As the first Budget of the Modi 3.0 government approaches, education experts are urging the government to greatly increase funding for education, with a strong focus on research and innovation. Speaking to The Free Press Journal (FPJ), several prominent educationists raised the demand for higher allocations for the sector.
Highlighting the need to improve the colleges and universities, IIM Mumbai Director Manoj Kumar Tiwari said, “More funds are needed to improve colleges and universities, for better facilities, research and education quality.”
Manoj Kumar Tiwari, Director IIM Mumbai |
“The Budget 2024 should focus on vocational training and skill development programmes and better align with industry needs and improve the employability of graduates," Tiwari added.
Rajendra Shinde, Principal, St Xavier's College, Mumbai |
Rajendra Shinde, the principal of St Xavier's College, Mumbai, believes that to bring innovation into the classrooms, the government must significantly increase the budgetary allocations for education.
"The government must increase the education budget to 6% of GDP. This is necessary to bring innovative learning platforms into classrooms, which is essential for keeping up with advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and achieving the goals set by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020,” Shinde told the FPJ.
“As of 2023, approximately 29% of children with disabilities in India were not enrolled in schools; research also indicates one in 68 students has certain learning challenges. I am expecting a focus on the same as well," he added.
Shweta Sastri, Managing Director, Canadian International School |
The issues of gender representation and proper access to quality education have been raised as well. Speaking to the FPJ, Shweta Sastri, the managing director of Canadian International School in Bangalore, highlighted these issues.
"There is a major need to address gender inequality, improve access to quality education in rural areas and enhance internet connectivity infrastructure. Looking ahead, we must strive to ensure that the learning experience remains meaningful and enriching. It is important to nurture, challenge, and empower all students to be successful in whatever they choose in life," Sastri told the FPJ.
Prof Ramgopal Rao, Vice-Chancellor, BITS Pilani |
Prof Ramgopal Rao, the vice-chancellor for the Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS) Pilani campuses located in Pilani, Hyderabad, Goa, Dubai and Mumbai, believes that India must have more schemes, especially those that promote academia-industry collaborations to excel in R&D and innovation.
"While India ranks third in the world for scientific research, it only ranks 40th in innovation. In the 2024-25 India budget, a significant boost to education and research funding is imperative. With R&D spending at just 0.65% of GDP, much lower than the BRICS average and the global average of 1.8%, it is crucial to enhance this investment,” Rao opined.
“The National Research Foundation (NRF) should be a pivotal part in addressing these gaps. More schemes specifically targeting academia-industry collaborations are the need of the hour," he added.
Niru Agarwal, Trustee, Greenwood High International School |
Niru Agarwal, one of the trustees of Greenwood High International School, Bengaluru, believes that the government must invest in improving education and technology access in rural India. “We need to develop a mix of digital, physical and practical classroom infrastructure to enhance learning effectiveness,”. Agarwal told the FPJ. “Increasing women’s involvement in STEM fields is crucial. We also need a supportive environment for the private sector to establish new institutions," she highlighted.
Prof VN Rajasekharan Pillai, Vice Chancellor, Somaiya Vidyavihar University |
Prof VN Rajasekharan Pillai, the vice-chancellor of Somaiya Vidyavihar University, said, "The intent of the new government (the third consecutive term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi) to enhance education in the country is reflected in the allocation of Rs 1.20 lakh crore, which is a 7% increase from the previous year's budget estimate.” “The implementation of the New Education Policy involves the gradual upgrading of major high-grade colleges into universities. This transformation requires substantial investment in infrastructure, human resources and research,” he added.
“Achieving the objectives of the NEP necessitates significant investment in higher education. For this purpose, the government has requested the formulation of guidelines for the mobilisation and utilisation of funds by the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) through three National Science Academies,” he told the FPJ.
“The ANRF is to be implemented with a total budget of Rs. 50,000 crores over five years, with approximately 70% of the funds expected to come from non-government sources. The ANRF aims to address significant challenges in the current R&D ecosystem, including the low participation of the private sector in R&D,” Pillai said.
Neha Jagtiani, Principal, RD & SH National College |
Neha Jagtiani, the principal of RD & SH National College, Bandra, said, “The Union Budget 2024 should address the education sector investment and capacity addition to lay the groundwork for the NEP vision and objectives with IC2: infrastructure, capacity and collaboration.”
“The government should support allocating funds for Academic Research Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure improvements and the development of digital teaching and learning resources,” Jagtiani added.
According to her, a dedicated budget should be allocated for non-technical institutions to foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. “This could include funding for awareness programmes, hackathons and boot camps, which can significantly multiply employment opportunities by equipping individuals to create jobs for others,” she told the FPJ.
