StudentsPledge News Dated – 02.02.2025 –
Criticising the Budget for Education sector 2025-26, AIDSO General Secretary, Shibasis Praharaj has issued the following statement to the press:
“The Union Budget 2025–2026 is packed with catchphrases, designed to deceive the general public, devoid of concrete measures required for improving the field of education, and intended to accelerate the commercialisation of education.
The Budget allocated for the education sector is 1,28,650 crores which is only 2.54% of the total budget. It is way below the recommendation of several experts who recommend that, at least 10% of the union budget be allocated for education. Even the NEP 2020, the policy implemented by the present Central Government, recommends at least 6% of the union budget to be earmarked for education. Moreover, spending on the trivial segments increased. For example, the grant for the Indian Knowledge System, increased five times. As a result, the allocation for World Class Institutions has been reduced to 50% of the previous year’s budget. The budget allocated for Digital India-e-learning is reduced by 58% from the revised budget of the previous year. The budget for Research and Innovation is reduced significantly. The budget allocated for UGC is 47% less than that of the actual expenditure in 2023-24. Allocation for All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) is reduced by 50% and the support to Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research (IISERs), National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPERs) and Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) is reduced.
The finance minister announced the digitisation of Secondary Schools, Skill training, increasing seats in IITs and medical etc., but did not provide any concrete solution to fundamental problems. The condition of Government schools is such that more than 20% do not even have toilets and drinking water facilities. Thousands of schools are struggling to cope with shortages of teachers. Instead of providing grants towards developing adequate infrastructure, moving towards digitisation in selected schools and allocating money for that, raise questions towards the priorities of the present government. Funds allocated to provide job skills for students without mentioning concrete measures for job creation is a wastage of expenditure. Similarly, increased enrollment in IITs is also a mockery of the students if the financial burden on them is not reduced by providing adequate grants. When thousands of government schools have been forced for closure-merger, the announcement for the establishment of 50,000 new ‘Atal Tinkering Labs’ will only be beneficial to the private schools. Likewise, an increase in PM Research Fellowship will only boost the private sector-driven research.
Hence, AIDSO urge the students, teachers and democratic-minded people to reject the Union Budget 2025-26 and build up a movement for the pro-people budget.”
