Let us check the budget of this financial year.
In the Union Budget for 2020-21, only Rs99300 crore has been allocated to the Ministry of Human Resource Development(MHRD) for education. Shockingly, this has been pretended as an increasedbudget. But in reality, this budget expenditure for education has come down to2.67% from 2.8% of the last year while it was 4.7% in the year 2013-14 i.e.before the BJP-led NDA government ascended to the power in the centre. Even aclose observation will divulge that the union budget of this year includes Rs42150 crore as support from ‘Madhyamik and Uchhatar Shiksha Kosh’ and’Prarambhik Shiksha Kosh’ which is being levied on all central taxes aseducation cess and the central government will provide only Rs 57150 crore fromGross Budgetary Support. However, as a result of reduced budgetary allocation,we are witnessing a drastic funds-cut in different levels of education.
Teachers must be well paid and well trainedto cope up with the new challenges created by complex life pattern. Few daysback Dr Asgar Samoon, principal secretary education, tweets that we need tofocus on quality education and innovative ways to reach students but take alook at the budgetary allocations. National Mission on Teachers and Teachinghas seen a drastic reduction in budgetary allocation from Rs 130 crore of thelast year to only Rs 50 crore in this year. Similarly, funds for teacherstraining and adult education has further reduced to Rs 110 crore from Rs 125crore in the last year while it was Rs 422 crore in 2018-19. Naturally, thiswill tell upon the training and appointment of teaching staff in theeducational institutions.
Budgetary allocation to the centraluniversities has reduced from Rs 8287 crore of last year to Rs 7643 crore whichwill hamper the development of central universities particularly newlyestablished central universities.
The research and innovation head has faceda 50-per cent cut compared to the last year budget i.e., from Rs 608.87 croreto Rs 307.40 crore. This will eventually spell disaster to the researchecosystem.
Amazingly, while no fund has been allocatedfor much-trumpeted Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and Rashtriya Madhyamik ShikshaAbhiyan, funds for Rashtriya Uchhatar Shiksha Abhiyan have reduced to Rs 300crore from Rs 2100 crore of the last year. As a result of which many projectsstarted under these schemes will tend to collapse due to the unavailability ofthe funds.
In this fiscal, the Budget allocation forthe University Grants Commission (UGC) is earmarked to Rs 4693 crore which isonly Rs 93 crore more than that of last year budget. But it is notable that thesame budget for UGC was Rs 9315 crore in 2015-16. Simply anyone can imaginethat how it has been affecting the grants to the institutions andde-subsidising the higher education.
Moreover, encouragement to externalborrowings and foreign direct investment in education will further privatiseand commercialise the education sector. Now let us see to the situation of ourstate particularly the situation of Kashmir valley. Kashmir valley is theconflict ridden society. And the worst affected area is education. Here I willnot talk about budgetary allocation for education.
The impact of conflict on education is often overlooked. Education in such times can be an emancipatory tool for achieving post conflict peace and providing stability and normalcy to the region. It is also a great tool of instilling hope and positivity as well as offering opportunity to the students and youth who are surrounded and victimized by violence. One of the major challenges of education in situations of conflict is to create democratic means of protest based on morals and values against all kinds of injustice.
Let us not talk about the basicinfrastructure, enough and permanent and well paid teaching and non teachingstaff etc. We all know the reality. The recent decision to reduce the weight ofschool bags can be welcomed. But let us hope for the restoration of 4G so thatstudents can get the benefit of online education in this covid pandemicsituation.
The all out encouragement to technicalaspects of education and science will kill the basic subjects of humanities andbasic science. The cry of entire world is quality education. The Students’Movement of U.K. (2010), Movement in Canada, Chilly and other Latin Americancountries, Australia, U.S., France in 2011, Pakistan in 2018-19, Bangladesh in2019 is the proof that people need education, and not the arms.
So if we will not allot enough fund for education, how our society will get quality education? Quality Education doesn’t mean vocational, technical and professional education. Quality Education means secular, scientific and democratic education to all which was dreamt by the freedom fighters of this country too. Quality Education means which can free society from all vices like unscientific beliefs, communal division, etc. Quality Education means which can bring us together as human society and lead us to the much higher and better human civilization.
Sheikh Maqbool is chairman Save Education Movement and chief spokesperson J&K RTI Foundation.