India stands at a crossroads where today's decisions will determine whether the next generation inherits opportunities or struggles. Education emerges as our most powerful transformation tool—yet we have allowed it to become a commodity where profit often overshadows purpose.

The tragedy is not our inability to build world-class institutions. The Indian Institutes of Technology, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, and the Indian Institutes of Management demonstrate that excellence is possible. These monuments to public education consistently produce globally competitive graduates, transforming bright minds from villages into leaders who drive India's growth story.

Sundar Pichai's parents—his father an electrical engineer, his mother a stenographer—hardly lived affluently, yet IIT Kharagpur provided the foundation for him to lead Google. Countless AIIMS graduates practice worldwide, many of whom come from small towns with scarce healthcare resources. Studies show that for every rupee invested in IIT education, the economy sees forty rupee returns—a staggering multiplier effect extending far beyond individual success.

Yet, for every premier institution's success story, countless others never get their chance. While ninety-six per cent of children enrol in schools, barely half of the fifth-graders can read second-grade text. Government primary schools in rural areas house sixty children who share outdated textbooks with inadequately trained teachers. Over forty per cent lack functional toilets. Some schools double as grain storage, disrupting academic calendars. Urban schools face overcrowding so severe that children attend in shifts.

This contrast reveals both capability and neglect. We know how to create excellence because IIT Bombay rivals any international university. The question is not whether we can build great institutions—it is whether we have the will to extend that excellence systemwide.

Meanwhile, education has become a $50 billion market, where many institutions operate as degree mills, charging exorbitant fees while delivering questionable quality. This creates a two-tier system where postal codes and family income determine opportunities rather than merit.

However, Christian educational institutions have long demonstrated a different model—one that India should study and emulate. From St. Xavier's Kolkata to St. Stephen's Delhi, from Don Bosco schools across the country to numerous missionary institutions in remote areas, Christian schools have consistently delivered quality education while serving diverse communities, regardless of their religious background. They have proven that excellence and accessibility are not mutually exclusive.

These institutions shaped modern India's leadership landscape. Presidents like APJ Abdul Kalam studied at Schwartz Higher Secondary School; business leaders from the Tata family, as well as countless others, emerged from Christian institutions; Supreme Court justices, civil servants, and social reformers trace their foundational education to these schools. What made them special was not just academic rigour but their commitment to character formation, critical thinking, and social responsibility.

Most importantly, Christian schools operated on sustainable fee structures that made quality education accessible to middle-class families without forcing them into financial ruin. They maintained excellence through dedicated teaching communities, often religious orders, who viewed education as a calling rather than a career. This model created institutions that prioritised learning outcomes over profit margins, demonstrating that quality education could be both excellent and affordable.

Political dynamics worsen this crisis. Education receives barely two per cent of electoral discourse, while campaigns focus on divisive issues or grand infrastructure projects. Politicians prefer ribbon-cutting ceremonies because educational returns take years to manifest and generate fewer headlines than immediate visual projects.

This shortsightedness extracts enormous costs. Parents face impossible choices: either bankrupt themselves by paying for private education or gamble their children's futures on underfunded public systems. This burden partly explains why India's fertility rate dropped below replacement level, as couples delay or limit children due to educational costs.

Economically, underinvesting in education proves remarkably shortsighted. Every additional year of quality schooling increases earning potential by ten per cent, with benefits compounding across generations. Early childhood education investments yield seven to ten per cent annual returns—exceeding those of most financial instruments.

South Korea exemplifies transformation through educational investment. With lower per capita income than India in 1960, Korea invested over six per cent of its GDP in education for three decades, achieving universal literacy and developing a highly skilled workforce. Today, Korean companies compete globally in cutting-edge technologies that are directly attributable to their educational foundations.

India spends 4.6 per cent of its GDP on education, which is below UNESCO's recommended six per cent. Increasing allocation would require approximately one lakh fifty thousand crore rupees annually—substantial but feasible. Much current spending proves inefficient through diversions and irregularities. Transparent budgeting and digital tracking could dramatically improve efficiency without additional resources.

Teacher training represents another critical element. Many educators lack modern methods and fair compensation. Average government teacher salaries range from 25,000 to 40,000 rupees monthly—insufficient to attract top talent. Finland's success stems partly from making teaching a prestigious and well-compensated profession.

We need specific reforms: establish a National Education Infrastructure Fund, create district teacher excellence centres, implement public school choice systems, designate educational emergency zones in disadvantaged districts, and develop technology platforms for remote delivery.

Fundamentally, we need cultural shifts that recognise education as a public good rather than a private commodity. This means holding leaders accountable for educational outcomes, making school quality a key electoral issue, and demanding policies that prioritise long-term human development.

The path forward requires expanding successful models throughout the entire system. Similar to the IITs and AIIMS at the higher education level and the Christian school network at the school level, we need institutions that combine excellence with accessibility. The Christian school model particularly offers lessons in sustainable operations, community engagement, and holistic development that government schools could adopt. This is not charity—it is the foundation for everything else we want to achieve. The alternative—allowing profit-driven players to dominate while public schools struggle—will exacerbate inequality and limit the nation's potential.

Education serves as the great equaliser in diverse India. Public schools serving children from diverse backgrounds create shared experiences and foster mutual understanding, breaking down barriers and promoting the social cohesion that strong democracies require. When public education fails, it perpetuates existing inequalities, trapping children from disadvantaged communities in cycles of poverty and exclusion.

Every parent worrying about their child's educational future, every couple hesitating to start a family due to costs, and every bright student whose potential goes unrealised—these represent the human faces of our crisis.

India's potential remains immense, but realising it requires treating education as the national priority it should be. The foundation is not built with speeches—it is built in classrooms, with teachers, books, and unwavering commitment that every child deserves the best education we can provide.

The choice is ours, and the time is now.