Union Budget 2023 Shows Govt Intent to Provide Quality Education

The Indian government has allocated a significant portion of its budget for the education sector in the Union Budget 2023-24, with a focus on improving both school and higher education in the country.

The budget allocation highlights the government's commitment to providing quality education and fostering innovation.

In the school education budget, the government has allocated ?364.1 crore for Central Sector Schemes/Projects, which include National Award to Teachers, Pradhan Mantri Innovative Learning Programme (DHRUV) and National Means cum Merit Scholarship Scheme.

This allocation will help recognize and reward the hard work of teachers, encourage innovative learning, and provide financial assistance to economically disadvantaged students.

Expenditure of autonomous bodies for 2023-24 is at ?14,391.36 crore, which includes ?8,363.98 crore for Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), ?5,486.50 crore for Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, and ?518.50 allocated to the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).

These autonomous bodies play a critical role in providing quality education to students in India and the allocation will help them continue their efforts.

The largest chunk of the school education budget has been allocated to Samagra Shiksha, India's biggest school education scheme.

The government has announced ?37,453.47 crore for the scheme, which underscores the government's commitment to providing inclusive and equitable education to all students in the country.

The government also plans to spend ?11,600 crore under Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN), a replacement for the mid-day meal scheme.

The allocation will help provide nutritious food to school-going children and improve their health and well-being.

In the Higher Education budget, the center has allocated ?1,554 crore for PM Uchchatar Shiksha Protsahan (PM-USP) Yojna and ?400 crore for PM Research Fellowship.

These allocations will help improve the quality of higher education in the country and encourage students to pursue research and innovation.

The government has also allocated ?420 crore for Digital India e-learning, which is just ?5 crore more than the revised estimates of 2022-23.

This allocation will help promote e-learning in the country and provide students with access to quality education through technology.

The total expenditure budget for Research and Innovation is ?210.61 crore, which will help support and encourage research and innovation in the country.

The allocation will also help improve the quality of research and drive innovation in various fields.

Statutory bodies such as the University Grants Commission (UGC) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) have been allocated ?5,360 crore and ?420 crore, respectively.

The allocation will help provide adequate funding to these institutions, allowing them to carry out their functions effectively.

Support to Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) is at ?9,661.50 crore, and support to NITs and IIEST is at ?4,620 crore.

These allocations will help improve the quality of education and infrastructure at these institutions, making them world-class centers of learning.

Overall, the 2023-24 education budget allocation demonstrates the government's commitment to improving education in India.

The allocation of funds for both school and higher education, along with a focus on innovation and research, highlights the government's intent to provide quality education to all students and help drive the country's growth and development.