Good marks for education sector

Finance Minister increases allocation by 24 per cent to Rs 52,057 crore.

Continuing its thrust on the education sector,the UPA-II today,the UPA-II today doled out sizeable largesse of Rs 52057 crore,which marks a whopping 24 per cent increase as against the last fiscal. Besides,the government also proposed an allocation of Rs 500 crore for the National Skill Development Council to upgrade the skills of the youth populace and render them employable.

Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee told Parliament that in view of the governments continued focus on aam aadmi,he proposed an allocation of Rs 21,000 crore for the flagship Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan which is 40 per cent higher than Rs 15,000 crore allocated in 2010-11. Similarly,the FM introduced pre-matric scholarship scheme for needy students from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes studying in classes IX and X. The move would benefit 40 lakh SC/ST students. The National Knowledge Network,approved in March last year would link all 1,500 institutions of Higher Learning and Research through optical fibre to be provided by March next year,he said. During the current year,190 institutes would be connected to NKN,he pointed out

Pointing out that the National Skill Development Council NSDC is likely to create 4 crore skilled workforce across the country in next 10 years,Mukherjee announced Rs 500 crore for manpower development during the next fiscal. NSDC has already sanctioned 26 projects with a total funding of Rs 658 crore. The FM said NSDC is on course to achieve its mandate of creation of 15 crore skilled workforce two years ahead of 2022.

NSDC CEO amp; MD Dilip Chenoy said,Its an excellent Budget. The FM has done a commendable job of achieving the twin objectives of promoting growth and inclusiveness through his Budget measures. The additional infusion of Rs 500 crore into the Fund would enable NSDC to approve more sustainable skill development projects which are there in the pipeline.

The finance minister also proposed Rs 10 crore each for setting up Kolkata and Allahabad Centres of Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya,Wardha and Rs 20 crore for Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu.

He allocated Rs 200 crore for Maulana Azad Education Foundation,Rs 10 crore for Centre for Development Economics and Ratan Tata Library,Delhi School of Economics,Delhi and Rs 10 crore for Madras School of Economics.