Bharat Edscape Weekly - Issue #6

India’s education system is going through a real shift, shaped by curriculum changes, early AI integration, and tighter pathways for students going abroad. CBSE and NCERT are pushing toward skills, languages, and more institutional flexibility, but a large number of students are still dropping out as they move up the system. At the same time, visa restrictions and rising costs overseas are nudging students to consider options within India, giving a boost to private universities and edtech. The bigger question is whether these changes can actually improve retention, quality, and outcomes, or if the gaps in the system will continue to hold things back.

I’d love to hear what you think — push back, agree, or share what I missed. Drop me a note at [email protected]. And if this is worth a spot in your inbox every week, go ahead and subscribe

Funding & Acquisitions

• PhysicsWallah keeps growing. The edtech firm pulled in ₹205 crore in online revenue during a 20-day “Vishwas Diwas” launch window, a 36% jump over last year. New enrollments rose 21% to 4.39 lakh students, with state board courses up 178% and vernacular batches doubling. The company expanded into 1,579 new pin codes during the period, signalling a clear push into smaller cities.

• United Learning League (ULL) raised ₹100 crore in seed funding to build a premium K-12 International Baccalaureate (IB) school network. It’s one of the largest early-stage bets on a greenfield school chain in India. Led by Pritam Agrawal, founder of Hello Kids preschool chain, ULL plans five IB-aligned campuses in five years and has already submitted its Expression of Interest to the IB organization.

• Kids accessories brand Filli Me raised ₹1.5 crore in a pre-seed round led by D2C Insider Super Angels to scale its ergonomic school bag line for children aged 2 to 8.

Partnerships & Strategic Initiatives

• Bihar is betting big on higher education infrastructure. The state has completed a Detailed Project Report for a 250-acre “Global Model Education City” near Patna, with ₹547 crore earmarked upfront. The model, inspired by Japan and Singapore, brings multiple universities onto a shared campus with smart classrooms, advanced labs, and industry tie-ups. The global framework is expected to be finalized within two months.

Policy & Government

• CBSE overhauled its curriculum on multiple fronts this week.Starting 2026-27, a third language becomes compulsory from Class 6, with at least two of the three being Indian languages. English is now classified as a foreign language. The Board added Dogri, Maithili, Konkani, and Santhali, bringing the total to all 22 scheduled languages. Vocational education, art, and physical education are now mandatory in Classes 9 and 10. Math and science will be offered at two levels, standard and advanced, with an extra 25-mark exam for the advanced track.

• Backing this up is a new AI and computational thinking curriculum, launched on April 1 for Classes 3 to 8 as part of the maths syllabus. Developed under IIT professor Karthik Raman and vetted by NCERT, the programme is designed to move students away from rote learning toward critical thinking. Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also directed NCERT to translate the curriculum into Indian languages for rollout across states this year. It will extend to Classes 9 and 10 next year and become a board exam subject by 2029.

• NCERT got a new identity. The Ministry of Education declared it a “deemed to be university” on March 30, covering NCERT and its six regional institutes. It can now run its own diploma, degree, and doctoral programmes without needing approval from the local universities its institutes were previously affiliated to. Not everyone is thrilled. An earlier internal note from NCERT faculty warned the move could mean “surrendering academic autonomy to the UGC”.

• The NCERT textbook controversy continues. Three academics moved the Supreme Court to explain their role in the contested Class 8 social science chapter on judicial corruption. The government has set up a review committee led by former Supreme Court Judge Indu Malhotra and ex-Attorney General KK Venugopal.

• Karnataka released a draft policy on student screen time, developed with NIMHANS, citing that nearly one in four adolescents shows signs of problematic internet use. Key proposals: a one-hour daily cap on recreational screen time, Digital Wellness Committees in every school, and a “digital detox” training programme for teachers. The draft is open for public feedback.

• Maharashtra wants to stop government school students from leaving for private English-medium schools. A committee led by joint director Ramakant Kathmore recommended converting Marathi-medium schools to “semi-English”, teaching science and maths in English while keeping Marathi for other subjects. A 2009 resolution already allowed this, but adoption outside Mumbai and Pune has been limited. The panel also wants CSR funding from corporates and district officials to each adopt a cluster of 10 to 20 schools.

• Jammu & Kashmir is opening the door to private universities. Education Minister Sakeena Itoo introduced a bill in the J&K Assembly to set up and regulate private universities, with safeguards for academic standards and student interests.

• Delhi made two moves this week. The Directorate of Education ordered private schools to stop forcing parents to buy books and uniforms from designated vendors, requiring them to list at least five alternatives. Schools must also keep uniforms unchanged for at least three years. Separately, the government launched the Lakhpati Bitiya Yojana, offering up to ₹61,000 in milestone-linked installments for girls’ education, maturing to ₹1.20 lakh with interest.

Financial Reports & Market Trends

• India has largely solved the problem of getting children into school. Keeping them there is a different story. Primary attendance is near-universal, but participation drops sharply at every stage after, falling to just 23.4% at post-higher-secondary. Nationally, total enrollment has hit a seven-year low at 232.89 million.

• And it’s not just a pipeline problem. A Parliamentary Standing Committee found that only ₹6,639 crore of ₹12,500 crore allocated to school education had actually been spent as of February 2026. Over 18,000 government schools have shut down in the past five years, while private schools added 8,475 new ones in a single year.

