http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Higher-allocation-to-education-shows-Govts-priority/articleshow/7606162.cms
'Higher allocation to education shows Govt's priority'
Vishwas Kothari, TNN, Mar 2, 2011, 11.01am IST
PUNE: Member of Planning Commission Narendra Jadhav has said that the
government's overriding priority for education is evident from the Rs
52,057 crore allocation for education sector in the Budget -- up by 24
per cent over the current year. "What makes this significant is the
fact that the country is passing through a phase of financial
consolidation. The Budget provides for an overall planned expenditure
of less than 12 per cent and yet education has cornered a 24 per cent
share within this," Jadhav said while speaking to TOI from New Delhi.
Jadhav, who is the former vice-chancellor of University of Pune, said,
"Vocationalisation of secondary education and the introduction of a
pre-matric scholarship scheme for SC/ST students are the two most
significant social dimensions of this Budget."
"Similarly, the 40 per cent increase in allocation for the Sarva
Shiksha Abhiyaan, from Rs 15,000 crore to Rs 21000 crore is in line
with the larger objectives of the Right to Education initiatives. The
Abhiyaan has been very successful in terms of ensuring access at
primary level education. A lot of things are happening in the higher
education sector too as manifested in the last two years," he added.
"As such, the focus ought to have been on improving secondary
education by way of strengthening the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shikshan
Abhiyaan -- an extension of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan, launched two
years back. The scheme for vocationalisation of secondary education
will go a long way in achieving this. Already, the National Skill
Development Programme has laid an objective of creating 500 million
skilled manpower by year 2022. Vocationalisation of secondary
education would only lead to improving employability of students."
"The pre-matric scholarship for class IX and X students from SC/ST
communities is also a very important and positive move," said Jadhav.
Former chairman of University Grants Commission Arun Nigavekar said,
"The finance minister has proposed special grants to recognise
excellence in universities and academic institutions but most of the
major support has gone to the central government institutions."
"One needs to realise that education is a concurrent subject and the
states are equally responsible for economic growth. The Budget also
ought to have given a clear direction to encourage private education
funding and should have created more conducive environment for private
education providers."
He said, "The concept of Innovation Council under Chairmanship of Sam
Pitroda would be catalysing force for enhancing quality and utility of
research in higher education institutions. It is good that states
would be helped to establish State level innovation councils."
However, the allocation of Rs 5000 crore for the National Skills
Development Council (NSDC) is low. "One would have expected the
government to give clarity on how it would bring in private skills
education providers by giving them special incentives and certain
legal status through NSDC," said Nigavekar.
"The process of foreign direct investments in higher and professional
education should have been given stress by providing special treatment
to private equity fund providers as well as by making life of foreign
education providers simple and easy by announcing single window
clearance mechanism," said the former UGC chief.
Nigavekar said, "The most significant aspect is putting higher
education on fast information track by way of the proposed National
Knowledge Network to link 1,500 institutes of higher learning and
research through an optical fibre backbone The connectivity would
create an environment for sharing of national knowledge resources and
also give push to internationalization of higher education."
Read more: 'Higher allocation to education shows Govt's priority' -
The Times of India
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Higher-allocation-to-education-shows-Govts-priority/articleshow/7606162.cms#ixzz1FWQweFIL
INFORMATION OVERLOAD?
Get all ZESTCaste mails sent out in a span of 24 hours in a single mail. Subscribe to the daily digest version by sending a blank mail to ZESTMedia-digest@yahoogroups.com, OR, if you have a Yahoo! Id, change your settings at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join/
PARTICIPATE:-
On this list you can share caste news, discuss caste issues and network with like-minded anti-caste people from across India and the world. Just write to zestcaste@yahoogroups.com
TELL FRIENDS TO SIGN UP:-
If you got this mail as a forward, subscribe to ZESTCaste by sending a blank mail to ZESTCaste-subscribe@yahoogroups.com OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join/
Also have a look at our sister list, ZESTMedia: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/
No comments:
Post a Comment