oppn parties Budget 2021: Education Gets A Short Shrift

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  • Allahabad HC said that the UP Police is acting as law unto themselves as they detained a person unlawfully even before his arrest
  • Kolkata witnesses traffic snarls on the first day of the Durga Puja festival as revellers start pnadal-hopping
  • Neha Bora was subsequently released and Dipke is to appear before a magistrate today at noon
  • Delhi Police detained Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke, Neha Bora of AISA, student leaders and supporters ahead of a rally in Connaught Place demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. The protest followed the detention and jailing of two CJP leaders earlier in the week over demonstrations at Jantar Mantar
  • The Reserve Bank of India is considering further monetary tightening to counter capital outflows and increase the cost of betting against the rupee, according to bankers and analysts cited by Reuters. The measures follow recent rate increases and steps to drain liquidity as pressure on the currency and inflation concerns persist
  • India directed oil marketing companies to stop diverting sugar-based feedstocks for ethanol production in the 2026–27 supply year, according to a new tender issued on Friday. The companies have invited bids for 11 billion litres of ethanol made from alternatives including corn and broken rice, amid concerns about domestic sugar supplies and prices
  • Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said India's trade imbalance with China was growing sharply and attributed the problem partly to restrictions on Indian goods and services entering the Chinese market. China subsequently said it was ready to work with India to address mutual economic and trade concerns; India's trade deficit with China reached $69 billion in the first half of FY2026–27, up 27% year-on-year
  • Indian equity benchmarks extended their recovery on Friday, with the Sensex rising 413.66 points to close at 74,729.27 and the Nifty 50 gaining 148.80 points to settle at 23,146.15. Information technology shares, including Tech Mahindra, Infosys and TCS, helped lift the indices
  • India defeated Zimbabwe by four wickets in the opening women's T20 International in Raipur, taking a 1–0 lead in the three-match series. Deepti Sharma and Niki Prasad combined in an 82-run stand after India's top order collapsed, helping the hosts chase down Zimbabwe's total of 114 for five
  • Indian wrestler Komal won bronze in the women's 59 kg category at the Under-23 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, defeating Kazakhstan's Viktoriia Khusainova 7–2. Fellow Indian Amruta Pujari advanced to the women's 72 kg final after recording two pinfall victories
  • Indian shuttler Jagsher Singh Khangurra secured a bronze medal at the BWF World Junior Badminton Championships in Cairo
  • The Supreme Court of India upheld the Bombay High Court's decision quashing the 2020 write-off of ₹8,415 crore in additional tier-1 bonds issued by Yes Bank (Yes Bank). The court ruled that the bank's administrator lacked the authority to extinguish the bonds under the final reconstruction scheme, strengthening bondholders' claims
  • The Supreme Court issued notices to the Election Commission of India, Delhi Police and opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, in separate petitions concerning electoral-roll revision and protests held in Delhi on October 10–12. The court also directed the preservation of CCTV footage linked to allegations of police excesses
  • The Supreme Court ruled that a person converting from Hinduism to Islam cannot automatically claim backward-class reservation benefits in the new religious community solely on the basis of their previous caste status. The judgment upheld the Madras High Court's decision striking down a 2024 Tamil Nadu government order that permitted such certification for specified communities
  • The Election Commission of India ordered a Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls in 14 states and three Union Territories, using January 1, 2027, as the qualifying date for voter eligibility. The draft rolls are scheduled for publication on November 12, claims and objections will be accepted until December 11, and the final rolls are due on January 4, 2027
Tragedy in Kolkata: Stampede at the Chor Bagan Pujo results in 18 people losing their lives and scores injured /////// The stampede was caused by a sudden downpour which made people in the heavy crowd run for cover
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Budget 2021: Education Gets A Short Shrift

By Tanmaya Das
First publised on 2021-02-05 02:32:36

About the Author

Sunil Garodia Tanmaya is a budding journalist

Union Budget 2021 has introduced many plans to recover from the economic recession. The budget has highlighted strong measures and investment plans in the healthcare, infrastructure and agriculture sectors to increase employment opportunities. In education sector, the Union Budget 2021 has planned to strengthen 15000 schools under the NEP 2020. However, FM Nirmala Sitharaman has not provided any investment plans on the Teachers' Training Programs. The budget has also not focused much on strengthening digital education.

To increase employment opportunities amongst the youth, the FM has announced to invest Rs 3000 crore on the Apprenticeship Act. She has also declared post-matric scholarship scheme for four crore students. She has also announced better infrastructure facilities in the tribal areas.

However, she has not revealed powerful investment ideas on the Teachers' Training program. During the pandemic, several children left schools due to the lack of digital infrastructure and poverty. Also, many teachers are technologically challenged. The NEP 2020 has underlined some measure reformations in the teachers' training programs, but the Budget has failed to allocate necessary funds for the same. Also, efficient implementation ideas are required with strict regulatory measures.

The Union budget has also planned to strengthen 15,000 schools. These schools will mentor other schools in their regions. It is a drawback since the socio-economic and cultural background of every school is different. Therefore, strengthening of 15000 schools to empower other schools needs careful planning.

The allocation of budget on the mid-day meals has reduced from Rs 12900 crores to Rs 11,500 crores. The Department of School Education and Literacy will receive Rs 54,874 crores, comparatively lower than the last budget.

The Union Budget 2021 could have played a significant role in strengthening the digital infrastructure in the teachers' training programs, especially since education has moved online due to the pandemic. It was found that the less privileged, with no access to digital infrastructure, were deprived of learning during closure of schools and colleges.  India requires huge investments in digital infrastructure of schools with all-inclusive facilities. Education requires digital infrastructure to fight unemployment in the long run. In that sense, the Budget leaves a lot to be desired in this sector. 

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