As it went ahead with effecting a 13 per cent budgetary hike this fiscal for the education sector, the Centre on Friday allocated Rs 400 crore for setting up world-class education institutes and announced a 'Study in India' programme aimed at attracting foreign students to the country.
Presenting the first Budget of the NDA Government in its second term, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the Government will bring in a new national education policy to transform India's higher education system to one of the best in the world.
The policy proposes major changes in both school and higher education, improve governance and gives more focus on research and innovation, for which a National Research Foundation (NRF) would be set up to coordinate and promote research in the country, she said.
"NRF will ensure that the overall research ecosystem in the country is strengthened with focus on identified thrust areas relevant to our national priorities and towards basic science without duplication of effort and expenditure," the minister explained. The funds available with all Ministries will be integrated in NRF and would be adequately supplemented with additional funds, she said.
Sitharaman said to build "world-class institutions" in the field of education, Rs 400 crore has been allocated for the 2019-20 fiscal, which is over three times the revised estimates for the previous year. The Centre earmarked Rs 94,853.64 crore outlay for the education sector for the fiscal 2019-20 which is an increase of over 13 per cent from the revised estimates of 2018-19 financial year. In the last budget, the then Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had allocated Rs 85,010 crore for the education sector which was later revised to Rs 83,625.86 crore.
While a sum of Rs 38,317.01 crore has been set aside for higher education, Rs 56,536.63 crore has been earmarked for school education. The Government has made available Rs 30,000 crore using the Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA) funding mechanism, the HRD ministry said. The outlay for the University Grants Commission saw a decline as compared to 2018-19. A total amount of Rs 4,600.66 crore has been allocated for the UGC, as against the revised estimate of Rs 4,687.23 crore in 2018-19. The initial outlay was Rs 4,722.75 crore.
A draft legislation for setting up Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) would be presented in the year ahead, she said, adding, "This will help to comprehensively reform the regulatory system of higher education to promote greater autonomy and focus on better academic outcomes."
The Minister also said the Khelo India Scheme will be expanded to provide all necessary financial support. Also, a National Sports Education Board for Development of Sportspersons would be set up under the Khelo India Scheme to popularise sports at all levels.