In India, education was never meant to be only a path to employment — it was meant to shape disciplined, civil, socially aware human beings. Healthcare was the dignity of life, not a profit machine. Dr. Ashutosh Singh's essay addresses the turn where both fields have become ‘industries’.
When should a nation start to worry?
When school fees, coaching, private hospital bills, and drug prices push families into debt — worry should begin. Poor students drop out; mothers return from hospitals without treatment. In Hajipur, Dr. Singh has seen this pain closely.
Where do markets clash with human need?
Private investment has a place in education and health — but when regulation is weak and accountability zero, markets exploit human need. The state's role is not only licensing — it is setting standards, publishing data, and building safety nets for the poor.
What can Hajipur-level action look like?
That is why Dr. Singh's practical plan includes hospital support and education continuity through public funds — ground solutions, not paper policy.
What does a society lose over time?
Having seen how developed societies function, Dr. Singh argues: a society that treats schooling and treatment as mere ‘markets’ loses competitiveness over time — because talent and health both begin with children.