6,000 new model schools announced

These form the thrust of the education sector’s budget provision, up from last year’s budget allocation by 20 per cent — from Rs 28,674 crore in 2007-08 to Rs 34,400 crore in 2008-09.

Two main programmes in the Education sector got substantial funding— Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) got Rs 13,100 crore this year, as against Rs 10,671 crore last fiscal, while Mid-day Meal scheme received Rs 8,000 crore, up from Rs 7,324 crore.

The focus of SSA, the Finance minister said, will now shift from access and infrastructure at the primary level to enhance retention, improving quality of learning and ensuring access to upper primary classes.

The mid-day meal programme, which was extended to the upper primary classes (VI to VIII) in educationally backward blocks only in October last year, will now be extended to the entire country from 2008-09. This will benefit an additional 2.5 crore children, and the total number of beneficiaries from class I to VIII will be 13.9 crore children.

The government also provided a sum of Rs 80 crore toset up new or upgrade existing hostels, which are attached to the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas, which were set up for enrolling girls from SC, ST, OBC and disadvantaged groups.

In this year’s budget, the Government also gave a grant of Rs 5 crore to the Deccan College Post-graduate and Research institute in Pune. Allocation for the secondary education has been doubled with Rs 5,139.70 crore in 2008-09 as against Rs 2,465.18 crore last year. Higher education has received a special attention in the budget with an allocation of Rs 10,852 crore as against Rs 6,397 crore in the revised estimate last year.

Of this, the University and Higher Education sector has received Rs 5,234.76 crore this year as against Rs 3,699.43 crore last year. A major chunk of Rs 5,104.90 crore would go to University Grants Commission.