Understanding the Role of the Ministry of Human Resource Development in India’s Education System

If you’ve ever wondered who decides what gets taught in Indian schools, who funds central universities, or who shapes national education policies – the answer traces back to one apex body in the Government of India. Known for decades as the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), this institution has governed every level of education in India, from primary schooling to postgraduate research. In 2020, it was renamed the Ministry of Education (MoE), but its structure, mandate, and significance remain largely the same. For anyone studying educational management, understanding this ministry is foundational – because all major decisions about India’s education flow through it.

What is the Ministry of Human Resource Development? 🔗

The Ministry of Education (MoE), formerly the MHRD, was established on 26 September 1985 through the 174th amendment to the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961, under the Rajiv Gandhi government. Before 1985, it was simply called the Ministry of Education – a name India has had since independence in 1947. With the introduction of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, it was renamed back to the Ministry of Education, though in academic and policy literature it continues to be referenced as MHRD.

The ministry’s central mission is to treat India’s citizens as its most valuable resource and to ensure their all-round development through quality education. Its core responsibilities include formulating the National Policy on Education, expanding access to educational institutions across all regions, supporting disadvantaged groups through scholarships and subsidies, and encouraging international cooperation in the field of education – including working closely with UNESCO and foreign governments.

Structure of the ministry 🔗

The ministry operates with a clear leadership hierarchy. At the top is the Minister of Human Resource Development (now Minister of Education), a Cabinet-level position with significant political weight. The Minister of Education is the head of the ministry and a member of the Union Cabinet. The minister is responsible for overseeing all ministry activities, steering the government’s educational objectives, and playing a central role in formulating and implementing education policies. Decisions made at this level affect millions of students across the country – from curriculum design to budget allocation for schools and universities.

Assisting the Minister are two Ministers of State, who manage specific portfolios within the ministry. This division of responsibilities ensures that the two major areas of education – school education and higher education – each receive focused attention. While the Cabinet Minister handles broad strategic direction, the Ministers of State deal with the more specialized operations that fall under their purview. The National Portal of India lists the Ministry of Education as comprising three main organizational units: the ministry itself and its two departments.

Two key departments 🔗

The Ministry of Education currently works through two departments: the Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) and the Department of Higher Education (DoHE). Each department has a distinct mandate and operates with its own set of schemes, autonomous bodies, and regulatory mechanisms.

Department of School Education and Literacy 🔗

The Department of School Education and Literacy is responsible for the development of school education and literacy across India. Its scope covers primary, secondary, and higher secondary education, as well as adult education and literacy programmes. The department functions through several well-known autonomous and statutory bodies, including CBSE, KVS (Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan), JNV (Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya), NIOS, NCERT, and NCTE.

The department’s centrally sponsored schemes include Samagra Shiksha – a holistic initiative covering pre-nursery to Class 12 that integrates earlier programmes like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and RMSA – along with PM Poshan (formerly the Mid-Day Meal Scheme) and the Padhna Likhna Abhiyan for adult literacy. The department promotes universalization of education, with a focus on retention and successful learning outcomes, particularly for marginalized communities. It also oversees the ULLAS (Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society) scheme, a centrally sponsored programme running from 2022-23 to 2026-27 that targets all non-literate individuals aged 15 years and above.

Aligned with the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE Act), the department is mandated to ensure that every child between the ages of 6 and 14 receives free and compulsory education. This legal backing makes the department’s work not just a policy matter, but a constitutional responsibility.

Department of Higher Education 🔗

The Department of Higher Education oversees one of the largest higher education systems in the world, ranked just after the United States and China in scale. It is responsible for university-level education, technical education, and scholarships. The department handles central universities, Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), and other centrally funded institutions.

By March 2022, student enrolment in higher education had risen to 41 million, with the number of recognized higher education institutions reaching 1,113 universities and 23 Indian Institutes of Technology. The Department of Higher Education is also the implementing arm for major NEP 2020 reforms in universities – including multidisciplinary education, the Academic Bank of Credits, and the proposed Higher Education Commission of India (HECI).

