Our aim in this paper is to provide a global systems-view of the changes in the Indian schooling (pre-tertiary) sector over the past two decades, especially the interplay between a medley of global and domestic non-state entrants and a State tasked with the mission of universalising school education. Besides the obvious interface in the regulatory arena and in explicit collaboration arrangements, the influence of non-state actors extends to policy making and the shaping of the education ecosystem, much of this opaque and inscrutable to the general public. Not merely the means of providing education, but the very nature and purpose and philosophy of education, have come under negotiation, sometimes through open debate but often through inscrutable systems of influence.

The digital era of the 21st century has added a further layer of complexity to a globalized world, even as countries like India are having to contend with the growing diversity in their learner population as they seek to expand the reach of literacy and education within their borders.

We examine the alternatives to state provision that prevail in the Indian school sector, and their relative effectiveness in achieving the twin goals of educational access and quality. We then go further beneath the surface and examine the language of policy that defines these attributes, to detect the common threads with global educational reform agendas and development practices, but also the divergences and idiosyncrasies native to our ecosystem