PROJECTED PLAN FUND REQUIREMENTS FOR NPE SCHEMES - FOR 1989-90 AND 1990-95.
S. Name of the Sector Projection Projection
No. for 1989-90 for 1990-95
(Rupees Crores)
1. School Education 139.52 809.52
2. University & Higher 343.37 1251.90
Education.
3. Technical Education 109.92 638.73
4. Adult Education 2.74 15.91
5. Scholarships 8.00 46.40
6. Languages 8.49 49.26
7. Others 39.88 231.36
TOTAL 651.92 3043.08
7.3.2 Annexure-7 may be seen for the detailed statement on requirement of funds for non-plan activities.
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7.4.1 The overall Picture regarding the size of investments required in the Central Sector-particularly in the context of NPE activities - being as mentioned above, priorities could be spelt out as follows:
The most basic priority, of course, is to be given to programmes that' are to subserve the objective of universalisation of Elementary Education. The reasons are :
(i) The provision for free and compulsory education for all children until they complete the age of fourteen years envisaged in Article 45 of the Constitution by way of a Directive Principle.
(ii) The perspective for Education upto the year 2000 A.D. spelt out in Para 5.1.0 above;
(iii) The development strategy envisaged in the VII Plan and mentioned in Para 5.2.0 above.
(iv) Cost effectiveness as a matter of policy option. It is an established fact that public spending on primary education is very cost effective because the returns at the lower levels of learning are higher. Educated farmers, for example, are more productive - being in a position to absorb modern agricultural technology. When basic skills of literacy and numeracy are imparted
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at the lower levels of education, profitability of physical investments in other sectors grow. This helps in certain societal benefits like in terms of improvement of standards of health, nutrition etc. (it has been estimated that returns to investment in education in Asia in general amount to 27% at the primary level, 15% at the Secondary level and 13% at higher level).
Provision of basic infrastructure for schools, non-formal education and teacher education are programmes which help improve the holding capacity of schools, cut-down drop-out rates. (Annexure-8 may be seen for drop-out rates), avoid wastage caused by repetition of children in classes and contribute to universalisation of elementary education (In this context, relevant extracts of the recommendations of the Public Accounts Committee, 1987-88, Eighth Look Sabha - Hundred and Thirty Fourth Report - may be seen in Annexure-9 ).
7.4.2 Amongst the programmes for universalisation of Elementary Education, the matter deserving most immediate attention is provision of buildings to the huge backlog of primary schools. As already stated in
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Para 6.2.0 above, the Eighth Finance Commission did recognise this as the matter of highest priority and recommended upgradation assistance for provision of buildings to 38,946 schools out of a backlog of 1,85,666 schools. (In making this recommendation, the Commission had gone by the Fourth All India Educational Survey. The fifth All India Educational Survey has since been conducted. The figures concerning the latest situation have not yet become available. Nevertheless, data that have become available on account of operation blackboard surveys during 1987-88 can be safely relied on - relating as they do to 20% of the blocks in the country. These data indicate that 39% of the schools are still without adequate buildings of even the minimum required levels. In other words, there has been no significant improvement in the situation since the last Finance Commission, which noted that the deficiency rate for buildings was 41%. As already seen in Table 10 above, upto 31.3.88, upgradation assistance to States since the last Finance Commission has meant addition of buildings only to 3172 schools. Even though Operation Blackboard has identified about 44000 schools in 1987-88 for provision of buildings (See Annexure-10 for detailed statement), funding arrangements for the same are riot certain. Though there are guidelines for use of NREP/RLEGP funds for the purpose, they being general rural asset creation programmes, the states have other competing alternative
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demands (outside of Education) on these resources. Even presuming that funds will indeed be made available for these 44000 buildings, there would still be a backlog of 1.40 lakh primary schools to be provided with buildings/explained below :
Backlog as per Fourth All India 1,85,666
Educational Survey
Less buildings provided for under 47,172
"Upgradation assistance" since
Eighth Finance Commission and under.
Operation Blackboard (3172 plus
44,000)
Balance of backlog 1,38,494
or say1.40 lakh schools
7.4.3 At Rs. 80000 per school, cost of providing building for 1.40 lakh schools can be estimated as Rs. 1120 crores.
7.4.4 The Programme-of Action requires that all State Governments should ensure that all habitations with a population of 300 (200 in the case of tribal, hilly and desert areas) should be provided with a primary school, besides special schools for specific durations for groups of people who shifted their places of residence. At the time of the Fourth All India
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Educational Survey, there were 61602 habitations with a population of 200 or more which did not have a primary school or primary section within one Kilometre. Provision of buildings for new Schools in these habitations would require Rs. 493 crores (61602 x Rs. 80,000)
7.4.5 It has been estimated that there is need for an additional 62500 Upper Primary schools going by the existing numbers of Primary schools. (usually the ratio is one Upper Primary school for every three Primary schools.) On the basis that each Upper Primary school is to be provided with 3 class rooms, for the above 62500 new schools, the amount required is Rs 1280 crores.
