Public Expenditure on Children in India: Trends and Patterns
The report “Public Expenditure on Children in India: Trends and Patterns” examines the public spending on children by the union and sixteen state governments in India over seven years (2012-2019). It highlights the importance of investments in children’s health, nutrition, education, and protection, emphasising the direct impact of such expenditures on child development and overall […]
Public Expenditure Review of School Education in Select States
This study reviews public expenditure on education in India, focusing on the patterns and priorities across various stages of school education, including preschool, primary, upper primary, secondary, and senior secondary levels. The analysis encompasses six states—Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Rajasthan—covering the fiscal years from 2012-13 to 2019-20. Before conducting a detailed […]
Costing Framework and Principles for Responsive ECCE Models
It is important to have an estimate for the cost of services by any provider, irrespective of whether the provider is a public or a private entity. An accurate estimate of costs for providing any particular service can help in more efficient planning, judicious use of resources and better decision – making regarding subsidies and […]
Developing ‘Responsive’ ECCE models in India
Scientific research on early childhood development has informed investments in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) across the global south. Conceptual frameworks of ‘developmentally appropriate practice’ (DAP) guide ECCE policy and practice according to established norms for children’s development. However, DAP frameworks leave the universal and normative core of developmental thinking unaddressed. Based on an […]
Marketization of ECCE and the Reproduction of Caste-based Inequities in India: Evidence and Policy Implications
Research has established the positive impacts of strong early learning environments and institutional contexts in tackling inter-generational inequality. ECCE is viewed as a means to counter the adverse long term effects of poverty and deprivation. To this end, policy advocates improving access to quality ECCE. Little attention, however, has been paid to how pervasive social […]
National Capacities Strengthened to Address Gender Equality in Education
This study investigates the root causes of boys’ underachievement and disengagement from education, focusing on intersectional factors across individual, family, and societal levels. It also evaluates policy initiatives to address these challenges and explores the potential for scaling successful strategies.
Public Expenditure Review of School Education in Select States
The study aimed to gain a deeper understanding of budget and expenditure trends and fiscal accountability in school education in six states — Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Rajasthan — covering the period from 2011-12 to 2019-20.
A Critical Sociological Analysis of the Skills Development Initiative of India
The Vocationalisation of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (VSHSE) program was introduced in 2013 by the Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD) to offer optional vocational courses in schools, alongside academic subjects. The VSHSE was launched in Karnataka in 2014-15. In the first phase of a study by CBPS to understand the social impacts and […]
A Randomised Control Trial Evaluation of the Mentor Together Life Skills Mentoring Program
The report evaluated the impact of Mentor Together (MT), a pioneering one-to-one mentoring program in India, on high school students in urban Bangalore. Despite initiatives like the Right to Education and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan aimed at improving educational access, many adolescents face significant challenges, including high dropout rates, financial constraints, and early marriage. Recognising […]
Bihar Mentorship Project: Curriculum Linkages
The overall goal of the Bihar Mentoring Project (BMP) funded by the Malala Fund was to develop an empowerment-based mentoring model based on an action-research study of three years in ten urban and rural schools in Bihar. Focusing on adolescent boys and girls, the mentoring model introduced a new form of pedagogy that prioritised critical […]