Gujarat: Education gets big push, Rs 764-crore increase in allocation

While a major portion of this allocation has been given to develop primary and secondary schools as Rs 1207 has been put aside for next five years to develop all necessary facilities in government primary schools for comprehensive development of students.

WITH AN increase of Rs 764 crore in the annual budget allocation on the education sector, the state government announced a provision of Rs 32,719 crore for education sector. In 2020-21, the BJP government had made an allocation of Rs 31,955 crore for the same.

The state government has announced two new universities-Service Sector University and Gujarat Biotechnology University. The ‘Service Sector University’ claimed to be the first such university in the country is slated to ‘impart higher level training and education to the youth to create more employment in the service sector’. Though the budget allocation has not been revealed in the budget statement released by the state government the reason attributed is ‘along with the industrial development of the state, development of the service sector is also required, through which millions of employment opportunities are created’.

Also, with the recent pandemic and the need for research and development in biotechnology sector, the state government has also announced a new university-Gujarat Biotechnology University for which a provision of Rs 55 crore has been made.

While a major portion of this allocation has been given to develop primary and secondary schools as Rs 1207 has been put aside for next five years to develop all necessary facilities in government primary schools for comprehensive development of students and aother Rs 567 crore for students securing admission in private schools under Right to Education Act. This is majorly the reimbursment to private schools by the state government. Also, stress is given on development of internet connectivity in primary as well as secondary schools.

Further, there are more than 1.5 lakh students in the state who have to commute a distance of more than one kilometre everyday. The state government has made a provision of Rs 60 crore to provide transport facility such students which is mandated under the RTE Act.

Under higher and technical education, a provision of Rs 200 crore has been made for tablets under the existing scheme to over 3 lakh undergraduate students getting admission in first year. Also, Rs 179 crore has been announced as grant for government engineering colleges, Institute of Infrastructure Technology Research and Management (IITRAM) and CEPT Ahmedabad.

“In line with the National Education Policy (NEP), we have initiated with the cluster of six different colleges under K K Shastri government colleges into a single college complex. It is a pilot of different colleges being clubbed into one college complex which will be replicated to other colleges with a student strength of 1000 each,” said principal secretary education Anju Sharma.

Education for the development of socially backward classes and tribes:

Rs 3.50 cr where Rs. 41,000 will be provided per student for one year for hostel and boarding facilities for 853 students of 46 residential hostels in the tribal and Agaria (saltpan) areas. Rs 9 cr to start smart class rooms for the purpose of providing quality education to tribal students.

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