JOIN USIt also announced a pre-matric scholarship scheme for students belonging to scheduled castes (SCs) and scheduled tribes (STs), seeking to benefit about 40 lakh students from these communities who are studying in classes ninth and tenth but need financial support to continue with their education.
“Our demographic dividend of a relatively younger population compared to developed countries is as much of an opportunity as it is a challenge. Over 70 per cent of Indians will be of working age in 2025,” Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee noted while presenting the budget for the fiscal 2011-12
“In this context, universalising access to secondary education, increasing the percentage of our scholars in higher education and providing skill training is necessary. For education, I propose an allocation of Rs 52,057 crore, which is an increase of 24 per cent over the current year,” he added.
Announcing the pre-matric scholarship schemes for SCs and STs, Mukherjee said these students so far had access to only post-matric scholarships. He also proposed a hike of 40 per cent in budgetary allocation for Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). “For the year 2011-12, I propose to allocate Rs 21,000 crore (for SSA) which is 40 per cent higher than 15,000 crore allocated in the Budget for 2010-11.”
Underlining that the government has been providing special grants to recognise excellence in universities and academic institutions, Pranab Mukherjee said Rs 200 crore will be given as one time grant to IIT Kharagpur, Rs 100 crore to Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University and Rs 50 crore each to upcoming centres of Aligarh Muslim University at Murshidabad in West Bengal and Malappuram in Kerala.
‘Allocations insufficient’
The Ministry of Human Resources Development had requested for 90 per cent hike in its budgetary allocation. Many officials, on condition of anonymity, said allocations were “insufficient” as the ministry had planned to go ahead with many new programmes in the next fiscal.
HRD Minister Kapil Sibal, however, welcomed the budgetary allocation to his ministry and said, “‘aam aadmi’ is being looked after in the Budget and so many steps are being taken for fiscal consolidation.”
Director of Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) K T Chacko said that an increased budget allocation will help in implementation of right to education (RTE) and achievement of the targeted gross enrollment ratio of 30 per cent by 2020.
“On the flip side, there is a marked dip in the allotment for upgrading existing facilities,” he added.