New Delhi: The Delhi government has allocated Rs 16,278 crore for the education sector in its eighth budget since the AAP formed its government in the Capital.
The budget allocation for education will focus on building boarding schools for homeless children and a Science Museum and take the government's business blasters programme to private schools as well.
The state's Finance Minister Manish Sisodia while announcing the budget for 2022-23 said that the several initiatives taken by his government has benefitted children but not its entirety. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also addressed the issue and said that homeless children have been left out by most ruling parties as they are not "vote banks".
"There have been initiatives to provide basic education to them (children) but they have been partly successful. We propose to set up a Boarding School for homeless children," Sisodia said while announcing the budget. The Deputy CM proposed Rs 10 crore for setting up the boarding school. He highlighted that in order to provide quality education basic facilities like food and shelter need to be in place. "The Delhi government has decided to set up a boarding school with modern facilities for these underprivileged homeless children. These schools will try to bring them into the mainstream of society," he said.
Kejriwal pointed out that the children in the boarding school will be provided with emotional and psychological support within the school campus which will have "five-star" facilities. "When you stop at a traffic light, you don't pay heed to a child knocking at your window. We will take care of them. Our government will build an excellent school for those children, they will stay there and study there," the CM added.
The government will use part of the fund allotted for education to set up a School Science Museum in a Delhi school in Chirag Enclave area. The government will use books and videos to make science subjects and other related topics come alive in the museum so that the students understand them better.
"This school science museum will play an important role in developing curiosity and interest in science among children. I have made a provision of Rs 50 crore for the School Science Museum in the Budget," Sisodia said.
The education department will also take its brain child —Business Blasters scheme —to private schools.Under the scheme, students are given a seed money of Rs 2,000 each to work on their business ideas. Through the programme 51,000 business ideas were presented and 3 lakh students received seed money of Rs 2,000 each to execute their business idea. The education sector received the highest allocation of Rs 16,278 crore in the Delhi Budget 2022-23 (22 percent) when compared to other sectors. However, the Education sector was allocated Rs 16,377 crore in the previous year's budget and this year it has seen a decline in comparison.
The Rs 16,278 crore allocation for the education sector in the financial year 2022-23 includes Rs 14,412 crore under revenue and Rs 1,866 crore under capital expenditure. Happiness curriculum and deshbhakti curriculum will be introduced in private schools.