Budget 2022: Education outlay crosses Rs 1 lakh crore; 10 key proposals

NEW DELHI: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the India Budget 2022 yesterday, February 1, in the Parliament. From the expansion of PM e-Vidya to Digital University, Nirmala Sitharaman has announced initiatives to improve digital education. In a first, the budget allocation for education has crossed Rs 1 lakh crore, Union minister of state for education Subhas Sarkar said.

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The total outlay for the education sector in 2021-22 was 93, 224.31 crore which has been increased to Rs 1,04,277.72 crores for the upcoming fiscal year. The education budget saw an increase of Rs 11,053.41 crore (11.86%) in total outlay for the two departments of the ministry of education - school and higher education.

The finance minister also addressed the disruption in education caused due to the Covid-19 pandemic and Omicron variant. Nirmala Sitharaman said during her Budget speech 2022 that the COVID-19 pandemic has induced closure of schools across the country as a result of which children especially in the rural areas have lost almost two years of education.

Sitharaman in the fourth Union Budget 2022 in the Lok Sabha emphasized the need to improve digital education, however, experts shared mixed reactions. Some welcomed the proposals on mental health, upskilling and training of teachers, while several others opined that the budget should focus more on improving school quality.

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Education Budget 2022: 10 key proposals

Here are the 10 key proposals for education in the Union Budget 2022.

1. Digital University to be set up to provide access to students across country, to world-class quality universal education, with personalized learning experience University to be built on a network hub and spoke model, with collaboration of best public Universities: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

2. One Class-One TV Channel programme of PM eVIDYA is being expanded from 12 to 200 TV channels. States will be able to provide quality supplementary education in regional languages for classes 1-12 strengthening Ministry’s efforts to universalize quality education.

3. The finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed that in vocational courses, to promote crucial critical thinking skills and give space for creativity, 750 virtual labs in science and mathematics, and 75 skilling e-labs for a simulated learning environment, will be set up in 2022-23.

4. High-quality e-content in all spoken languages will be developed for delivery via the internet, mobile phones, TV and radio through Digital Teachers.

5. A competitive mechanism for the development of quality e-content by the teachers will be set up to empower and equip them with digital tools of teaching and facilitate better learning outcomes. The concept of Digital Teachers in all spoken languages will be developed to ensure a stimulating learning environment with appropriate learning resources and create digitally empowered society.

6. AICTE will take the lead to improve syllabi, quality and access to urban planning courses in other institutions.

7. 5 existing academic institutions will be developed as centres of excellence in urban planning for developing India specific knowledge in urban planning and design.

8. World-class foreign universities and institutions will be allowed in the GIFT City to offer courses in various subjects like Financial Management, FinTech, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

9. The skill sector will be reoriented to promote continuous skilling avenues, sustainability, and employability. National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) will be aligned with dynamic industry needs.

10. Digital Ecosystem for Skilling and Livelihood (DESH-Stack e-portal) will be launched to empower citizens to skill, reskill or upskill through online training. It will also provide API-based trusted skill credentials, payment and discovery layers to find relevant jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities.

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In addition, the finance minister also said startups will be promoted to facilitate ‘Drone Shakti’ and for Drone-As-A-Service (DrAAS). This will create many employment opportunities. Required courses for skilling will be started in select ITIs, in all states.