Budget 2013-14: Major provisions for education

In the Union Budget 2013-14 presented to Parliament and the nation on February 28, Union finance minister P. Chidambaram provided Rs.79,451 crore (“misreported” in the printed budget speech as Rs.65,867 crore), a 19 percent increase over the previous year as the Central government’s contribution to primary, secondary and higher education. Though 19 percent higher than the revised estimate of Rs.66,819 crore in 2012-13, this provision aggregates to a mere 0.7 percent of GDP projected at Rs.106.39 lakh crore — an annual per capita allocation of Rs.1,444 for the 550 million children and youth countrywide. Of the total budgetary allocation of Rs.79,451 crore, the outlay for school education and literacy is Rs.52,701 crore, and higher education Rs.26,750 crore.  Acknowledging that children under 18 years “constitute a significant percentage of the Indian population,’’ Budget 2013-14 included a new Children’s Budget (Statement 22) which detailed allocations made for children’s education and welfare to several ministries. The major provisions:                                                                        Rs.crore Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)                  27,258   National mid-day meals                              13,215 Navodaya & Kendriya Vidyalayas             4,347 RSMSA (secondary education)                  3,983 Block level model schools                          1,000 Vocational & IT education                           430 Girl school hostels                                        450    Minority scholarships & grants                1,683   Integrated Child Development Services    17,700 Other provisions                 Maulana Azad Education Foundation         260 6 new AIIMS institutions & hospitals       1,650 Medical education training & research    4,727 Source: Expenditure Budget Vol. 1, Statement 22 & Budget Speech