Where is the remark on new IITs, IIMs, and IISERS etc. in the budget?
No continuation of the previous attempts to expand higher education infrastructure in the country?
If one sector has been relatively neglected in the budget despite its emerging importance, it is the higher education sector. The budget has limited the attention to higher education in the form of a negligible Rs 450 crores to selected ten educational institutions. The UGC also has been sidelined.
The sector is of critical importance because of the demographic dividend factor. India will be abundant with the once in a lifetime opportunity of having highest number of its population under the workforce by 2026. To provide them skill and training, excellent educational intuitions with research capabilities are needed.
The eleventh plan as well as the previous three budgets has made milestone efforts to expand the existing facilities. Even the eleventh plan was described as an educational plan. Specialist higher education centers like architects, music besides science education was given attention in the plan.
Over the last two decades the government has made high attention to promote primary education. The SSA was the core project for universalizing primary education. In later years, secondary education also has been made an area of attention in the budget. As per the new budget, there is an allocation of Rs 25,555 crores for Right to Education -SSA. Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), which is a programme for secondary schooling gets Rs 3,124 crore. But higher education gets almost nothing. Indeed, higher education sector is the biggest miss in the new budget.
