ABSTRACT
In almost seven decades since independence, one of the most disappointing aspects of India’s development story has been its notable failure to rise up to the challenge of adequate financing for elementary education. Way back in 1966, the Kothari commission had recommended an expenditure norm of 6 per cent of GDP on education, which has not been achieved yet. With the rise of neoliberalism in recent decades, the so-called ‘public services’ such as education and health have increasingly been subjected to the logic of the market. As with most countries across the globe, neoliberal India has to contend with major challenges due to a transition in its overall macroeconomic policy regime as regards provisioning of basic services. With respect to education, where the situation in any case was seriously worrisome even in the digitised era, the overall situation seems to be worsening and critical concerns relating to inclusion and equity need to be examined and addressed afresh.