• Students are rethinking study abroad.After outbound numbers peaked at 8.5 to 9 lakh in 2023, growth is moderating as Canada caps study permits and the UK restricts dependent visas. In the Rajya Sabha, the government confirmed that Australia moved India to the strictest visa evidence level in January 2026. The result: Indian private universities are seeing more interest. Ashoka University reports an uptick in applications from students who were earlier targeting overseas programmes, including some holding offers from well-regarded global institutions. FLAME University sees a similar trend, with metro students making strategic rather than reactive choices and smaller-city students responding more directly to visa uncertainty and rising costs.

• And finally: CBSE’s Class 12 History paper went viral after students found a QR code that redirected to search results for influencer Orry. CBSE says the codes are for authentication, not browsing. Search engines did the rest.

Opinions

• India’s edtech boom promised to democratize learning for 250 million schoolchildren. But now that the dust has settled, did AI-powered platforms actually change how kids learn, or did they just digitize the same old rote system? This Channel News Asia deep dive into India’s edtech landscape traces the arc from pandemic gold rush to post-hype consolidation, and asks whether the sector’s biggest merger can deliver what individual companies couldn’t. Read it for a sobering outside-in view of where Indian edtech actually stands.

• West Bengal once had one of India’s most storied education traditions. So what happens when a state announces 11 new “dream” universities and years later, most of them barely exist on the ground? This Indian Express editorial on Bengal’s higher education crisis digs into recruitment scams, political turf wars, and a shrinking education budget to ask whether the state’s intellectual legacy is being quietly dismantled. A must-read for anyone tracking how governance failures ripple through education systems.

Job Openings

• The People Order works on government partnerships and program expansion in the development sector. They’re hiring a Manager – Government Partnerships — remote, with travel as required, at ₹12 LPA. You’ll need 7–10 years of experience working with government stakeholders, with a strong background in policy and public systems. Apply with your resume to [email protected]

• Rysen Group of Schools builds K-12 academic systems focused on operational excellence and meaningful learning. They’re hiring a Program Associate – K-12 Academic Excellence — on-site in Jaipur, 3 openings. 2–3 years in K-12 education, curriculum design, or teacher development required, along with experience in teacher training and coaching. Apply: [email protected]

• YoLearn.AI is a consumer AI tutoring platform with 1 lakh+ users, building AI tutors and study buddies students can interact with via chat and voice. They’re hiring across 8 roles — from interns to directors — including Data Analyst, AI System Engineer, Growth Manager, Learning Experience Designer, and Full Stack AI Engineer, based in Bengaluru or Delhi NCR. Deep awareness and usage of AI tools is a must-have. Send your CV to [email protected] with subject line “Name – Role Applied For.”

• Telangana Public School (TPS), Arutla, serves 1,500–2,000 students and is looking for a TFI alum to take up an Academic Coordinator role — 1-year consultant position at ₹12 LPA. You’ll need 5+ years in education, 2+ years of teaching experience with strong TFI classroom outcomes, and 2–3 years in leadership or coaching roles. Basic Telugu and Hindi proficiency required. Apply here.

• Teach For All works to bridge the gap between AI innovation and classroom equity across 63 countries. They’re hiring a Project Manager and an Online Community Manager for their AI and Technology team — remote roles for proactive problem-solvers at the intersection of tech and social impact. Apply via the link in the post.

• Rysen Group of Schools is also hiring a Center Head – Administration & Operations across multiple locations. 2–4 years of experience preferred, ideally in K-12 education, with strong administrative chops and a hands-on, high-ownership approach. You’ll manage end-to-end campus operations including budgeting, infrastructure, and non-academic staff. Apply: [email protected]

• GetLitt! is a literature-led gamified reading and writing community where children build confidence in stories and language. They’re hiring a Program & Growth Manager — full-time, on-site in Mumbai. 3–5 years in strategic partnerships or program management required, preferably in education or social development. High ownership and proficiency with online tools are key.

• TeamLease Edtech offers training and skill development programs at scale. They’re looking for an Assistant General Manager – Program Delivery Head, Operations based in Mumbai. Post-graduate degree preferred, with experience managing student services in large EdTech organizations. Apply via the link in the post.

• Newton School of Technology (NST – SVYASA) offers technology-focused higher education programs. They’re hiring a Campus Head – Operations & Strategy in Bangalore — a leadership role spanning academics, operations, student lifecycle, placements, and campus culture. You should have experience building and leading cross-functional teams. Apply: [email protected]

• Cognitii builds high-performance mobile apps for children with autism, ADHD, and dyslexia, creating interactive learning experiences backed by real behavioral data. They’re hiring an SDE (0-1) — hybrid, Hyderabad preferred. Full-stack flexibility across React Native, Node.js, Python, Firebase, and AWS required. This is a wealth-building journey with equity on the table. Send your resume, GitHub/portfolio, and 2 best project links to [email protected] (cc: [email protected]).

• KPMG India is working on a high-impact higher education reforms initiative in partnership with the Government of Andhra Pradesh — on-site in Vijayawada. You’ll need experience in higher education policy, government advisory work, and institutional transformation across universities and technical institutions. Send your CV to [email protected]

• LingoAce (ACE Academy) is a K-12 EdTech company focused on education services for the North American market. They’re hiring a Course Counselor (Sales) — remote, India-based. K-12 EdTech sales experience required, and experience selling to US parents is preferred. Send your resume and a short intro video to [email protected]

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