Abstract

The rise of neoliberalism as a dominant economic and political ideology in India since the 1990s has deeply affected various sectors including public education. This paper investigates how neoliberal policies have reshaped the landscape of public education in India by promoting privatization reducing public expenditure introducing managerial accountability frameworks and altering the purpose and accessibility of education. Through a sociological and political economy lens the study explores the decline in state responsibility the expansion of private actors and the consequent inequalities in access and quality. The paper also evaluates how neoliberal discourse transforms education from a right to a commodity challenging the very foundations of democratic citizenship and social justice. Drawing from policy documents education reports and academic literature it argues that the neoliberal reconfiguration of public education undermines its egalitarian potential and necessitates an urgent r