India, April 14 -- As I follow 'School Choice' legislation making its way through the Texas House, I can't help but think how valuable such reforms could be for Punjab and other Indian states. Back in India, my domestic help refused to send her children to the local government school. Instead, she committed nearly half her monthly salary to private school fees. Her story is not uncommon. The image of government schoolteachers knitting, chatting, or idling in near-empty classrooms isn't a stereotype-it's a reality for many, and a symptom of a system in dire need of reform.

Legal precedent is on the side of equity too. Under the Right to Education Act, India mandates a minimum 25% reservation for underprivileged students in private schools...