Editorials and blogs
Why punish students for systemic faults : By Avinash, 19th March 2025
This article in 'The New Indian Express' critiques India’s reinstated detention policy for grades 5 and 8, arguing it punishes students for systemic failures—poor funding, inadequate teacher support, and entrenched inequalities. It highlights that learning outcomes haven’t improved post‑policy change, and instead advocates investment in infrastructure, pedagogy, evaluation reform, and teacher training.
The right to food and the struggle with the PDS : By Ananye and Shaliendra, 9th January 2025
This article in 'The Hindu' examines how systemic barriers in India’s Public Distribution System deny marginalized citizens their food entitlements. It highlights exclusion from PDS rolls, biometric verification failures, corrupt ration practices, unnecessary documentation demands, and protracted delays—all undermining the constitutional right to food.
State must focus on quality education : By Avinash, 25th June 2024
Karnataka’s steep drop in Class 10 pass rates and poor ASER learning scores reveal systemic failure. This piece in the 'Deccan Herald' urges states to strengthen SDMCs, empower Block Education Officers, and leverage bodies like KSQAAC and DSERT for ongoing audits, pedagogy reforms, and teacher training to drive real educational quality.
Missing in manifestos: children’s issues : By Avinash, 4th June 2024
Children make up nearly 30% of India’s population, yet manifestos from major political parties largely overlook their concerns. This piece in 'The Hindu', highlights that education, health, and nutrition issues receive limited attention, with parties often sidelining child‑rights language and failing to propose age‑specific interventions, online safety measures, or systemic support in their commitments.
Why should we go to school? : By Ananye Krishna, Pronita Tarafdar, 8th February 2024
Ananye and Pronita write for 'India Development Review' (IDR), a ground report on the impact of regressvie school attendance policies on the education of Musahar Children in Patna, Bihar.
Karnataka Education Policy must build further on RTE : By Avinash, 19th October 2023
With Karnataka withdrawing from NEP 2020, this piece in 'The News Minute' urges a state education policy grounded in equity, multilingualism, and constitutional values. It emphasizes expanding the Right to Education (RTE), regulating private schools, ensuring inclusive early childhood care, and empowering community voices to create a truly democratic and context-sensitive education system.
Fraudulent Promise of Education : Case of Patna: By Ananye Krishna, Ayesha Nasir Alavi, Pronita Tarafdar, Vani Gard, 23rd May 2023
Ananye, Ayesha, Pronita, and Vani write for 'The Leaflet' a case study of the public education system's ostensible failures in Patna.
Schools must be climate resilient : By Avinash, 14th October 2022
Avinash writes for the 'Deccan Herald' calling on citizens and policymakers to make India’s schools climate‑resilient, highlighting rising threats from floods, heatwaves, and extreme weather. This piece advocates for infrastructure upgrades, adaptive design, emergency preparedness, and curriculum integration on climate resilience. The aim is to safeguard learning continuity and student well‑being amid climate disruptions.
Ed tech in remote Learning for ECE – Child Safety Concerns : By Avinash, 7th December 2021
Avinash writes for 'The Times of India' exploring child safety concerns in early childhood education (ECE) amid rising EdTech use during remote learning. He highlights risks such as data privacy violations, inadequate safeguards, and digital inequity. The piece calls for child-centric digital policies, parental engagement, and safer, inclusive technology to protect young learners online.
Shedding Light on NIPUN Bharat : By Ananye Krishna, 6th September 2021
Ananye writes for 'The Leaflet' examining India’s flagship initiative— Nipun Bharat - launched in July 2021 under NEP 2020—to ensure foundational literacy and numeracy for children aged 3–9 by grade 3. It explores the mission’s three developmental goals, its learning outcomes. framework, and concerns around inclusion and policy implementation.
Linguistic minorities in India: Entrenched legal and educational obstacles to equality : By Avinash, 21st February 2019
There are over 1,369 different languages in India but many face the real threat of disappearing in the near future. Avinash looks at the available constitutional protections as well as the institutional threats that minority languages face – and how affirmative action might hold the key to protecting them.