The education sector witnessed a major cut in outlay in the Union Budget for 2021-22 amid substantial dip in allocation to a scheme that aimed to improve school infrastructure and teaching.
The allocation to school and higher education in the budget presented by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday was Rs 93,224 crore against the budgeted estimate of Rs 99,311 crore in 2020-21, which was revised to Rs 85, 089 crore. This is for the first time that the education ministry’s budget witnessed a cut in the allocated amount in the recent years.
Allocation to a scholarship scheme which aims to promote enrolment and reduce dropout of girls belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities in secondary schools also plummeted.