Two more factors

This refers to the article “Don’t neglect higher education” (February 6). The percentage of education expenditure in schools and for higher education also depends on the number of students enrolled.

In 2024-25, India’s school education system had approximately 24 crore students while higher education enrollment (18-23 age group) was 3.8 crore students.

As such expenditure per student would be a more realistic yardstick to judge whether spending on higher education for the youthful, intermediate and ageing States is appropriate.

Besides, the National Education Policy 2020 recommends higher education expenditure should be around 30 per cent of total education expenditure. (The well-researched article may also analyse this aspect also.)

YG Chouksey

Pune

MPC’s status quo logic

This refers to ‘RBI MPC Meeting 2026: RBI holds repo rate at 5.25%’ (February 6). The unanimous decision of the MPC to maintain ‘status quo’ in respect of the prevailing repo-rate, was a foregone conclusion in the absence of a room for any tinkering therewith amid the given economic scenario.

However, it also goes without saying that one could always expect some changes therein as the CPI may be upward looking and the extant global geo-political situations may remain as fluid as before, when the MPC meets next in April.

Kumar Gupt

Panchkula (Haryana)

Crop insurance for plantation

Apropos “Jan rains hits Robusta Harvest; dents 2026-27 crop prospects” (January 31). This is the reason why exclusive crop insurance is demanded for plantation crops. Long stretch of rainy days in 2025 has affected several plantation crops including coffee, arecanut and rubber, and January 26 rains have caused premature flowering in coffee, even while harvesting is in progress.

PMFBY like insurance for plantation crops is impractical. An exclusive crop insurance for the plantation sector is overdue and must not be delayed in view of their forex earning capacity.

Rajiv Magal

Halekere Village (Karnataka)

Published on February 6, 2026