Activists object to cut in grant for education in Union budget
Hindustan Times (Gurgaon), 11 Mar 2015, HT Correspondent htreporters@hindustantimes.com

Massive cuts for the education sector in the Union Budget 2015- 16 has activists and NGOs working in the sector worried.

The outlay for programmes such as the Integrated Child Development Services Scheme, National Nutrition Mission, Rashtriya Madhayamik Shiksha Abhiyaan (RMSA) and the Midday Meal Scheme have seen significant cuts.

The allocation for ICDS Scheme has been reduced from Rs. 18,195 crore in the 2014-15 budget estimates to Rs. 8,335.8 crore in the 2015-16 budget.

Similarly, the allocation for the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) has been reduced from Rs. 27,758 crore to Rs. 22,000 crore, mid-day meal scheme from Rs. 13,215 crore to Rs. 9,236 crore and the allocation for RMSA has been reduced from Rs. 5,000 crore to Rs. 3,565 crore.

Overall, the budget cut for the ministry of human resource development, which looks after education, is 17%.

“There has been a 29% cut in the budget for children this year. It now stands at an abysmal 3% of the entire budget,” said Enakshi Ganguly, of HAQ: Centre for Child Rights.

“All flagship programmes of the government such as the SSA, Mid-day Meals, ICDS, and healthrelated schemes, as well as allocations to the key ministries that implement them, stand severely cut,” she said.

Activists also punched holes in the union government’s theory that more funds will be made available to states to invest in these schemes after devolution.
“The Union government’s expectation that state government will re-prioritise their budget and compensate for the cut in Union Budget allocation for these programmes seems unrealistic at this stage,” said Subrat Das, executive director of the centre for budget and governance accountability.