The future of any country has a huge direct impact on the Education system and standards it is capable of offering. India has made huge advancement in the Education sector as per the statistics. Every year the Union Budget makes an attempt as to broaden the education standards in the country. The 2011 Union budget is nevertheless any different. As per the current Union Budget allocation, an amount of Rs.52, 057 crore is set aside for the education. This is a huge amount, even though a disappointment struck when the increment hike is significantly less than anticipated for the execution of acts like Right to Education.

Budget 2011 Logo

In the Union Budget 201, conventional programs like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan have been given importance as they have helped to make remarkable uplift in education. But when it is compared with the world statistics, India has a long way to go.

The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is intended for the enlargement and growth mainly in the primary education. The aim of this flagship program was to attain universalization of primary schooling at an acceptable level by 2010. The present rules of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan have been modified recently by putting into practice the “Right of Children to free and Compulsory Education” which has been enforced from April 1, 2010 onwards. As for the year 2011-2012, the Union budget ministry has put forward to apportion an amount of Rs 21,000 crore, which is almost 40% higher than the last year, which was of Rs 15,000 crore in the Budget for 2010-11. An improved Centrally Sponsored proposal - The Vocationalization of Secondary Education, will come in to force from 2011-12 onwards as to get better in the employability of youth in the country.

The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and Union Budget 2011

The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan program has been proposed to be implemented in partnership with individual State Governments as to address the requirements of children in the age grouping of 6 to14 years. The objective of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan program consists of the enrolment of each and every child in schools. This will guarantee children primary level education and there by the retention of all children till the upper primary level. This will overpass the gender and communal category gaps in the society.

The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan program will ensure the joining up of students with retention and learning, and ensure important enhancement in the education and other accomplishment levels of children even at the primary and upper primary levels. The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan program has been put together with an aim

Elementary Education

to open new schools, construction of school buildings, additional classrooms, drinking water facilities, and toilets, supply of free textbooks and appointment of well qualified teachers. Furthermore, teachers will be provided with in-service training under this program. The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan program was successful in the past years and there has been significant reduction in the number of school drop out children.

Higher and Technical Education

The Higher Education sector has been given huge importance in India, as it is the power tool which helps to build the countries knowledge base. The Union Budget 2011 has given more priority for the improvement of access of higher education to students along with the improvement in equity and excellence. Strategies has been implemented as to enhance the significance of higher education in the course of curriculum alteration, vocationalization, network and Information Technologies and distance education are a few of the key policy proposals in the higher education sector.

Other main policy initiatives in the Higher and Technical Education are of the general expansion of various universities and colleges. Special grant has been provided as for the construction and maintenances of Women’s hostels.  There will be scholarships to students going for higher education and many schemes have been implemented as to subsidize interest on education loans for professional courses. This has been introduced in order to encourage higher education even in the students from economically backward category. There has also suggestion of making new interventions in order to attract and retain talented teaching staffs in the higher and technical education sector.

More weightage has been given for the reduction of impartiality and the use of information and communication technology and encouragement of quality learning.

Challenges in implementation and future expectations

The previous Union Budget proposals in the education sector have made significant increase in the addition of schools and also the implementation of Mid Day meal scheme etc. During the past years there has also been a mass recruitment of teachers all over the country.

Even though, the implementation of various programs successfully has faced many interruptions of activities previous years. Some of this has resulted in the poor maintenance of schools, short of teachers training, poor quality mid day meals, and lack of alertness with people and lack of managerial aspects. As to attain the anticipated growth in the education sectors all these issues as to be eliminated as soon as possible. In this fast pacing world, if the issues are not sorted out then the growth will become sluggish and might get diminish.

Nevertheless, considering the Union Budget 2011 has offered a significant hike for the promotion of education and for the implementation of Vocationalisation of secondary training will positively help a hand as to increase the employability of youth. This will help the country to craft a working class of youths who are competent and will further balance the demand and supply condition. This in turn helps the country to become stable during economic upheavals.

In addition to these, there is an extensive allotment of funds for scholarships and Technical establishment like IIT, IIM and AMU etc. This will provide a help in hand for students to study is appraisable. The Union Budget 2011 has made provisions to avail scholarship for up to 40 lakh students.

Advantages of Budget 2011 for education

• Taken as a whole the increase of allocation of funds for the education sector is around 24% which is truly praiseworthy
• Special weightage has been provided in key areas like Skill Development and National Knowledge Network.
• As for the Scand ST students studying in classes IX and X, a Pre-matric scholarship scheme has been introduced.

Disadvantages of Budget 2011 for education

• Short of funds allotment for Teacher development and training. If there was more benefits allocated then it would have been an encouragement for more qualified people to tale up teaching as a rewarding and challenging career choice.
• Lack of importance on the K-12 sector, school upgrading, and quality control etc.

Even with the yearly budget allocation, as to attain success in each of these policies, it is not just money allocation that out country needs but a alteration in mindsets of people occupied in teaching, the value of education and the education contributor.