Education needs at least 6 pc of GDP: Annual Economic Survey

New Delhi, Feb 27 (UNI) The Economic Survey for 2006-2007 today expressed the government's firm resolve to increase the public expenditure on education to six per cent of the GDP to achieve the country's constitutional obligations and the millennium development Goal of education for all.

''Education should play a positive and interventionist role in correcting social and regional imbalances, empowering women and in securing a rightful place for the disadvantaged and minorities,'' the survey said.

Out of a number of programmes to achieve these objectives, two of the government's flagship schemes--the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan(SSA) and the Mid-Day Meal scheme will continue to claim maximum attention, it said.

The SSA covers the need of 194 million children. Allocation for the scheme was increased by 41.0 per cent from Rs 7,800 crore in 2005-06 to Rs 11,000 crore in 2006-07.

Under the scheme, 1,64,477 new schools have been opened so far.

Under the Mid-day meal scheme, cooked meal with a nutritional content of 450 calories and 12 gm protein is served to children studying at primary level in government, government-aided and local body schools and in Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS) and Alternative and Innovative Education Centres (AIE).

The scheme has helped in checking school drop out rates, preventing class room hunger, instilling educational values and fostering social and gender equality.

Allocation for the MDM scheme was Rs 5,348 crore in 2006-07.

Coming to the secondary education, the Survey underlined that there should be a target to provide a secondary school within five km of a habitation during the 11th plan period in view of the fact that the SSA aims to enroll all children of elementary school going age by 2010.

The survey recorded ''impressive'' growth in higher education with annual enrollment of students shooting up from 7.26 millions in 1997-98 to 10.48 million in 2004 with women constituting 40 per cent of the enrollment.

However, it noted that there were inequalities across various social groups in rural and urban areas, and also in terms of gender.

women belonging to SCs and STs and those living in rural areas were the most disadvataged lot.

Laying great emphasis on the scheme of continuing education, which is a flagship programme of the National Literacy Mission, the survey said the programme has special focus on the minority and ST and SC groups.

In this connection, it also noted the recommendations of the High-level Sachar Committee to report on the social, economic and educational backwardness of Muslims and the remedial efforts being made by the government.

The survey also noted the schemes for other backward classes, persons with disabilities and older persons and said that focus on the programmes for their development and security will remain undiluted.

UNI