Arjun Singh appeals to States to raise budgetary support for education

New Delhi, Feb.10, (ANI): Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh on Tuesday appealed to all States to raise their budgetary support for education and welcomed members who have been nominated to the reconstituted Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) for the first time.

Addressing the education ministers of all States at the 55th meeting of the CABE, Singh stated that an outlay of Rs. 270 thousand crore has been made available for the Ministry of HRD for the XIth plan as against the Xth plan expenditure of Rs. 58,817 Crore.

He also detailed the public expenditure on education and said, "At present our public expenditure on education is approximately 3.57 percent of the GDP (2006-07), out of which the Central Government share is 0.84 percent and that of the States is 2.73 percent.

He also described the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and said, "This falgship programme, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) has achieved considerable success in its objective of Universalisation of Elementary Education with the cooperation of all the States. The Mid Day Meal programme has further helped to improve enrolment as well as retention in schools, apart from improving nutritional standards of school going children.

"The CABE Committees on "Unversalisation of Secondary Education" and CABE Committee on "Girls Education and Common School System" had recommended for making quality education available to all students in all schools at affordable fees. A centrally sponsored scheme to universalize access to quality education at secondary stage, called 'Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan'(RMSA) has been launched," he added.

Arjun Singh also mentioned the importance of higher education for the country and said, "Higher education has a vital importance for the country, as it is a powerful tool to build knowledge-based society. Ministry has set a target to enhance the Gross Enrolment Ratio in Higher Education by 5 percentage points by the end of the XIth Plan. To meet this target, Ministry shall need sustained efforts, both at the Central and State levels."

"30 Central Universities including 14 new National universities, eight new IITs, seven new IIMs, five new Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs), 20 new Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), two new Schools of Planning and Architecture and ten new NITs would be built during the plan," he further added.

The Government has also revamped the National Monitoring Committee for Minorities Education. A Standing Committee of the NMCME has also been constituted to attend to the problems related to the education of minorities on an ongoing basis.

Singh concluded his speech with a request to all ministers to guide his ministry in taking positive steps for providing quality education for all. (ANI)