BENGALURU: Despite a decrease in the budget allocation towards education, the February 2023 state budget presented by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has addressed several long-standing appeals.
The education sector accounted for 11 per cent of the state budget, with a total of Rs 37,587 crore allocated across both the higher education and school education sectors. Compared to the last budget presented by the then CM Basavaraj Bommai, it has dropped by 1 per cent.
However, the allocation towards school education has doubled from the previous budget. Experts opine that this budget addressed several long-standing demands made over the last two years, including the development of schools and universities, especially for UVCE, addressing learning difficulties and reinstating scholarships. Siddaramaiah added that measures are being taken to drop alleged controversial content, added in the textbooks last year by the previous government.
He announced separate funds for developing government classrooms. The funds, amounting to a total of Rs 850 crore, will go towards renovating dilapidated and rain-damaged buildings, construction of new classrooms, and building new toilet complexes.
Meanwhile, the Midday Meal Scheme will be extended to Classes 9 and 10, which previously only catered up to Class 8. In addition, students will once again be served supplementary nutrition through eggs, peanut chikki or bananas twice a week, instead of once.