Union Budget 2021: Over 15,000 schools to include all components of NEP; funds for KVs, mid-day meals hiked

New Delhi:  Over 15,000 schools will be qualitatively strengthened as per reforms proposed in the new National Education Policy (NEP), which will help in handholding and mentoring other schools, according to the Union Budget for 2021-22 announced on Monday.

"More than 15,000 schools will be qualitatively strengthened to include all components of the National Education Policy. They shall emerge as exemplar schools in their regions, handholding and mentoring other schools to achieve the ideals of the policy," Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in her budget speech.

Making board exams easy, reduction of the curriculum to core concepts, replacement of 10+2 structure of school curricula with a 5+3+3+4 structure and teaching up to at least class 5 in the mother tongue or a regional language, are among the many school education reforms outlined in the new National Education Policy, which was announced last year. This is the first budget after the notification of the new NEP.

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The Ministry of Education's Department of School Education and Literacy will receive Rs 54,873.66 crore for the upcoming financial year as against Rs 59,845 crore last year.

The funds for the Kendriya Vidyalayas saw an increase as the KVs have been issued Rs 6,800 crore for the upcoming financial year as compared to Rs 5,516 crore last year.

The budget allocation to Navodaya Vidyalayas has been increased by Rs 500 crore. Last year, Rs 3,300 crore were allocated to Navodaya Vidyalayas while for this year, the funds have been raised to Rs 3,800 crore.

The mid-day meal scheme saw an increase of Rs 500 crore as the total allocation has been raised to Rs 11,500 crore from Rs 11,000 last year.