7.4.6 The Eighth Finance Commission had noted that there were 1,65,848 Single teacher Primary schools. They also recommended assistance for 45,255 additional teachers to be provided on the basis that these many were required for the Single teacher schools in States where the proportion of. such schools exceeded the national average of 35%. As may be seen from table 10 above, assistance has so far-been released for appointment of 30,233 teachers under upgradation programme. Under Operation Blackboard, sanctions have been issued for 36,891 posts of teachers. (Annexure -11 may be seen for Operation Blackboard data on Single teacher schools.)
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In effect, there is still a backlog of nearly a 100000
single teacher schools to be covered, as may be seen from the figures
given below:-
Backlog of single teacher - 1,65,848 (As per
schools noted by the Operation Blackboard
Eighth Finance Commission Survey this is
1,80,854).
Less posts for which - 67,124
assistance has been (30,233 under
released by the Govt. of upgradation
India assistance
plus 36,891
under Operation
Blackboard)
Balance of Backlog - 98,724 or say
100000
In order to provide 100000 teachers, at an average annual cost of
Rs 19,000 Per teacher, the amount required is Rs 190 crores. 7.4.7 Central assistance for providing additional teachers to single teacher schools in available only till 1990. State Governments have to take over the. liability on the salary of these teachers during the Eighth Plan. The estimated liability of the States/UTs in this regard is Rs.438.54 crores per annum since 1990-91 (for 1,80,854 schools).
7.4.8 State Governments also have to take 'over the recurring liability on account of the Non-Formal Education projects. The number of projects being set up during the Seventh Plan period is 3350. Cost per project from the second year comes to Rs 2 lakhs. The commitment of the State Govts. on this basis, during the Eighth Plan period is Rs 335 crores.
7.4.9 Yet another liability which has to be taken over by the State Govts. at the end of the Seventh Plan is the commitment on the salaries and
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allowances of the staff under the programme for establishing DIETs and CTEs. It has been estimated that the liability on account of this per annum is of the order of Rs 104 crores. (Rs 520 crores for 5 years.)
7.4.10 The teacher education programme contemplates in-service training of teachers too. In-service courses are to be run by DIETs/CETs, etc. There are approximately 35 lakh teachers who are to be trained in these. institutes. The cost of training per teacher on a Three-Week programme is Rs 700. The amount required for training of: 35 lakh teachers once in a five year period comes to Rs 245 crores. The commitment on this is of the State Governments.
7.4.11 One of the important requirements of universalisation of Elementary Education is provision of women teachers in rural areas. For want of women teachers, very heavy drop-out rates are experienced amongst girls. Availability of women teachers in rural areas can be improved significantly only by provision of housing facilities. On the basis that three lakh women teachers need housing facilities, at a modest cost of Rs 50,000 per dwelling unit, the amount required for this is Rs 1500 crores.
7.4.12 The National Policy on Education provides for improving the service conditions and emoluments
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of teachers. At a modest enhancement of pay of the teachers to the extent of Rs 1000 per annum, the amount required for 35 lakh teachers is Rs. 350 crores per annum. (Rs. 17 50 crores for 5 years)
7.5.0 So far as School Education sector is concerned, in the statement appended to Annexure-6, information has already been furnished regarding the commitments that will have to be taken over by the State Govts./UTs on account of plan schemes terminating at the end of the Seventh Plan.
7.6.0 In the Universities and Higher Education sector, States and UTs have to find funds, following up on assistance extended to the Universities by the UGC for general development and quality oriented programmes. The States also have to have resources for enabling Universities to maintain plant and equipment, meet depreciation, acquire journals and publications, etc.
7.7.0 Quite a few States have their own State Adult Education programmes as well. The commitment levels reached by the States in regard to these programmes at the end of the Seventh Plan have to be supported to by provision of adequate Non-plan funds.
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7.8.0 Furnished below, for favour of ready reference is a table containing data on funds that ought to be provided for enabling States to implement priority programmes and meet inevitable past and continuing commitments: