Vajpayee’s vision of a ‘New India,’ anchored in democratic principles and citizen-centric governance is giving a new look to  the education

Ten years ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi set forth his vision of sushasan (good governance), calling it “the key to a nation’s progress.” He declared December 25, former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birth anniversary, as Good Governance Day. Vajpayee had envisioned a “New India” where the government would embody the principles of democracy and development, emphasising citizen-centric decision-making, transparency, and public participation.

Put simply, good governance means that the day-to-day functioning of the government is effective, transparent, and accountable, which, in the modern age naturally includes e-governance and digital empowerment. In fact, in the context of a welfare government functioning in a vastly unequal society, good governance is fundamental for ensuring sustainable development, social justice, and the protection of human rights.

In 2019, India also adopted a metric called the Good Governance Index (GGI) to track and compare governance among the states and union territories across ten key sectors. The 11th Good Governance Day presents an apt moment to pause and reflect on the state of governance in one of the most critical sectors—education. Even though Human Resource Development, composed of indicators like “quality of education” and “elementary school retention rate,” is one of the ten key sectors covered by the GGI, a close look at India’s education governance reveals substantial room for improvement, particularly at the school level.

Vajpayee’s commitment to education was evident during his tenure as Prime Minister—he pioneered the landmark Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) in 2002, which emphasised universal school enrollment and went on to form the cornerstone of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009. Building decisively on this foundation, Prime Minister Modi’s leadership has elevated education to new heights through bold reforms.

The introduction of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, along with the NIPUN Bharat Mission, has revolutionised the approach to foundational learning. This shift is being carefully monitored through multiple assessment initiatives - states have implemented third-party evaluations, while programs like CBSE’s SAFAL, the National Achievement Survey, and Gujarat’s groundbreaking Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSK) use cutting-edge technology to track progress systematically. These assessment systems have revealed both progress and persistent challenges in our education system.

The data highlights critical areas that need attention, particularly in learning outcomes. Various learning surveys show that over 5 crore elementary-grade students lack foundational literacy and numeracy skills. Learning gaps for these children only keep widening as they progress through grades with a weak foundation. It is then unsurprising that almost 33 per cent of Grade VIII students are unable to read simple sentences or do basic arithmetic.

Recognising these challenges, PM Modi’s administration has taken a step through the State School Standards Authority (SSSA), recommended in the NEP 2020, which emerges as a pivotal reform to enhance India’s school governance standards. The proposed SSSA would be an independent quality regulator for all schools, both public and private. One of the key functions of the SA is to ensure public disclosure of school performance data for all schools through a digital portal.

With all schools being held to clear and uniform quality standards and policymakers being informed by data-driven insights, educational resources will be used more efficiently. The SA can create a culture of transparency where parents are active participants in their children’s education.

With its emphasis on streamlining bureaucracy, focusing on outcomes rather than inputs, and integrating technology to reduce administrative burdens, not only does it embody Prime Minister Modi’s ideal of “minimum government, maximum governance”. A pertinent example is the set of eight principles of good governance recommended by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP)—participation, rule of law, transparency, accountability, equity, effectiveness, consensus, and responsiveness.

As the nation observes Good Governance Day, the call to action is clear: states must embrace the SA to realise the shared vision of a “New India,” where quality education is a right, not a privilege.

(The writer is National Spokesperson, BJP; views are personal)