Achieving Quality in Education Under SDG 4 – Financial Challenges and Gaps from an Indian Perspective

Abstract

India has shown significant progress in increasing the literacy levels of children in both primary and elementary education. Consistent efforts are being made to enhance enrolment rate, retention and attendance of students to truly universalise education in India. The country still faces many issues in education sector ranging from gender inequality to quality of content being imparted. This paper aims to review the status of education in India, particularly in light of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Number 4. This goal aims to promote inclusive education for all with a focus on equity and quality. India is a very important stakeholder in SDGs and therefore, it is relevant to study the current education policies and programmes of the Government and analyse whether they are aligned with the international goals. This paper also discusses upcoming trends in education like the Draft National Education Policy, 2019 (NEP), which is being projected as an important step to align Indian education sector with SDG Goal 4. The paper uses secondary sources of data, which includes government data, research articles, independent studies and institutional reports. This paper identifies some critical gaps and challenges still existing in education sector such as inadequate resources, budget constraints, lack of basic infrastructure, low teacher recruitments and gender discriminatory practices. Lastly, some suggestions are proposed to solve the issues identified.