New Delhi, Aug. 16 -- India's education story is often narrated through expansion like more schools, higher enrolment, new institutions, digital initiatives and ambitious policy announcements. But the latest UNESCO SDG 4 Scorecard invites more uncomfortable questions.The question is are our investments and systems doing enough to ensure that children not only enter school, but stay, progress and complete their education. The latest assessment provides important signals that deserve serious reflection by policymakers, educators and the relevant institutions.

The 2026 SDG 4 Scorecard, prepared by UNESCO's Institute for Statistics and the Global Education Monitoring Report, assesses countries against the education benchmarks they have set f...