Education in Telangana: From right to commodity

Telangana was born from a historic struggle built around aspirations of social justice, self-respect, employment and a better life for ordinary people. Among the most powerful promises of the movement was “Free Education from KG to PG.” Twelve years after statehood, however, the education sector presents a troubling contradiction: while education is constitutionally recognized as a right, access to quality education is increasingly determined by a family’s ability to pay.

Government schools have steadily lost ground to private institutions. According to the figures cited from UDISE data, government schools accounted for 65.74% of schools in 2014–15; by 2026, their share had fallen to about 60.89%. The decline is even sharper in enrollment. The proportion of Classes 1–8 students studying in government schools reportedly fell from 46.49% in 2014–15 to around 28%. This migration reflects growing dependence on private education and declining confidence in the public system.

Residential schools have expanded substantially, from 296 to 1,004, with enrollment rising from 1.4 lakh to 5.5 lakh. Yet these institutions serve only a fraction of the state's children. For millions of families, private-school fees remain a major financial burden. A major unresolved issue is fee regulation. Telangana has discussed regulating private educational institutions for decades, including through the Tirupati Rao Committee in 2017 and subsequent committees. Yet the state still lacks a comprehensive Fee Regulation Act. The absence of an effective framework leaves parents vulnerable to rising and often opaque charges.

The implementation of the Right to Education Act, 2009, is another serious concern. Section 12(1)(C) requires private schools to reserve 25% of entry-level seats for children from economically weaker and disadvantaged sections. Telangana has yet to fully implement this provision, denying many disadvantaged children an opportunity to access private-school education.

Public investment is equally important. The 2026–27 state budget reportedly allocates ₹26,674 crore for education—around 8.2% of total expenditure. This is significantly below the 15% level often advocated for strengthening public education. If Telangana seeks to build a knowledge-based economy, investment in teachers, infrastructure and institutions must be treated as a priority rather than a residual expenditure. Medical and engineering education presents another challenge, with a substantial proportion of seats located in private institutions where fees can be beyond the reach of ordinary families.

The solution is not to reject private education, which has an important role to play, but to ensure that it operates within a transparent, accountable and socially responsible framework. Telangana needs higher public investment in education, effective fee regulation, implementation of Section 12(1)(C) of the RTE Act, recruitment to vacant teaching posts, stronger government schools and greater accountability in private institutions. Education should be an instrument of social mobility, not a source of household debt. Protecting affordable, quality education means protecting the future of Telangana.

– T. Chiranjeevulu

The author is a retired IAS officer and Founder Chairman of BC Intellectual Forum,

Hyderabad