With a speech that lasted a little over 90 minutes, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2022-23 in the Parliament today. Swar Makhija of Elets News Network finds out about the FM’s offerings to the education sector.
The Union Budget 2022-23 was presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at the parliament today. The union budget speech was a little over 90 minutes and is said to be one of the shortest speeches. In her speech, Sitaraman doled out ‘digital gifts’ for the education sector
The finance minister announced that new skill courses will be started. After the pandemic hit the country, there has been a sudden shift towards technology. The rural students have been worse affected following the outbreak of Covid. Sitaraman said that rural people have lost 2 years of formal education, which is mostly students from government schools. To broaden the horizon, supplementary teaching is necessary. The eVidya platform will be expanded from 12 to 200 TV channels across the country. All states would provide supplementary education in regional language from classes 1 to 12.
The FM also realised that there is a major need to introduce more technology in the education sector. After the pandemic hit the country, many students shifted from private schools to government schools. Also, lakhs of schools and colleges were affected. A‘Digital university’ will be established for universal education with personalised learning experience at the doorstep, in different languages and ICT formats with ICT expertise. It will be built on a network hub and spoke model.
In the union budget speech, the Union Minister further stated, “Skilling programs will be reoriented, and ITIs will start courses on skilling. The Digital DESH e-portal will be launched for skilling, upskilling & reskilling of the youth”. To help students in easy understanding and better learning, high-quality e-content in all spoken languages will be developed through all media channels, i.e. internet, radio, mobile phone, television, and digital teachers.
Further, the minister announced 5 academic institutions on urban planning to be made centres of excellence. The institutions will get an endowment of Rs 250 crore each. Also, free of Indian regulations, world-class universities will be allowed to offer courses in financial services and technology.
She also stated that the National Skill Qualification Framework will be realigned with changing industry demands and that employability will be improved through skilling programmes and collaborations with the industry.
The following are the major highlights of Union Budget 2022-23:
- Digital University to be established to Provide World-Class Universal Education Across Country. It will be made available in different Indian languages and ICT formats.
- Startups will be promoted to facilitate Drone Shakti to make drone a service. In select ITIs in all states, courses will be started.
- NSQF(National Skills Qualifications Framework) will be aligned with dynamic industry needs.
- The Desh Stack e-portal will be launched. This will empower citizens to skill, upskill or reskill through online training.
- Skilling courses will be started
- High-quality e-content in all spoken languages will be developed through channels of the internet, radio, mobile phones, television, and digital teachers.
