The Indian education system has progressed significantly since independence in three key areas: 1) Literacy rates have increased from 18% in 1951 to 77% in 2020, and the number of schools and universities has grown enormously. 2) Major policy reforms like the National Policy on Education (1986, 2020) and programs like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan expanded access to education. 3) Women's education has greatly improved - the female literacy rate rose from 9% in 1951 to 70.3% today, supported by government scholarships and separate women's institutions.