Government’s role in education: policies, funding, and subsidies 🔗

The government’s role in education is not limited to administration – it extends deep into policy-making, financial support, and setting national standards. The MHRD/MoE is the primary body for formulating the National Policy on Education. India has had two major national education policies – one in 1986 and the landmark National Education Policy 2020, which is built on five guiding pillars: Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability, and Accountability. NEP 2020 represents a sweeping transformation – from restructuring the school curriculum using a 5+3+3+4 design to overhauling the governance of higher education.

Budget allocation and funding 🔗

Funding is one of the most direct instruments of government influence in education. NEP 2020 calls for public investment in education to reach 6% of GDP, with both the Central and State Governments expected to contribute. The Ministry of Education’s budget allocation grew from ₹99,311 crore in 2020-21 to ₹1,12,899 crore in 2023-24 – an increase of approximately 13.68%. In the 2026-27 Union Budget, higher education alone accounted for roughly 40% of the total education outlay, with the higher education budget reaching ₹557 billion – an 11.3% increase over the previous year.

The central government provides financial assistance to state governments for improving school infrastructure, teacher training, and curriculum development. At the higher education level, grants are channelled to central universities, IITs, IIMs, and deemed universities. Funding for autonomous institutions in higher education saw an 89% increase in one recent budget cycle, signalling serious intent to strengthen institutional capacity.

Subsidies and welfare schemes 🔗

The government’s commitment to making education accessible goes beyond building institutions. A range of welfare schemes ensures that financial barriers don’t prevent learning. The PM Poshan Scheme provides nutritious hot meals to school children – it is the world’s largest school feeding programme. National Means-cum-Merit Scholarships support talented students from lower-income families. At the higher education level, the ministry provides scholarships, loan subsidies, and financial help to students from deprived sections of society.

The PM e-VIDYA initiative – launched to unify all digital, online, and on-air education efforts – is designed to benefit nearly 25 crore school-going children across the country, giving them multi-mode access to learning. These schemes collectively reflect the ministry’s dual focus: ensuring physical access to schools and colleges, and ensuring that cost is not a barrier to quality education.

Regulatory and quality oversight 🔗

Beyond funding, the ministry exercises oversight through autonomous regulatory bodies. Bodies like NCERT set curriculum standards, NCTE regulates teacher education, and CBSE governs school-level examinations. At the higher education level, the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) function under the ministry’s broad umbrella. NEP 2020 proposes consolidating these under a single Higher Education Commission of India (HECI), with four independent verticals handling regulation, accreditation, funding, and academic standard-setting separately – each with its own mandate and without overlap.

Why this structure matters for educational management 🔗

The two-department structure of the MHRD/MoE is not just an administrative convenience – it reflects a deliberate recognition that school education and higher education have fundamentally different needs, challenges, and stakeholders. A department focused solely on school literacy can design programmes for first-generation learners in rural India, while a separate department for higher education can simultaneously pursue world-class research infrastructure. This separation allows for focused policy attention without losing the coherence of a unified ministry.

For teachers and education professionals, understanding this structure is essential. The schemes that govern your school – whether Samagra Shiksha, PM Poshan, or the RTE Act’s implementation – are all products of this ministry’s work. The standards your students are assessed against, the institutions you work within, and the policies that determine your training and career development all trace back to decisions made within the MHRD/MoE framework.

What do you think? Given that the MHRD was renamed the Ministry of Education in 2020, do you think the change in name reflects a genuine shift in how human development and education are seen as separate concerns – or is it largely symbolic? And with NEP 2020 pushing for 6% of GDP to be invested in education, what do you think should be the priority areas for that increased spending: school infrastructure, teacher training, or higher education research?

References

1. https://www.education.gov.in/
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Education_(India)
3. https://aishe.gov.in/about-ministry-of-education/
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minister_of_Education_(India)
5. https://www.india.gov.in/category/education-learning/ministry/department-of-school-education-and-literacy
6. https://www.education.gov.in/en/school-education
7. https://dsel.education.gov.in/en/dsel
8. https://www.impriindia.com/insights/ministry-of-education-literacy/
9. https://opportunities-insight.britishcouncil.org/analysis/indias-national-education-budget-2023-24
10. https://www.education.gov.in/en/nep/about-nep
11. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1946419
12. https://opportunities-insight.britishcouncil.org/analysis/decoding-higher-education-priorities-indias-latest-national-budget