Education spending in Budget 2021-22: The allocation to the Ministry of Education in Union Budget 2021-22 has been slashed by Rs 6,000 crore as compared to final year. The reduction in proposed spending has come at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the whole education technique, most likely obtaining resulted in understanding loss amongst students and greater college dropout prices, according to a report in IE.
In 2020-21, the total spending budget for education was Rs 99,311 crore, and this has now been reduce by about 6% to Rs 93,224 for the upcoming economic year. This quantity, the report has stated, is the lowest to be granted to the education sector in the previous 3 years.
Among this total spending budget, the greater education sector has been allocated Rs 38,350 crore this year, marking a reduce of about Rs 1,000 crore from final year. On the other hand, the college education sector has taken the greatest reduce of about Rs 5,000 crore, with an allocation of Rs 54873.66 crore in 2021-22.
What’s more is that this decreased allocation has come just prior to the Union Ministry of Education is set to start the implementation of the National Education Policy of 2020, which talks about improved government spending on education.
The Finance Ministry, beneath the spending budget, has allocated Rs 31,050 crore of the college education allocation to the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, down from Rs 38,750 crore that was allocated in 2020-21. On the other hand, the spending on Midday Meal Scheme has been augmented by Rs 500 crore this year, with an allocation of Rs 11,500 crore. Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya Vidyalayas have also been slated to acquire an improved spending, increasing by Rs 1,284 crore and Rs 500 crore respectively.
Apart from this, the Centre also announced the selection to establish one hundred new Sainik Schools in collaboration with state governments, NGOs and private schools.
However, the speech delivered by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman did not announce any measures that would provide relief to schools just after the losses they incurred due to remaining shut for about six months. Nor have been any measures in terms of re-enrolment campaigns have been announced to bring back students who are at danger of not returning to schools.