Ministry of Education

The Ministry of Education plays a significant and transformative role in shaping the socio-economic fabric of the country through education, working to nurture India's most valuable resource—its citizens—for an improved quality of life and holistic individual development. The Ministry has existed since India's Independence in 1947 and was reorganised as the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) on 26 September 1985 through the 174th Amendment to the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961. In 2020, following the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, it was renamed back to the Ministry of Education.

The Ministry functions through two departments: the Department of School Education & Literacy and the Department of Higher Education. The Department of School Education & Literacy is committed to the universalisation of education and the promotion of literacy, while nurturing responsible, capable, and informed citizens through a range of schemes and initiatives aimed at improving access, equity, and quality in school education. The Department of Higher Education oversees one of the largest higher education systems in the world and focuses on expanding access to quality higher education, promoting research and innovation, strengthening academic institutions, and fostering international collaborations through partnerships and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) for the benefit of Indian students and the higher education ecosystem.