The Ministry of Education has been allocated ₹93,224.31 crore in the 2021-22 Budget, an increase of more than ₹8,100 crore from the revised estimates for the current fiscal.
The Ministry was originally allocated ₹99,311.52 crore for the 2020-21 fiscal, which was eventually revised to ₹85,089.07 crore as the coronavirus pandemic hit the country and classes were ordered shut to prevent the spread of the virus.
According to the union budget announced on Monday, the Department of School Education has received ₹54,873.66 crore as against ₹59,845 crore allocated in the last Budget, a drop of ₹4971.34 crore.
The ministry’s school education scheme Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan saw its allocation reduced to ₹31,050.16 crore from 38,750.50 crore in the current fiscal.
Funds for the National Scheme for Incentive to Girls for Secondary Education have been reduced to just ₹1 crore from ₹110 crore in the current fiscal.
The funds for the Kendriya Vidyalayas, however, have been increased from ₹5,516 crore to ₹6,800 crore.
The budget allocation to Navodaya Vidyalayas has also been increased by ₹500 crore. A sum of ₹3,300 crore was allocated to Navodaya Vidyalayas this fiscal, which has been raised to ₹3,800 crore for the upcoming fiscal.
The mid-day meal scheme saw an increase of ₹500 crore as the total allocation has been raised to ₹11,500 crore from ₹11,000 in 2020-21.
However, the Department of Higher Education, which received ₹39,466.52 crore last Budget, has been allocated ₹38350.65 crore for 2021-22, registering a dip of ₹1115.87 crore.
The budget for the Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA) has been reduced from ₹2200 crore to ₹1 crore.
The allocation for world class institutions has been increased from ₹500 crore to ₹1,710 crore. Similarly, the fund for scholarships for college and university students has been increased from ₹141 crore to ₹207 crore.
