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budget

The overall education budget in that instead of investing in our sion report needed to be closed. A
2015-16 came down from 82, 771 future through strengthening higher UGC survey reveals that 73 per cent
crore to 69, 074 crore. Compared education, the 2017-18 budget was colleges and 68 per cent of universi-
to UPA Government plan allocation stagnant at 3.71 per cent and only a ties impart medium and low qual-
that went up by 18 per cent in 2012-13 meagre 1.5 per cent was allocated to ity education. This is compounded
and by 8.03 per cent in 2013-14, the higher education altogether, even by cent per cent appointments of
NDA Government reduced the plan though the need has arisen year teachers by the State Governments
allocation for 2015-16 by 24.68 per after year with rising population on contractual basis as Shikshsa
cent. There were drastic cuts across demand and inflation reducing the Mitra with no job security and that
the board. The flagship Sarva Shik- value of such amounts year after also through corrupt practices of
sha Abhiyan (SSA) was reduced by year. The existing state of IIMs, IITs huge payoffs making it clear how
22.14 per cent, funding for the Mid- and NITs reveals that 26 per cent the overall teaching quality has been
Day Meal Scheme by 16.41 per cent, of faculty posts in the IIMs, 35 per compromised.
the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha cent of faculty posts in the IITs and India has one of the largest higher
Abhiyan for secondary education by 50 per cent of faculty posts in NITs education systems in the world and
28.7 per cent and the Rashtriya Uch- are vacant. At the same time there ranks second in student enrolment,
chatar Shiksha Abhiyan, to support is a race to create more and more exhibiting a healthy growth in the
state colleges, by 48 per cent. Impor- such institutions, indicating a glaring number of institutions and enrol-
tant bodies like the SSA, which funds ment since the country’s Independ-
schools throughout the country, ence. There are now 864 universi-
received 22, 000 crore against the The existing state ties and 40, 026 colleges but only a
demand for 50, 000 crore from the of institutions few world-class institutions like
2015-16 budget. the IITs. India’s grim educational
Educational allocation reveals such as IIMs, IITs scenario depicts a sea of medioc-
and NITs reveals rity, which bodes ill for the future of
the nation. What is worse is the
that 26 per cent of scenario wherein the government
faculty posts in the instead of improving the education
system seems bent on saffronis-
IIMs, 35 per cent of ing our universities and institutes
of higher and secondary education
faculty posts in the by removing the heads of several of
IITs and 50 per cent such institutes and replacing them
with persons with Sangh Parivar
of faculty posts in ideology.
With drastic reduction in the
NITs are vacant education budget that includes
budget for research and develop-
lack of quality in higher education ment, scholarships to meritorious
in India, where the government is students and growing emphasis on
collectively lacking. There are no privatisation and commercialisation
teachers and students are being of education, education is becoming
herded into half-built campuses increasingly unaffordable for the
with half the faculty strength to backwards and poor in our system
impart education, making it a of democratic governance wherein
depressing scenario. the people are the sovereign masters
In addition, there are shortages as they elect the the government of
of six lakh teachers in the SSA, 9,749 transient majority and the govern-
vacant teaching posts out of a total ment is accountable to its people.
42, 640 teachers in Kendrya Vidya- Cut in education budget is viewed as
layas. Added to this, 50 per cent of anti-people and anti-poor steps and
positions in teacher-training insti- the process must end in the national
tutions are vacant. Most teachers interest!
training colleges are so bad that
according to Justice Verma Commis- letters@tehelka.com