Kerala General Education and Labour Minister V. Sivankutty has sharply criticized the Union Budget 2026-27 for ignoring public school education and betraying workers' interests in favor of corporates. He highlighted the lack of focus on school infrastructure and worker welfare. Sivankutty urged the Centre to adopt Kerala's inclusive education models.
At a press conference on Sunday, February 2, 2026, Kerala Minister V. Sivankutty condemned the Union Budget 2026-27 as neglectful of public education and hostile to workers. He argued that the budget fails to prioritize public school education from Classes I to XII, which he sees as crucial for the nation's future.
"It was unfortunate that the Budget has failed to give any priority to public school education," Sivankutty said, pointing out the absence of meaningful investments in infrastructure development or quality enhancement in government schools. He noted that education-related announcements were mostly limited to higher education and skill development, leaving school education sidelined. There were no clear plans to improve the physical conditions of lakhs of government schools or to bridge the digital divide, and existing schemes like Samagra Shiksha received only nominal increases, which he deemed inadequate.
Sivankutty praised Kerala's state initiatives, such as insurance schemes for schoolchildren and extending universal education up to the degree level, and called on the Centre to learn from them.
Labeling the budget as "anti-worker and pro-corporate," he criticized the large-scale tax concessions and 'safe harbour' benefits for corporate entities, while ordinary workers saw no provisions for wage increases or social security. He warned that expanding manpower supply services under contract work would destabilize the labor sector and promote contractualisation, eroding permanent employment. Schemes like 'Corporate Mitra' in the MSME sector, he said, do not tackle real worker issues. "Unemployment cannot be solved through short-term courses without ensuring fair wages and safety," he added.
