In the Union Budget 2013-14 presented to Parliament and the nation on February 28, Union finance minister P. Chidambaram provided Rs.79,451 crore (“misreported” in the printed budget speech as Rs.65,867 crore), a 19 percent increase over the previous year as the Central government’s contribution to primary, secondary and higher education. Though 19 percent higher than the revised estimate of Rs.66,819 crore in 2012-13, this provision aggregates to a mere 0.7 percent of GDP projected at Rs.106.39 lakh crore — an annual per capita allocation of Rs.1,444 for the 550 million children and youth countrywide. Of the total budgetary allocation of Rs.79,451 crore, the outlay for school education and literacy is Rs.52,701 crore, and higher education Rs.26,750 crore.
Acknowledging that children under 18 years “constitute a significant percentage of the Indian population,’’ Budget 2013-14 included a new Children’s Budget (Statement 22) which detailed allocations made for children’s education and welfare to several ministries. The major provisions:
Rs.crore
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) 27,258
National mid-day meals 13,215
Navodaya & Kendriya Vidyalayas 4,347
RSMSA (secondary education) 3,983
Block level model schools 1,000
Vocational & IT education 430
Girl school hostels 450
Minority scholarships & grants 1,683
Integrated Child Development Services 17,700
Other provisions
Maulana Azad Education Foundation 260
6 new AIIMS institutions & hospitals 1,650
Medical education training & research 4,727
Source: Expenditure Budget Vol. 1, Statement 22 & Budget Speech