From setting up of 24 new medical colleges with at least one for three parliamentary constituencies to focus on tribal education, the Annual Budget on Thursday announced education to be treated holistically without segmentation from nursery to Class XII.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced an overall allocation of Rs 1.38 lakh crore for 2018-19 from Rs 1.22 lakh crore in current fiscal on education while also proposing to launch a Revitalising of Infrastructure and Systems of Education (RISE) scheme by next year.
Keeping in mind the increasingly infrastructure growth and demand across the country and globe, the Centre proposed to set up two new full-fledged Schools of Planning and Architecture (SPA), while 18 new SPA within the IITs and NITs framework.
In the higher education, the Finance Minister announced the launch of Prime Minister’s Research Fellow Scheme that will identify 1000 B Tech students to do Ph D at IITs and other prestigious institutes. Besides to bridge the gap between doctor-patient ratio in the country, Jaitley proposed to set up 24 new Government medical colleges by upgrading existing district hospitals in the country. The Government aims to set up at least one medical college for three Parliamentary constituencies, Jaitley announced.
Another key focus of the budget in terms of education was on teachers’ training in which a new programme Rs Diksha’ under which 13 lakh untrained teachers will be getting formal training. “We will initiate an integrated B-Ed programme for teachers,” said the minister. Announcing an integrated B.Ed programme for teachers to improve the quality of teachers, Jaitley proposed to move gradually from blackboard to digital board.
The Modi government’s continued stress on digital education was evident when the Finance Minister said, “technology is the biggest drive with digital medium to increase digital intensity in education” and that (there will be) move from blackboard to digital board.”
Jaitley also announced that by 2022, every block with more than 50 per cent ST population and at least 20,000 tribal people will have ‘Ekalavya’ school at par with Navodaya Vidayalas.
Jaitley said the Government has managed to get children to school but the quality of education remains a concern. “We have managed to get children to school but the quality of education is still a cause for concern. We now propose to treat education holistically without segmentation from pre-nursery to Class 12,” Jaitley announced.