Primary education is the fundamental right of all children from ages six to 14 under the Constitution (86th Amendment) Act 2002, Article 21-A. It is also considered a human right.
Higher education is always for self-reliance, investment for future development and catalyst for socio-economic change in society to improve the quality of life of an individual and for human development. When India got Independence in 1947, the literacy rate was less than 20% and the current rate is more than 75%. The budget allocation as a percentage of GDP for education was less than 1 and now it is around 3%.
There were 21 Universities and 496 colleges in 1947 as against 1,133 universities and 43,796 colleges in 2023. Rs 12,768 is the per capita cost of education.
The Gross Enrolment Ratio of primary education is more than 100%, secondary education 75%, and higher education 27% in India; and 37.2% in Karnataka and ranked fifth in the country. The social accountability of education encompasses relevance, excellence, equity and cost-effectiveness.
For education, the 2024 budget has allocated Rs 44,422 crore as against Rs 31,980 crore in 2023, an increase of 4%. More allocation has been made for schools and colleges of OBCs, minorities and women for augmenting infrastructure, learning resources and recruitment of teachers, keeping in mind the policy of equity and social justice. Importance has also been given for repair of school and college buildings, toilets and other facilities, including the provision of computers.
A special allocation to the Karnataka Residential Educational Institutions Society (KREIS) to bring in awareness about the effects of climate change and providing telescopes to 833 residential schools are progressive and novel ideas.
The budget has provided funds for the improvement of science, technology, engineering, mathematics and English in school education as a good foundation for multi/interdisciplinary higher education. Accessing CSR and alumni funds for education and upgrading Visvesvaraya College of Engineering to the level of IIT is a good initiative of public-private partnership.
Earmarking Rs 10 core for research and innovation by students and faculty encourages critical thinking and creativity.
However, there is no clarity on the allocation made for state public universities for the development of infrastructure, learning resources, research facilities and recruitment of teaching faculty, more so because few new universities have been established in the last three years. Probably, the government may take a concrete policy decision based on the recommendations of the State Education Policy Commission to be submitted in the next few months.
The government should focus more on facilities, faculty, finances and flexibility to facilitate quantitative and qualitative improvements in the overall education system by allocating at least 6% of GDP in coming financial years.
I sincerely hope that the government will be able to utilise all earmarked funds by executing and implementing all the proposed projects and programmes in a time-bound manner.
Prof Dr S Chandrashekar Shetty
President, Forum of Former Vice-Chancellors of Karnataka