Statement II in the Annexure gives expenditure on various subsectors of education as percentage of the total expenditure of education departments, yearwise for the central and state governments, statewise as well as combined. It may be seen that the percentage allocation of funds for various subsectors (Table 5) are significantly different between the central and state governments which means that the priorities accorded to various subsectors by the centre and states are different.
PERCENTAGE EXPENDITURE ON SUBSECTORS OF EDUCATION
Table 5 : Percentage Expenditure of Education
Departments of Central and State Governments by
Sectors.
Year EE SE AE/Spl TE HE Others Total
Edn.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Centre 1951-52 18.66 26.22 4.18 - 22.31 28.63 100.00
States 47.97 18.65 5.38 - 10.47 17.54 100.00
Total 46.11 19.13 5.30 - 11.22 18.24 100.00
Centre 1961-62 4.53 10.18 0.91 - 44.06 40.32 100.00
States 43.92 21.97 5.43 - 9.83 18.84 100.00
Total 39.99 20.80 4.98 - 13.25 20.99 100.00
Centre 1971-72 0.00 0.68 - 28.77 47.10 23.45 100.00
States 44.66 31.67 2.19 3.60 9.51 8.37 100.00
Total 41.42 29.41 2.03 5.43 12.24 9.47 100.00
Centre 1981-82 4.42 9.82 4.24 24.23 45.56 11.72 100.00
States 46.49 33.86 0.55 2.72 13.19 3,20 100.00
Total 43.82 32.33 0.79 4.08 15.25 3.74 100.00
Centre 1986-77 5.11 20.13 7.01 23.55 39.05 5.14 100.00
States 49.33 31.67 0.72 2.88 12.15 3.27 100.00
Total 45.94 30.78 1.20 4.46 14.21 3.41 100.00
Centre 1987-88 17.75 20.35 4.90 21.92 27.45 7.62 100.00
States 50.32 32.24 0.82 2.88 12.08 1.66 100.00
Total 46.56 30.87 1.29 5.07 13.85 2.35 100.00
Centre 1991-92 16.50 23.77 6.07 18.43 28.92 6.31 100.00
States 49.29 33.98 0.73 2.90 11.43 1.67 100.00
Total 46.30 33.05 1.22 4.32 13.03 2.09 100.00
Centre 1993-94 20.76 26.19 8.36 18.57 22.98 3.14 100.00
States (B. E.) 48.69 31.96 0.66 3.07 11.13 4.48 100.00
Total 46.17 31.44 1.36 4.47 12.19 4.36 100.00
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Priorities differ among states as well which is revealed by differing percentage allocations for different subsectors. The share of elementary and secondary education gradually increased in the central budget specially after the National Policy on Education, 1986.
Percentage expenditure for elementary education in the central budget, which was insignificant in the seventies, increased rom 3.99% in 1980-81 to 17.75% in 1987-88, when the funds for implementing NPE, 1986 were provided in the regular budget for the first time. In 1993-94 (BE) the share has recorded 20.76 per cent, the highest so far.
Central financial support for universalisation of elementary education satisfies, a long felt need. As early as 1986, the Indian Education commission had articulated the need for priority of education by stating "While every branch of education can justly claim the fostering care of the State, it is desirable in the present circumstances of the country, to declare the elementary education of masses, its provision, extension and improvement to be that part of the educational system to which the strenuous efforts of the state should now be directed in a still larger measure than heretofore".
However, so long as this policy postulate was not backed by central funding the policy remained an empty rhetoric. The priority assigned to basic education is reflected by the steep step up of public expenditure on elementary education in the VIII Five Year Plan(1992-97) by over 313% in comparison with the plan expenditure during VII Plan.
The share of elementary education in the total plan expenditure has also increased substantially during the VIII Five Year Plan.
The central government provides direct support to secondary education by opening Navodaya Vidyalayas in the 80's and strengthening the network of Kendriya Vidyalayas all over the country.
The proportion of expenditure on secondary education sector in the central budget has increased from 9.82% in 1981-82 to 23.77% in 1991-92 and 26.19% 1993-1994. Increasing priority to elementary and secondary education has brought down the relative share of higher and technical education in central budget over all these years.
So far as State Government are concerned, the priority given to different sub-sectors of education in terms of budgetary
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allocation does not indicate much variation over the years. States/Uts, on the other hand, have given priority to elementary, secondary and higher education in that order.
PERCENTAGE ALLOCATION AND ACHIEVEMENT LEVELS. Data for states and union territories shows that in seventies and eighties the share of elementary education was between 45% and 50%, followed by 30% to 35% for secondary education and around 10% for higher education. Percentage allocation does not necessarily reflect the achievement level. Total financial allocation combined with socioeconomic and political factor have a definite impact on development.
Public expenditure is, no doubt, a critical factor but not the sole determinant of development of an ever expanding education system. Cost effectiveness and efficiency in the delivery of services under various educational programmes which are mostly affected by the socioeconomic and political situations of the region, can have long-standing impact on the most important determinant of development, i.e., human capital formation.
Effectiveness of delivery of services in the social sector also needs a high degree of integration and convergence in the planning and programme implementation of related social sectors. Services like literacy, elementary education, primary health care, nutrition, mother and child care, family welfare and rural development have a strong inter-face among themselves and can only be strengthened through an appropriate integrated approach which will not only optimize public expenditure in regard to these services but also reinforce the effective delivery system.