New Delhi, Sept. 6 -- As India celebrated Teachers' Day on 5 September in memory of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the nation's second president, it is an appropriate time to reflect on the state of the country's education system and the reforms needed to prepare children and youth for a rapidly changing world.

Education is a basic need and a responsibility of both the Central and State governments. It must be provided universally as a public good. Yet India has still not achieved full functional literacy and numeracy. Declining public investment has weakened many government schools, contributed to teacher shortages and poor accountability, and affected learning outcomes. At the same time, private schools and coaching centres have filled s...