Presenting the State Budget for 2023-24 on Friday, Finance Minister K N Balagopal announced an allotment of Rs 1,773 crore for the education sector in Kerala. Here are the details of the key announcements made by the finance minister for this crucial sector.
Rs 816 cr for Higher Education sector
An amount of Rs 816.79 crore has been set aside for the development of the state’s Higher Education sector. Out of this, a sum of Rs 252.40 crore is allocated for technical education.
University research initiatives get boost
In a novel initiative, the Kerala Government has allocated Rs 10 crore for converting the research outputs in universities into commercial products.
Yet another budgetary proposal that aids university research initiatives is that on setting up international research fellowships to enable scholars from Kerala’s universities to travel to foreign varsities for research.
The fellowships will cover the travel and living expenses of 100 students selected every year for short-term research in any of the world’s best 200 universities. An expert committee under the State Higher Education Council will decide the criteria for selecting deserving candidates under the scheme. A sum of Rs 10 crore has been set aside for this.
Rs 36 cr for Mahatma Gandhi University
The Finance Minister has allocated a sum of Rs 36 crore in the State Budget for Mahatma Gandhi University which had submitted project proposals worth Rs 42 crore.
The fund will be utilized to enhance research facilities, including the setting up of research studios and renovation of laboratories, university authorities said. The Kottayam-based varsity also eyes the renovation of basic infrastructure facilities of its Administration and Examination wings. The fund will be also used for new academic activities.
The other developmental projects include the repair of hostel buildings and that of the school of Tourism wing, the IT department’s MGU All-in-One-Up, a centre for Online Education, Empowerment of Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe students, and library renovation.
25 new nursing colleges
Twenty-five nursing colleges would be started in Kerala considering increased demand for nurses across the globe after the Covid pandemic.
The colleges would be established as part of the Idukki and Wayanad medical colleges, as well as taluk and general hospitals. With this, the number of BSc Nursing seats would increase by 2,500.
Currently, there are 1,000 seats across the 10 nursing colleges in the government sector and 1,000 seats in the 10 government controlled self-financing colleges, and 9,600 seats in the 120 self-financing colleges in the private sector.
The Budget stated that cooperative bodies, Centre for Professional and Advanced Studies, and the State Institute of Educational Management and Training (SIEMAT), would be given the nod for starting the colleges. The 23 nursing colleges, to be started under these institutions, would be operating in the self-financing mode.
Other key allocations
• Rs 98.35 crore for the development of government colleges.
• Rs 40.50 crore for the development of government engineering colleges.
• Rs 43.20 crore for the development of government polytechnics.
• Rs 14 crore has been earmarked to establish centers of excellence (CoE) in various knowledge sectors, as suggested by the Higher Education Commission.
• Rs 19 crore for Higher Education Council fund.
• Rs 10 crore for setting up an Academics complex at Government Brennen College, Thalassery.
• Rs 35 crore for ASAP project fund for train and enhancing the skill of students to improve their employability.
• Rs 23 crore for the development of Kerala Science & Technology Museum centres at Thiruvananthapuram, Chalakudy, Parappanangadi, and Kottayam.
Another announcement is on setting up material testing and certification centres in all government polytechnics having a Civil Engineering branch. A polytechnic college will be started as part of the proposed Education Hub with Pinarayi in Kannur district as the main centre.
Mid-day meal scheme gets the short shrift
The Budget has set aside a higher allocation for school education including for infrastructure development, but does not offer much respite for the problems plaguing the sector for long.
Even as the mid-day meal scheme has become a huge liability for schools, the demand for increasing the allocation of funds in this regard has been overlooked in the Budget. For the mid-day meal scheme, Rs 8 per child is allotted for schools with up to 150 students and Rs 6 per child for schools with more than 150 students since 2016. The cost is shared by the Centre and State governments in the ratio of 60:40.
Though rice is provided free of cost from the SupplyCo, the cost for the vegetables and cooking gas have to be sourced from this allocation. Moreover, the government share is often delayed by months.
In another letdown, the Budget has no mention about fixing the wages and service conditions of pre-primary school staff despite an High Court order demanding the same. The specialist teachers in art, physical education and work experience, working on contract with the Samagra Shiksha, Kerala (SSK) also did not get any relief from the Budget. They have been staging a stir in the state capital against their wages being slashed to Rs 10,000 from Rs 25,200.