The notion of the holistic development of the nation can only be visualized throughits will power and planning to foster targeted economy. Budget-2021 is an attempt to actualize the idea of Self-Reliant Nation through economic commitment.
After two decades of the 21st century, which is going to be recognized as the century of digital knowledge, the Finance Minister of the Government of India, Smt. Nirmala Sitharamanhas presented a budget in the paperless form and has sincerely tried to align it to realize the idea of a Self-Reliant nation. It was submitted throughMade in India Tablet, in which the government announced historical corrective measures in health services and other sectors to revive and accelerate our economy from the global crisis arising out of pandemic. In the midst of COVID-19 when the global economy is in crisis and many countries are introducing new taxes to revive their fiscal deficit, in such a situation Indian Government has dared to present a budget without imposing any new tax. This is an exemplary evidence of minimum government-maximum governance.
This budget is the reflection of the foresight of the dynamic leadership and is, in many ways, an important initiative towards making our country self-reliant. While it shows India’s confidence in a sense of collectiveness, it also encourages and incentivizes one-person entrepreneurship. The Union Budget 2021 presented by the Finance Minister is a roadmap of the future economic development of the country, andlays focus on the six pillars for reviving the economy - Health and Wellbeing, Physical and Financial Capital and Infrastructure, Inclusive Developments for Aspirational India, Reinvigorating Human Capital, Innovation and R&D, and Minimum Government-Maximum Governance.
General Budget-2021 of the country is very important to realize Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of All Round Development of India and to make Aatm- Nirbhar Bharat. This budget will play a vital role to revive the country’s slow progress affected during COVID times and accelerate industrial development. While this budget resolves to strengthen the country’s infrastructure and make India self-reliant, it also paves the way for the implementation of the National Education Policy -2020 (NEP-2020) to re-establishes India as the Jagat Guru. The NEP-2020 not only recognizes ‘education’ as the most powerful means of national development but it also provides the foundation for setting all standards of development. This budget provides economic support to the education sector to play a similar role by ensuring education for all and for skill development.
This budget features important announcements related to the education sector such as the statutory recognition for the Higher Education Commission of India, the establishment of umbrella structure in HEIs in 9 cities, the establishment of National Research Foundation with an annual budget of 10,000 crores, the establishment of 100 new Sainik Schools & 750 Eklavya Residential Schools, allocation of 35219 crores in six years for the development of SCs students, collaboration with UAE & Japan for skill development, the establishment of Central University at Leh etc. This budget provides an economic basis for the effective implementation of NEP-2020 and resolves to strengthen 15000 schools initially which will serve as the model for NEP implementation at school level across the nation. The fundamental Right to Education could be achieved in an effective manner only by enhancing the quality of primary education.
The most crucial concern of the NEP-2020 is the creation of patriotic citizens in the country and to realize this goal, this budget proposes the establishment of 100 Sainik Schools across the country with the framework of public-private partnership. Taking positive initiatives in the Higher Education Sector, this budget proposes the establishment of the Higher Education Commission for regulatory, accreditation, standard setting and continuous funding to Colleges & Universities and thus ensures better synergy between institutions and regulators.
As a part of its constitutional imperatives to make universal education accessible, special provisions have been made in this budget to promote education in tribal areas through the establishment of 750 Eklavya residential schools. The unit cost of each school has been increased from INR 20 crore to INR 38 crore and for remote areas, it has been increased to INR 48 crore. Further, special provisions have also been made in this budget for the welfare of Scheduled Caste students with the allocation of 35219 crore by 2026 in the next 06 years.
In this budget, an attempt has been made to formulate the fiscal blueprint to develop future entrepreneurs and skillful citizens through effective implementation of NEP-2020, envisioned by our Hon’ble Minister of Education, Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’. An amount of 3000 crore has been allocated in this budget to promote skill-training in students.
Research has emerged as an important component in the current global scenario. It is only through multidisciplinary research with scientific temperament with emphasis on Vocal for Local that the democratic values can be strengthened in the individual and the society. This budget is the most effective step towards realizing this goal of NEP-2020, under which a provision of 10 thousand crore has been made for the National Research Foundation every year. Earlier, only the central universities received funds for research from the Ministry of Human Resource Development. But now, state and private universities based on their quality and competitiveness could also get grants from the National Research Foundation. The Ministry of Education is working closely with the Principal Scientific Advisor for the implementation of this foundation.
The major 09 cities of the country are centres of education and research, where colleges, universities and many research institutes funded by the Union Government are functioning. To maintain the internal autonomy of these institutions and to promote research, a new Glue-Grant is proposed to create a formal umbrella structure.
The National Language Translation Mission envisaged in the National Education Policy 2020 for knowledge sharing between Indian languages has also been mentioned in this budget. With the establishment of this Mission, the governance-and-policy related knowledge, as well as the traditional knowledge preserved in various languages of India, will be made available on the internet in major Indian Languages which will promote the sense of nationalism. The development of schools on the model of NEP-2020 at school level and the establishment of the Higher Education Commission of India for accreditation and funding of HEIs are the landmark decisions in Union Budget 2021. The establishment of Ekalavya Schools proposed in this budget will expand quality education in tribal areas, while the spirit of national love and belongingness will be nurtured through a nationalized framework. The partnership for skill development will develop skills in youth and will develop them into de-colonized citizens. Undoubtedly, this budget will set a functional architect for achieving the goal of the Self-Reliant Bharat through the trilogy of Economy, Education and Entrepreneurship in the long run. (The writer is Vice Chancellor, Central University of Punjab, and Incharge Academic Cell, Bhartiya Shikshan Mandal. Views are personal)