Education Budget 2021: 100 New Sainik Schools, Central Uni in Leh

Video Editor: Purnendu Pritam

Establishment of 100 new Sainik Schools, the setting-up of a Central University in Leh, Ladakh and over Rs 50,000 crores for promoting research in the country were among major announcements made by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Union Budget speech on Monday, 1 February.

The Centre estimates that its total spending on education would reduce from Rs 99,300 crore in 2020 to Rs 93,224 in 2021 – a difference of about Rs 6,076 crore.

School Education

• Heavy focus on National Education Policy 2020, over 15,000 schools to be ‘qualitatively strengthened’ to imbibe all elements of NEP 2020. These schools will be seen as exemplar institutions.
• Strengthening the foundation for early defence training, 100 new Sainik Schools will be established in partnership with NGOs and states.
• New 750 residential schools following Eklavya model in Tribal areas. Unit cost of each school increased from Rs 20 to 38 crores. In hilly or difficult areas, unit cost increased to Rs 48 crores.

Higher Education

• Central University in Leh, to provide “accessible higher education for those in Ladakh.

• Rs 50,000 crore identified as outlay for the National Research Foundation, which will strengthen research ecosystem and focus on identified national-priority areas.
• Central assistance in Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme enhanced to 35,2019 crores for six years. “This will benefit four crore SC students,” Sitharaman said.
• Legislation would be passed for setting-up of Higher Education Commission, an umbrella body with four vehicles – standard setting, accreditation, regulation and funding.
• Umbrella structure to be created in 9 cities with dense network of central institutions for better coordination between them, while retaining internal autonomy.
• National Language Translation Mission will enable the wealth of government and make available policy-related information in major Indian languages.