Page 46 - EW March 2021

Cover Story

is a widely shared sentiment among Union Budget 2021-22: Major education allocations
knowledgeable monitors of the Indian
economy. The outlay for the Samagra Department of School Education & Literacy
Shiksha Abhiyan (SMA, public pre- 2021-22 2020-21
primary to higher secondary school (Rs. crore) (Rs. crore)
education) has been slashed by 20 Total allocation 54,873 52,189 (RE), 59,845 (BE)
percent to Rs.31,050 crore, and for
the free schools mid-day meal pro- Establishment expenditure 33 40 (BE)
gramme by 12.1 percent from the National means-cum-merit scheme 350
actual amount (revised estimate) of National scheme for girls secondary
Rs.12,900 crore spent in 2020-21 to education 1 110 (BE)
Rs.11,500 crore next year. Operation Digital Board for government
A LTHOUGH EX FACIE & aided schools (classes IX-XII) 6,800 6,438 (RE) 5,517 (BE)
1
25 (BE)
against the backdrop of
Kendriya Vidyalaya Samiti
sharply fallen tax reve-
nue and higher expendi- Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti 3,800 3,480 (RE) 3,300 (BE)
ture forced by the Covid crisis plus 19 NCERT 500 390 (RE) 300 (BE)
percent higher defence outlay (exclud-
ing pensions) prompted by the China National Education Mission (preschool–
threat on the north and north-eastern class XII, adult education &
borders, Union finance minister Sith- teacher training) 31,300 28,078 (RE) 38,861 (BE)
araman didn’t have much headroom National Mid-day Meals Programme 11,500 12,900 (RE)11,000 (BE)
to make additional provision for pub-
S
lic education, ub rat Das , president NB: RE=revised estimate; BE=budget estimate Source: indiabudget.gov.in
of Delhi-based think tank Centre for
Budget Governance and Account-
ability (CBGA, estb.2002), believes inequality across the country. Budget
the minister was “too cautious” about 2021-22 should have made greater
limiting the 2021-22 fiscal deficit. In provision for investment in digital in-
his opinion, she should have increased frastructure for government schools
the allocation for public education to and for sanitising and preparing them
address the “vitally important issues” for early re-opening, providing an ex-
of bridging the newly emergent digital ample for state governments — which
divide between children in private and also have responsibility to improve the
government schools, and to imple- public education system — to follow,”
ment NEP 2020, even at the cost of says Das, an economics postgrad of
enhancing the fiscal deficit. Delhi’s show-piece JNU who was ap-
“Admittedly because of the pan- pointed president of CBGA in 2010.
demic situation which has reduced the Most development economists and
Central government’s tax and other pundits concede that with the national
revenue, the fiscal deficit has risen way GDP set to contract by 8 percent in fis-
beyond the 3.5 percent of GDP pre- Das: excessive caution cal 2020-21 because of the pandemic
scribed by the FRBM Act. But this is lockdown and the Centre suffering a
mainly because several off-the-budget status quo and make the substantial massive drop in tax revenue with no
expenditures — especially the sizeable investment required in education to scope for raising taxes, Sitharaman
deficit of the public sector FCI (Food implement NEP 2020, and bridge had no option but to axe spending
Corporation of India) — have been the digital divide between children of under some heads, including public
brought on the books. This has been private and public schools. The plain education.
done to reflect the true magnitude truth is that children — especially girl However it’s a mystery why the pro-
of the fiscal deficit in the interests of children — from EWS (economically fessedly pro-free enterprise and free
transparency. It’s not because of heavy weaker sections) households don’t markets BJP leadership unencum-
new expenditure. In this extraordi- have access to digital and online bered by the socialist baggage of the
nary year of the pandemic, it would learning. This is certain to widen the Congress party, hasn’t invited private
have been preferable to maintain the rich-poor gap and exacerbate gender investment in the education sector to

46 EDUCATIONWORLD MARCH 2021