Government has to foot a Rs 60,000 cr bill for RTE -Governance Now

Government has to foot a Rs 60,000 cr bill for RTE

HRD Ministry has suggested a 75:25 Centre-State fund sharing pattern for RTE

Jasleen Kaur | June 10, 2010

The Right to Education is set to cost the centre Rs 61,000 crore more over the next five years. In a note submitted to the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) in May, the HRD ministry has proposed an estimate of Rs. 2,31,000 crore for implementing the act.

The RTE Act is in effect since April 1 with the previous estimated requirement at Rs 1,71,000 crore, drawn up by the the National University of Education Planning & Administration (NUEPA). The figure has been revised upwards by Rs 60,000 crore after considering teachers’ salaries under the existing Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), which is working in tandem with the RTE.

NUEPA has been the basis of financial planning for the RTE's provision so far. And the reason for the hike is that it had earlier considered the salaries of new teachers to be recruited for RTE but had not made provision for existing teachers.

The ministry has also proposed that the number of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas be increased from current 2800 to over 3500 to ensure benefits of RTE reach girls in educationally backward areas. Also, it has suggested a 75:25 Centre-State fund sharing pattern for the same. As many states including UP, Bihar and Bengal have openly proclaimed their inability to shoulder such a huge financial burden.

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