However, the allocations have not been adequate to keep pace with the requirements for various policy directives/programmes. It may thus be stated that following NPE-1986, Rs. 8110.58 crores was actually provided for general and technical education during the Seventh Plan period in Central and State Plans as against Seventh Plan outlay of Rs. 5457 crores.
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Plan Outlays provided for various sectors of education are as Under:
Sector Outlay Provided
(Rs. in crores)
Elementry Education 2171.31
Adult Education 548.82
Secondary, Higher Education
& others Sectors of Education 3259.81
Total General Education 6779.94
Technical Education 1220.14
BADP 110.50
Grand Total: 8110.58
3.3 The Working Group on Resources for Education (including Art and Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports) for Eighth Five Year Plan recommended that Eighth Plan (1990-95) outlays should be Rs. 45,000 crores. The Working Group have suggested several measures to moblise additional resources for Education through nonbudgetory sources also. Most of these recommendationans are built in NPERC report.
A copy of the recommendations of the Working Group is enclosed.
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(i) Planning so far has focussed a great deal on financial resources. We must shift the focus of Planning and see it not just a budgetary, exercise but as a catalyst for total mobilisation of all real resources.
(ii) There is a greater need for economy and optimal and effective utilisation of resources allocated for education. The institutions need to devise innovative teaching learning practices so as to reduce the wastage from 60% at present to 30%. Determined efforts at the State and the Central level are absolutely necessary to ensure both. A High Level Committee consisting of Administators, Educationists and Educational Administrators my be set up in each State as well as the Centre for making surveys for optimal utilisation of existing infrastructure and resources. This would mean efficiency in allocation of resources at the Planning Commission, Ministry of Human Resource Development, UGC and at State level for right purposes and for right type of institutions. Professional backup machinery be set up in the States for this purpose.
(iii) Cost-Saving-Devices may be adopted to reduce the unit cost of various programmes through alternative strategies.
(iv) The fee structure should be revised with a view to increasing the fees at the college level and for Professional courses, Efforts should be made so that
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the contribution from fees might be developed to atleast 202 of the resources for education in the States, a situation which was in existence in 1950-51. The rate of fees in the universities should be increased by 25%.
(v) There are about 12,000 foreign students in India. Full tuition fee and training cost should be charged from the foreign students.
(vi) There should be a School Fund in every school. This fund would include not only the fees charged from students but also other fees such as Library fees, Laboratory fee, Games fee, Magazine fee, Building fee As such fees are in existence in almost all the States.The income thus received from these funds should be kept separately. To this funds should also be added from voluntary donations and contribution from private bodies and management for specific development purposes. This fund should be utilised only for improvement programmes and not for the payment of teachers salaries and allowances. The funds should be managed by a Committee consisting of parents, teachers band students with the Head of the Institution as Chairman.
(vii) Higher education and Technical education should beself-financing. To do that education will have to be viewed as involving use of resource (inputs) which should be necessarily paid for material benefits (outputs). The procedure for covering the entire cost
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of education from those leaving the country should be devised. For aided institutions the element of competition may be introduced whereby better performing educational institutions be given aid and grants on improved terms.
(viii) Resources should also be mobilised through consultancy and research work. At present there are poor linkages between institutions of higher education, industry and other social organisations. These linkage could be forged by technical and professional institutions by providing consultancy and research work.
(ix) Allocation for resources for administration in universities be reduced to 20-30 percent. For this purpose modern practice of management and management aids and equipment be used. The allocation of resources for teaching aids and inputs be increased atleast 5-6%. The infrastructure and laboratory facilities in general college lie idle after a certain period of time in a day. It is therefore necessary that two or three shifts for use of these facilities be encouraged.Similarly double and triple faculty colleges should be preferred over single faculty colleges. Available human resources of academic, administrative and manual nature should be effectively used. Emphasis should be on non-monetary inputs like better coordination, motivation, incentives for work and flexibility in rules and regulations. Along with
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human resources, efficiency index of the Institutions should be developed and Implemented.
(x) Loan from financial institutions to educational institutions for educational purposes such as school buildings, hostels, staff quarters should be made available. The Life Insurance Corporation and TIM have already offered to construct buildings for educational institutions possibly on cost. Servicing of loans could be from the grants received from the housing financial institutions, Life Insurance Corporation etc. Loans advanced to the staff of universities, colleges and schools for purchase of tenements /houses on ownership basis, may have the participation of the employer on lines existing in some public sector companies. An employer may subsidise difference in lending rates of loans given by the Government to its employees.
(xi) Community participation at the local level may be activised. This participation can be in cash or in kind, in the form of land or equipment. When the community is motivated to the programmes of education this will automatically improve the enrolment and the retention rates so necessary for the universalisation of Elementary Educating by 1995 and eradication of illiteracy by the same year,
(xii) Panchayati Raj institutions and other local institutions should be involved in planning and implementation of educational programmes and in the
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resource mobilisation effort. Public and Private Sector Undertakings should be involved in vocational and technical education.
(Xiii) Resources should also be mobilised through community and social services. Colleges and universities should be encouraged to undertake community and social surveys like water analysis, food analysis, pathological tests, electronic repair services, instrumentation services, population education guidance and counselling, social forestry, cultural activities etc. by charging some fees and retaining it, for improvement of the institutions. This will help college to establish good relationship with community.
(xiv) Philanthropists should be encouraged to contribute to the cause of education, particularly higher education. Endowment Funds should be created by approaching alumni of the Institutions/Universities.
(xv) Special education Cess should be levied by the State Government. Wherever it already exists it should be increased particularly on all urban property owner. At least 2% of the rental value of the urban property should be taxed and it proceedings should be kept separately for education. Some Cess should also be levied on the sale of agricultural produce at the time of procurement.
(xvi) The possibilities of additional sources through taxation especially from agricultural sector which is
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relatively undertaxed today should be explored.
(xvii) A levy of 5% on all import should be imposed as is being done in Pakistan. The proceeds of levy should be earmarked for educational development.
(xviii) Wheat and paddy should be collected at the time of harvesting season and stored. These should be used for providing mid-day meals to students.
(XiX) The concept of Zero base budgeting should be adopted. Any saving affected through Zero base budgeting should be permitted to be used for higher priority programmes. The staff rendered surplus on account of Zero base budgeting should be redeployed after satisfying certain prescribed conditions. However, introduction of Zero base budgeting would necessitate for organisation of intensive training programme for functionaries of education department at all levels in order to acquaint them with the techniques of the new concept.
(xx) A manpower Cess should be levied on industry which require skilled manpower personnel. This is necessary because education sector produces human resources required by other sectors of development.
(xxi) Those programmes of rural development as IRDP, removal of poverty and employment programme such as NREP, RLEGP,ICDS and the recently announced Jawahar Rojgar Yojna should be closely linked with educational development programmes area-wise and these sector should set apart a proportion of their budget for Elementary Education and National Literacy Mission.