From SPAs, AIIMS, Artificial Intelligence Centre to Digital Boards, Know what Interim Budget 2019 has for Education Sector

Interim Finance Minister Piyush Goyal announced the kick off of RISE i.e. Revitalising Infrastructure and Systems in Education (RISE) by 2022, under which, investment of Rs 1 lakh crore will be made over a span of next four years to upgrade the research and premier education institutions in the country.

Piyush Goyal insisted on the need to transition the schools of the country from Black Board mode to Digital Boards.

Interim Budget 2019 gave a 10% hike to the education sector allocations taking it from Rs 85,010 crore in 2018-19 to Rs 93,847.64 crore in 2019-20. The centre  has allocated Rs 56,386.63 crore for school education and Rs 37,461.01 crore for higher education. Interim Finance Minister Piyush Goyal announced the kick off of RISE i.e. Revitalising Infrastructure and Systems in Education (RISE) by 2022, under which, investment of Rs 1 lakh crore will be made over a span of next four years to upgrade the research and premier education institutions in the country. Piyush Goyal insisted on the need to transition the schools of the country from Black Board mode to Digital Boards. “A committee has been set up by the Department of Higher Education to work out the modalities to support 'Operation Digital Board' in all schools and to provide quality education by effective use of technology and telecom services,” stated Mr. Goyal. The move will indeed bring in experiential learning to the classrooms of the students of government schools. Rs 608.87 crore was earmarked for Research and Innovation, taking it several notches high from Rs 350.23 crore allocated last year. The Interim Finance Minister hiked the allocation for National Education Mission from Rs. 32,334 crore in 2018-19 to Rs. 38,572 crore in 2019-20. The Modi Government has had set up 14 additional All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) across the country, since coming to power in 2014. Currently there are 21 AIIMS institutions operational in India. In Interim Budget 2019, Piyush Goyal announced setting up of 22^nd AIIMS at Haryana. “There are 21 AIIMS operating or being established in the country presently. 14 of these 21 AIIIMS have been announced since 2014. I am happy to announce setting up of new the 22nd AIIMS in Haryana,” stated the Union Minister while presenting Interim Budget 2019. For students keen on pursuing Planning and Architecture, the Minister proposed setting up of 18 additional SPAs in the IITs and NITs as autonomous schools, on challenge mode, while proposing two full-fledged 'Schools of Planning and Architecture' on challenge mode. “The proposal for setting up SPAs has been appraised by the Expenditure Finance Committee. Directors of IITs/NITs and Chief Secretaries of States/UTs have been requested to submit proposals,” stated Piyush Goyal. Mr. Goyal banked on certain buzz words of the education sector and shared his government’s intent to develop a National Centre on Artificial Intelligence and National Artificial Intelligence portal. “In order to take the benefits of Artificial Intelligence and related technologies to the people, a National Programme on 'Artificial Intelligence' has been envisaged by our Government. This would be catalysed by the establishment of the National Centre on Artificial Intelligence as a hub along with Centres of Excellence. Nine priority areas have been identified. A National Artificial Intelligence portal will also be developed soon,” announced the Union Minister, however, without making any budgetary allocation for this futuristic development. The Union Minister also allotted an additional 4227 crore towards Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) i.e. from Rs 23,357 crore in 2018-19 to Rs 27,584 crore in 2019-20 to provide food, preschool education, and primary healthcare facilities to children under 6 years of age along with their mothers. On the other hand, the NDA reduced allocation to Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA) from Rs 2,750 crore in 2018-19 to Rs 2,100 crore in 2019-20, given the actual expenditure from HEFA in 2018-19 amounted to meagre Rs 250 crore. With all these allocations, the Interim Budget 2019 allocation to the education sector stood at 3.3% of the total budget expenditure