E-Paper
Why viksit schools are the foundation of a Viksit Bharat by 2047
This article is authored by Sumeet Mehta, CEO & co-founder, LEAD Group.
Shivani is a Class 6 student at a school in Sardhana, Uttar Pradesh. She attends school regularly, her uniform is neat, and her notebooks are filled with page after page of meticulous notes. By most measures, she is known as a ‘good student’.
But when Shivani is asked why seasons change, a topic she has studied in geography, she struggles to explain. She cannot suggest a real-life example of how fractions work. And while she can recall definitions from her notes word for word, she is unsure how percentages apply to something familiar, such as a discount at the kirana store in her neighbourhood.
Shivani has completed her syllabus, but has barely understood the concepts in her chapters.
Across India, around 270 million children spend seven to eight hours a day in school. Yet, like Shivani, a vast majority of these students are not really learning. Enrolment has increased, attendance has improved, and exams are held on time. But ask a student to explain a concept in their own words, apply it to daily life, or think through a practical situation, and the silence is loud and telling.
Schooling has moved forward. Learning has not kept pace.
Over time, a clearer pattern emerges: The problem is not effort, but a system that rewards completion over comprehension. Teachers work under constant pressure, often without adequate training or support. Students in the same classroom are at very different learning levels, and teaching resources are limited. Syllabi prioritise finishing chapters over building understanding. Over time, teaching turns into dictation and learning into memorisation. Schools begin to function like exam-taking assembly lines: achieving marks, but not understanding.
Students pass exams and collect certificates, but when learning is reduced to memorisation, it proves fragile. Knowledge that cannot be explained or applied disappears the moment the exam is over. This is not a small or isolated issue. It goes directly to the heart of India’s future.
India’s goal of becoming a Viksit Bharat by 2047 will not be achieved through infrastructure or policy alone. It will depend on what today’s school-going children grow up able to do, and how they choose to act. In an AI-first world, where jobs evolve constantly and knowledge dates quickly, the ability to think independently, adapt to new situations and apply learning matters far more than marksheets or degrees. Equally important is the ability to reason, make ethical choices, work with others and take responsibility for one’s actions. A developed nation needs not only capable professionals, but also thoughtful citizens.
The real question, then, is what kind of schools does India need.
A truly developed, or ‘viksit’, school is one where every child learns and progresses, irrespective of background. Such schools prepare students not just to clear exams, but to face life’s challenges with confidence.
Achieving this requires a fundamental shift in how schools approach teaching and learning.
The first and most fundamental shift must be to move away from rote learning. Concepts need to be taught in different ways - through books, videos, games, projects and group work - so that students actually understand what they are learning. When understanding is strong, exam scores reflect real progress.
Teachers are central to this change. Expecting better outcomes while relying only on chalk-and-talk methods is unrealistic. Teachers need practical tools, clear lesson support, and ongoing training that helps them teach skills, not just complete the syllabus. When teachers are supported, classrooms move from passive listening to active learning.
Personalised learning is critical. In every classroom, students learn at different speeds and need support in different areas. Yet traditional school systems move everyone forward at the same pace. Personalised practice and timely remedials help ensure progress for every child, not just a select few.
Students also need exposure to life beyond textbooks through experiences and opportunities. When they collaborate with peers, build things, or participate in structured co-curricular challenges, they assume agency and experience the rough and tumble of actually making things happen beyond books. This exposure is as important as academic scores.
Before children can learn well, they need to feel secure, supported, and emotionally settled. Environments that encourage self-awareness, help students handle stress and failure, and build resilience, allow them to grow with confidence. These qualities are just as important as academics in shaping capable, balanced citizens.
When such schools become the norm rather than the exception, the impact will be felt far beyond classrooms. After all, if 270 million school-going students can all be nurtured to their full potential, who can stop India from becoming a Viksit Bharat?
This article is authored by Sumeet Mehta, CEO & co-founder, LEAD Group.
