PM has deep interest in education, we are making a huge difference: Prakash Javadekar

“In 2014, the budget for the HRD Ministry was Rs 47,000 crore. I am glad to tell you that within five years, the budget has now been increased to Rs 1.25 lakh crore. There has been a two-and-a-half times increase in the total allocation. There’s an allocation of Rs 90,000 crore in the budget and the remaining Rs 35 crore is through higher education finance agency. By increasing the allocation by such a huge margin, we are making a huge difference to the education scenario,” said Javadekar.

The increased allocation will ensure increased expenditure on various flagship schemes that have been started in the last few years, said Javadekar.

“Last year, there was a Rs 30,000-crore allocation for training programmes for primary and secondary teachers, as well as providing aid material for schools. This year, it has been increased to Rs 36,000 crore. Similarly, Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan was allocated Rs 1,400 crore last year, now it’s been increased Rs 2,100 crore,” said Javadekar. He claimed that scholarships for research students, such as junior and senior research fellows, have almost doubled in the last five years.

“We have linked autonomy with the quality of education and research through the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), said the minister, adding, “All the doors have been opened for institutions which display exemplary quality via the graded autonomy system”.

He said credit for all the change and development goes to PM Modi, who has taken a keen interest in the education sector.

“All this is happening because our Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a deep interest in education. He has a vision. He understands that to make the country strong and powerful, excellent quality of education is a must. Hence, in accordance with this vision, we are working on a motto of Sabko Shiksha, Acchi Shiksha,” said Javadekar.

“The PM’s programme of Pariksha Pe Charcha also shows the same concern… who would have thought that a Prime Minister would take such active interest in making exams stress free by talking to students, parents and teachers,” he said.

During the ceremony, Javadekar handed over certificates to students who have successfully completed graduate, post-graduate and doctoral courses. An honorary Doctor of Letters (D Lit) was also awarded to Acharya Vidyasagar Maharaj, a Jain spiritual guru.

‘Urged universities to ask their students to design Indian convocation uniform’

On the issue of donning traditional attire at convocation ceremonies, Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said, “We haven’t made it compulsory but last year, I had written to all the universities in India, urging them to ask their students to design an Indian convocation uniform, to be worn during the ceremony at the university concerned. Of about 900 universities in the country, as many as 500 have responded positively to my call and have agreed to take steps” He also said that India should be proud for having some of the first universities in the world.