Rural Education - TriumphIAS

Relevance: prelims/ mains: G.S paper II: Education

Introduction

The Committee for Draft National Education Policy submitted its report to Ministry of Human Resource Development on May 31, 2019. The proposals in the newly released Draft Education Policy 2019 aim to overhaul of the entire education system.
The report seeks to address the challenges of:

(i) access,

(ii) equity,

(iii) quality,

(iv) affordability, and

(v) Accountability.

The proposals in National Education Policy specifically target to strengthen and upscale the skills of both teachers and learners to meet global levels.
The policy proposes major changes in both school and higher education, improved governance and focus on research and innovation.
It aims to equip students with the necessary skills and knowledge. The initiatives proposed in the new education policy will go a long way in empowering and uplifting the overall status of rural India.
The Union Budget re-emphasises and realizes the importance of all these essential components in revitalizing the education system, especially in rural India.
Budget 2019 is a positive step in the right direction to focus on the education sector. This budget is guided by the mission to strengthen the Education Sector.
Support to IITs, Rashtriya Uchhatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), Scheme for transformational and advanced research in Sciences (STARS), Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC), Impactful Policy Research in Social Science (IMPRESS) and Impacting Research Innovation and Technology (IMPRINT), are among the schemes which have got considerable allocations in the budget.

Education- Budget 2019 highlights

Draft National Education Policy

The Policy proposes major changes in the higher education in the country to improve
outcome drastically. The allocation for education for 2019-20 would be more than three times the revised estimates.
India’s school will be made future-ready with a deeper focus on research and new age skills. The Budget allocates provide Rs 400 crore for world-class institutions. It proposes
the creation of several new bodies to overlook different facets of education. Also, National Higher Education Regulatory Authority or Rashtriya Shiksha Aayog (RSA) should be the only regulator for all higher education including professional education.
Of the total Rs. 94,853.64 crore allocated to education in Budget 2019-20, Rs.56,536.63
crore have been pegged for the school sector and Rs. 38,317.01 crore has been allocated to the higher education. In the school sector, Rs. 36,322 crore will be allotted to Samagra Shikha Abhiyan.
The mid-day meal programme has been allocated Rs. 1,000 crore. The budget allocates the teachers training and adult education only Rs. 125 crore.
There has been an increase of over 13% in outlay for education sector as compared to 2018-19.

Study in India

The aim of this Campaign would be to brand India as a prime study destination for international students. It has been set up with the objectives to:
Boost the number of inbound International students in India;
Increase India’s market share of global education exports;
Improve the overall quality of higher education;
Increase in global ranking of India as educational destination; and
Enhance India’s global market share of International students.
The Campaign aims to launch India onto the international student scene to promote the country as a higher education destination.

National Research Foundation (NRF)

Youth and employment are at the core of the Union Budget. It proposes setting up National Research Foundation for youth.
The draft Education Policy recommends establishing a National Research Foundation, an autonomous body, for funding, mentoring and building the capacity for quality research in India. The NRF will fund, coordinate and promote research in the country.
The Foundation will consist of four major divisions: sciences, technology, social sciences,
and arts and humanities, with the provision to add additional divisions.
The Government will make renewed efforts to promote research in the
country.
The proposed NRF will give a boost to research critical to building indigenous products
and solutions.

To improve the overall quality of higher education, it gives the following suggestions:

Role of Technology

The Policy recommends that a National Education Technology Forum be setup. Ministry
of Human Resource Development is already administering a programme ‘National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology’ (NMEICT) to make the best quality content accessible to all learners in the country, free of cost through ICT. One of the initiatives under this programme is SWAYAM.

Conclusion

Thus, the Union Budget also emphasizes upon sports for holistic development of young
learners. A National Sports Education Board will be set up under the Khelo India scheme, a programme to increase awareness on sports in India. Khelo India programme is focused on
nurturing talent and connecting rural India to global games.
It’s components include community sports, coaching for excellence, talent identification, competition structure as well as the sports economy. The vision of the Khelo India is to infuse sports culture and achieve sporting excellence in the country. The mission is
to encourage sports for all.
The other important items covered in the budget include:
Development of a “Gandhi-pedia” to sensitize youth about Mahatma Gandhi’s ideas;
Establishing a dedicated Television Channel for Start-ups. This will have indirect impact on
institutions offering higher education.