Union Budget 2023: Education Budget Highlights
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her fifth budget on February 2nd. Like the previous two years, the Union Budget 2023 was paperless. MPs and the general public can access it through the ‘Union Budget Mobile App’. Rs 1.12 lakh crore has been allocated to the education ministry as opposed to previous year’s Rs 1.04 […]
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Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her fifth budget on February 2nd. Like the previous two years, the Union Budget 2023 was paperless. MPs and the general public can access it through the ‘Union Budget Mobile App’.
Rs 1.12 lakh crore has been allocated to the education ministry as opposed to previous year’s Rs 1.04 lakh crore. It is the highest-ever allocation for the education budget! Rs 44,094 crore has been allocated to the Department of Higher Education, while the Department of School Education will be receiving Rs 68,804 crore.
Nirmala described the Union Budget 2023 as a blueprint for India@100.
Saptarshis- the seven priorities of this year’s budget are:
- Inclusive Development
- Reaching Last Mile
- Unleashing Potential
- Green Growth
- Youth Power
- Financial Sector
Agri-Startups
An agriculture accelerator fund will be set up for encouraging young entrepreneurs to launch agri-startups in rural areas.
New Nursing Colleges
157 new nursing colleges will be built in important locations in the country alongside the 157 medical colleges which were approved in 2014.
National Digital Library for Children and Adolescents
Providing a major boost to digital infrastructure, the government announced that it will set up a national digital library for children and adolescents. The accessibility of quality books across different locations, languages and devices will be improved.
For helping children access the resources of national digital libraries, physical libraries will be set up in the states at the panchayat level.
Promotion of Regional Languages
In accordance with NEP 2020 objectives, government publishers including the National Book Trust and the Children’s Book Trust will be encouraged to supply books in regional languages as well as in English to physical libraries which would be set up in the states.
This move aims at tackling the massive learning loss which happened due to the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown.
Teacher Recruitment for Tribal Schools
38,800 teachers will be recruited to the 748 modern residential schools in the next three years for serving 3.5 lakh tribal students.
This will serve as a major boost to tribal education in the country.
Multidisciplinary Course for Medical Devices
Government will start a multidisciplinary course for medical devices. It is important to develop a skilled workforce for manufacturing highly advanced medical technology for the future
R&D in Pharma
The government will launch a new programme for research and development in pharmaceuticals. To add on to it, a few of the facilities at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) will be made available to the outsiders for conducting research.
Teacher Training Reimagined
A reimagined teacher training drive comprising innovative pedagogy, curriculum transaction, iCT implementation and a continuous professional development survey will be implemented.
Integrated Online Platform for Upskilling
An integrated online training platform will be launched by the government for upskilling of government employees and for providing continuous learning opportunities.
Under Mission Karma Yogi, capacity-building plans for civil servants are also being implemented by the authorities.
Centers of Excellence for AI Research
In order to realize the vision of ‘Make AI in India and Make AI Work for India’, the government has assured to set up Centers of Excellence for artificial intelligence at three top educational institutions in the country.
Interdisciplinary research would be conducted at these centers for developing cutting-edge AI applications for use in fields of agriculture, health , and for developing sustainable cities.
100 Labs in Engineering Institutions for Apps Using 5G
Government will set up 100 labs in engineering institutions which will work on developing applications using 5G services in partnership with banks, regulators and other businesses.
The applications include smart classrooms, intelligent transport systems, precision farming and healthcare apps.
PM Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0
It is a skill development initiative scheme for standardization of skills. Indian youth will be provided access to courses which help them attain skills in coding, robotics, drones, mechatronics, IoT, and 3D printing. Inshort, the scheme ensures that they are ready for the global job industry.
Unified Skill India Digital Platform
The Union Budget 2023 focuses on skill development which is essential in the education sector.
The finance minister proposed launching of a unified skill India digital platform for facilitating formal skilling as per requirements. She also stressed on the need to provide access to entrepreneurship schemes and on the importance of linking job-seekers with employers including MSMEs.
International Centres will be set up across states for preparing the youth with the skills required for international jobs.
A pan-India national apprenticeship promotion scheme will be introduced for benefiting 47 lakh youth in the next three years with a stipend.
Research Grant to an IIT for Lab-grown Diamonds
For promoting indigenous production of lab-grown diamonds, an IIT will be given a research grant for five years.
National Institute Of Securities Markets Norms will be enforced by SEBI
SEBI will be given the exclusive rights to enforce education norms and standards and also provide degrees, diplomas, and certificates in the National Institute of Securities Markets.
These are the major highlights of the Union Education Budget 2023.