Lok Sabha Question No. 3094 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-15
Subject: Education Budget
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Shashi Tharoor

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 3094 TO BE ANSWERED ON 15.03.2021

## Education Budget

## 3094. DR. SHASHI THAROOR:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- a) whether the expenditure in education has declined during the last six years and if so, the details thereof;
- b) whether the total investment on research and innovation in the country has declined from 0.84% of GDP in 2008 to 0.6% in 2018 and if so, the reasons therefor;
- c) whether the target for 50% Gross Enrolment Ratio in Higher Education and 100% in Secondary  School  from  the  current  25.8%  and  68%  of  the  same  in  the  respective grades are realisable and tangible and if so, the details thereof; and
- d) if not, the reasons therefor ?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF EDUCATION (SHRIRAMESH POKHRIYAL 'NISHANK')

- (a): As per Analysis of Budgeted Expenditure on Education 2017-18 Report, the expenditure on Education during last six years is as follows:

(Rs. in crore)

| Year                                 |   2012-13 (Actual) |   2013-14 (Actual) |   2014-15 (Actual) |   2015-16 (Actual) |   2016-17 (RE) |   2017-18 (BE) |
|--------------------------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|----------------|----------------|
| Expenditure on Education (In crores) |             368133 |             430879 |             506849 |             577793 |         664265 |         756945 |

(b):As  per  R&D  Expenditure  Eco  system  Report  2019  by  EAC-PM,  India's  investment  in R&D has shown a consistently increasing trend over the  years. The Gross Expenditure on R&D (GERD), has tripled  in  the  last  decade  in  nominal  terms  from  Rs.  24,117  crores  in 2004-05 to Rs. 85,326 crores in 2014-15 and an estimated Rs.1,04,864 crores in 2016-17 and double in real terms. However, as a fraction of GDP, public expenditure on R&D has been stagnant over the past two decades. It has remained constant at around 0.6% to 0.7% of GDP. An outlay of Rs.50,000 crore over 5 years has been announced in the Union Budget 2021 for

National Research Foundation (NRF). It will ensure that the overall research ecosystem of the country is strengthened with focus on identified national-priority thrust areas.

(c)&(d): In order to achieve the target of 50% Gross Enrolment Ratio in Higher Education by 2035 and 100% in Secondary School by 2030, NEP 2020 provides a framework of actionable points which includes following:

- I. Ensuring  Universal  Access  at  All  Levels  of  schooling  from  pre-primary  school  to Grade 12;
- II. Ensuring  quality  early  childhood  care  and  education  for  all  children  between  3-6 years;
- III. New Curricular and Pedagogical Structure (5+3+3+4);
- IV. No  hard  separations  between  arts  and  sciences,  between  curricular  and  extracurricular activities, between vocational and academic streams;
- V. Establishing National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy;
- VI. Emphasis  on  promoting  multilingualism  and  Indian  languages;  the  medium  of instruction until at least Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond, will be the home language/mother tongue/local language/regional language.
- VII. Assessment reforms - Board Exams up to two occasions during any given school year, one main examination and one for improvement, if desired;
- VIII. Equitable and inclusive education -Special  emphasis given on Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Groups(SEDGs);
- IX. A  separate  Gender  Inclusion  fund  and  Special  Education  Zones  for  disadvantaged regions and groups;
- X. Robust  and  transparent  processes  for  recruitment  of  teachers  and  merit  based performance;
- XI. Holistic Multidisciplinary Education with multiple entry/exit options;
- XII. NTA to offer Common Entrance Exam for Admission to HEIs;
- XIII. Setting up of Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities(MERUs);
- XIV. Expansion of open and distance learning to increase GER.
- XV. Internationalization of Education
- XVI. Professional Education will be an integral part of the higher education system. Standalone technical universities, health science universities, legal and agricultural universities,  or  institutions  in  these  or  other  fields,  will  aim  to  become  multidisciplinary institutions.
- XVII. Establishing a National Mission for Mentoring.
- XVIII. Creation  of  an  autonomous  body,the  National  Educational  Technology  Forum (NETF) to provide a platform for the free exchange of ideas on the use of technology to enhance learning, assessment, planning, administration. Appropriate integration of technology into all levels of education.
- XIX. Achieving 100% youth and adult literacy.
- XX. Multiple mechanisms with checks and balances will combat and stop the commercialization of higher education.
- XXI. The  Centre  and  the  States  will  work  together  to  increase  the  public  investment  in Education sector to reach 6% of GDP at the earliest.

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