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EDUCATION

f late a debate has been tre through MHRD and other Depart- ever, with a decline in funding for the
going on as to whether ments and Ministries for education and newly constituted Higher Education
the Ministry of Human by the States and UTs for education in Funding Agency (HEFA), experts were
Resource Development both absolute terms and as percentage of left disappointed. Since the government
O has brought down the GDP is increasing every year. Table below has established HEFA it has asked the
allocation to education or it has been may be referred in this regard. central universities, IITs and IIMs to have
increased. What are the facts? Tehe- The MHRD claimed that expenditure loans from the agency instead of having
lka tries to find out. On December on education has been increasing over grants. The decline for HEFA is by 24 per
9, 2019, the MHRD came out with a the years in both absolute terms as well cent; this would mean that the institutes
release denying that the allocation as in percentage of GDP. It is also men- would have to look for other sources of
to education under MHRD (School tioned that Government of India has set income.
Education & Literacy and Higher up Higher Education Financing Agency
Education Departments) only is de- in 2017 to finance infrastructure devel- he All-India Survey of Higher Edu-
creasing along with funds allocated opment in Kendriya Vidalayas, Navo- cation 2018-19 also points out two
for Education under Budget of other dayas, AIIMS, besides Higher Education T major challenges-one, the higher
Departments. The MHRD claimed Institutions. education infrastructure is skewed in
that the budget provided by the Cen- During 2017-18, 2168.26 crore favour of less than 10 per cent of the dis-
worth projects were approved under tricts, which have over 30 per cent of all
HEFA, and during 2018-19 29411.99 colleges in the country. Most of these
districts are either in south or west India.
The Ministry of Human Not a single district from the country’s
east or northeast has made it to the list
Resource Development of top 10 districts. The second is repre-
claims that sentation of disadvantaged classes in
higher education. The scheduled caste
expenditure on (SC) enrolment in 2018-19 fell short of
education has been the mandated quota of 15 per cent, as did
scheduled tribe (ST) enrolment.
increasing over the aims at 8 per cent economic growth, it
Experts opine that if the government
years in both absolute will have to increase the spending on
terms as well as in education. India is ranked much lower
in the human development index (HDI)
percentage of GDP which is an indicator of the social sector,
especially education, employment etc.
The share of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan,
crore worth projects have been a national programme for universal ele-
approved under HEFA. The MHRD mentary education, in the total allocation
said that it is also wrong to say that dropped to 29 per cent in 2017-18 from 31
centre spends 10 per cent while states per cent in 2016-17, which was two per
spend 90 per cent on education. As per cent less than the previous year, as per an
Analysis of Budgeted Expenditure on analysis by New Delhi-based think tank
Education, 2017-18, the Centre spends Centre for Policy Research (CPR).
around 23 per cent while States and UTs Funds released for Rashtriya Mad-
spend 77 per cent of their total revenue hyamik Shiksha Abhiyan — an integrat-
expenditure on education. ed national programme for secondary
schools started decreasing since last four
Question mark years. For instance tie decline was from
Indeed in Budget 2019, there was a mi- 78 per cent in 2015-16 to 54 per cent in
nor increase in terms of allocation of 2016-17 showed the CPR study. Almost 40
funds. However, most of this fund was per cent of India’s population comprises
dedicated to school-level institutes with children. However, over allocation for
a boost of 20 per cent funds for the Na- children is just 3.25 per cent.
tional Education Mission. The total grants
for the NEM stood at 38,572 crore. How- LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM

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