Animesh Kumar - अनिमेष कुमार

25/08/2026

Today Mihika Dutta and I had the opportunity to meet Hon’ble Minister for Social Welfare, Government of NCT of Delhi, Shri Ravinder Indraj Singh.

We discussed Centre for Civil Society’s work on education for the last 29 years. We shared a copy of EoOS Index 2026 that I had co-authored with Shaivy Maheshwari and Nitesh Anand. We discussed our findings Delhi's budget private school. Delhi ranks 11/30 with a score of 21.84 out of 100.

To read our report, visit www.studentfirst.in

ccsindia

14/08/2026

Pleased to share that the Ease of Operating Schools [EoOS] Index 2026, available at: https://studentfirst.in, authored by Shaivy Maheshwari, Nitesh Anand and me, has been featured as the cover story of the August edition of EducationWorld.

The Index examines the regulatory environment governing schools across Indian states and asks a fundamental question: Does our education system enable schools to operate, innovate and serve students or burden them with unnecessary regulatory complexity?

The cover story, “Ease of Operating Schools Index 2026: Damning Indictment of India’s Educracy,” reported by Dilip Thakore brings this conversation to the forefront.

Grateful to the team at the Centre for Civil Society and everyone who contributed to making this research possible.

Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/gqZiN6Nu

08/08/2026

https://www.facebook.com/100064679381801/posts/1473550174810948/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v

In 2005, just 10.6% of India's children were in private unaided schools. By 2025 that reached 39.9%, much of it low-fee, community-run schools serving first-generation learners.

Yet many states still run on rules built for a time when private schools were rare. So schools spend more energy following rules than improving learning, and small schools feel it most. A rule a big school barely notices can put a neighbourhood school at risk.

In this article for Kanoon Review, Dr. Animesh Kumar argues that the way forward is smarter regulation and a framework that harmonises accountability with trust so quality schools can grow while staying answerable.
Read the full piece: https://www.kanoonreview.com/noida-news-82/

27/07/2026

Insightful discussions at the launch of the Lok Sabha Elections in India 2024. The highlight was interacting with Prof. Balveer Arora on multiple federalism in India and sharing the key findings of the Ease of Operating Schools [EoOS] Index 2026 published by Centre for Civil Society ccsindia, reaffirming the central role of states in shaping K-12 education in India.

IIPA CSDS, Delhi Lokniti-CSDS

25/07/2026

From building the platform to presenting its findings-an unforgettable experience sharing the EoOS Index 2026 with India's top school leaders. Grateful for the opportunity and the insightful conversations that followed.

Centre for Civil Society ficci_india

17/07/2026

It was a privilege to participate in a close door discussion alongside Ms Mihika Dutta & Mr Manoj Mathew organised by Nation First Policy Research & Change Foundation having Centre for Civil Society as knowledge partner focusing on enhancing K-12 Education and human development in India at India Habitat Centre on July 14, 2026. The discussion was moderated by Dr Amit Chandra & Mr Veer Patil. The dialogue encompassed a variety of viewpoints on regulatory reforms, teacher capacity, learning outcomes, and the future of school education, all aimed at furthering the goal of Viksit Bharat.

30/06/2026

It was a privilege to participate in the Round Table Discussion on "RTE Reforms: From Policy to Practice," organised by Nation First Policy Research & Change Foundation, with Centre for Civil Society as the Knowledge Partner.

The discussion provided an excellent platform to share my experiences with the implementation of the RTE Act, particularly its intersection with the ease of operating schools in India. I also tabled our key takeaways in preparation of the Ease of Operating Schools (EoOS) Index 2026 (available at: www.studentfirst.in), emphasising the need to complement the Right to Education with a regulatory ecosystem that enables schools to function efficiently while ensuring quality and accountability.

Thanks to the organisers and all participants for the enriching discussions and diverse perspectives. Looking forward to continued collaboration toward strengthening India's school education ecosystem.

20/06/2026

Delighted to share moments from the launch of the Ease of Operating Schools (EoOS) Index 2026, India's first index of its kind, authored by Shaivy Maheshwari, Nitesh Anand, and me, at the Reforming India’s School Education (RISE) for Viksit Bharat conclave organised by the Centre for Civil Society at the India International Centre, New Delhi.

The Index was formally launched by an eminent panel comprising Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla (India’s first astronaut to visit the ISS), Gurcharan Das, Indrani Bhaduri, Shailendra Sharma, Taneya Singh, Vardan Kabra, Sunita Johar and Amit Chandra.

A significant step towards fostering evidence-based reforms in school education governance and creating a more enabling regulatory environment for schools across India.

The e-copy of the Index may be accessed from www.studentfirst.in