Page 203 - EW October 2025

School Enrolment by Management Type, India UDISE+ This holistic relationship explains why isolated infrastructure
upgrades have limited educational impact unless paired with so-
cial inclusion measures.
The study urges a paradigm shift from siloed policymaking
toward integrated urban-education planning.
Integrated Urban Planning and Education
Urban master plans must incorporate educational accessibility
metrics, including:
• 15-minute education zones: every student should reach a good
school within 15 minutes’ travel.
• Safe school routes: protected sidewalks and crossings.
Affordable Housing and School Alignment
(Source: UDISE+, Ministry of Education) Educational access should guide site selection for affordable
housing (PMAY, state housing boards).
Housing Stability and Learning Continuity Mandating school adjacency and public-transport connectiv-
Housing insecurity disrupts education.Cities with intense slum ity in all redevelopment projects can mitigate the learning disrup-
relocation (e.g., Mumbai, Ahmedabad) report dropout rates tions associated with relocation.
15–20% above city averages. Children relocated to outer zones Environmental and Public-Health Integration
commute over 90 minutes daily, leaving less time for study and Link the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) with educa-
rest. Informal settlements, with poor lighting and crowding, un- tion by targeting pollution control in school-dense areas. Schools
dermine concentration and health. Hence, housing policy must should double as community hubs for environmental education
integrate school-proximity norms and “safe travel corridors” to and health awareness, reinforcing civic participation.
sustain learning continuity. Digital Infrastructure for Learning Equity
Environmental Quality and Cognitive Outcomes Expand broadband through BharatNet and PM-Wi-Fi, prioritiz-
Environmental stressors, particularly air pollution, correlate with ing low-income wards.
reduced learning performance. Public-private partnerships with EdTech firms should deliver
• In cities where AQI > 120 (Delhi, Lucknow, Kanpur), reading discounted data plans and devices.
scores are 8–10% lower than in cleaner cities such as Pune or Municipal Smart City Dashboards should track household
Coimbatore. internet access and online learning participation as equity indica-
• Chronic exposure to PM 2.5 increases absenteeism via respi- tors.
ratory illness. Governance and Coordination
Thus, the capability approach gains empirical validation — en- Institutional fragmentation — separate ministries for education,
vironmental inequality limits educational capability even for en- housing, and transport — hampers integrated action.The paper
rolled students. proposes creating Urban Human Capital Councils at city level
Digital Access and Educational Resilience to align planning, budgeting, and performance monitoring across
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the “digital divide” as a new departments.
axis of inequality: Conclusion
• 63% of urban poor students lacked reliable internet (NITI The study concludes that nearly 45% of inter-city educational
Aayog 2022). performance variation in India arises from infrastructure con-
• Schools with broadband maintained < 10% absence during ditions, even after accounting for income and parental educa-
lockdowns, whereas those without saw > 35% absence. tion.
• Post-pandemic recovery in learning outcomes has been faster Hence, education policy alone cannot achieve inclusion
in digitally connected cities (e.g., Bengaluru, Pune, Surat). without synchronized urban infrastructure reforms. Achiev-
Hence, education policy must treat digital connectivity as basic ing SDG 4 requires embedding infrastructure equity within
infrastructure, not a luxury. city planning to ensure every child has a safe, healthy, and
Interactions and Compounding Effects connected learning environment.
Infrastructure deficits interact synergistically. When poor trans- India’s future competitiveness hinges on transforming its
port coincides with unstable housing and limited digital access, cities from sites of segregation to engines of equal opportu-
their combined effect amplifies dropout and underperformance. nity — where urban design becomes a foundation for human
Multivariate modeling shows that when all infrastructure factors development. Building such “learning cities” will not only
are integrated, explanatory power for educational variation rises bridge educational divides but also drive sustainable, inclu-
from 28% to 43%. sive economic growth.

(Agastya Lall is a student of Oberoi International School, Mumbai. Accredited by the BrihanMumbai Municipal
Corporation, his study explores the relationship between educational outcomes and urban infrastructure in India)

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