More funds for expansion of IITs, NITs

The human resource development ministry has decided to keep its Budget allocation demands within the limits of what it had made in the Interim Budget, especially in the case of primary education.

However, the only additional allocation for the General Budget to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore, already approved by the Planning Commission, would go to the department of higher education and technical education for expansion of IITs and NITs.

The government proposes to set up eight new IITs, seven IIMs, 10 NITs and 20 IIITs in the Eleventh Plan period (2007-12). This apart, it plans to set up 30 new central universities, a national tribal university, five new Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research and two new Schools of Planning and Architecture.

The budgetary outlays for higher education during the Plan period have seen a ten-fold increase as compared to the Tenth Plan.

In the Interim Budget presented earlier this year, the ministry received an allocation of Rs 26,800 crore for primary education.

The Interim Budget also saw an allocation of Rs 7,596 crore for higher education. The amount will increase by Rs 2,000 crore, the sources said. In the Interim Budget, an allocation of Rs 200 crore was made for setting up three new IITs, while Rs 20 crore each was allocated for setting up new IIMs and new NITs. The additional allocation is expected to benefit these projects.

Under the head of primary education, the demand for Sarva Siksha Abhiyan remains at Rs 13,100 crore which is the same as that of the Interim Budget. Again the demand for mid-day meal scheme is the same at Rs 8,000 crore.

The demand for adult education remains Rs 451 crore, while that of secondary and higher secondary education will be Rs 4,649 crore.

The ministry has sought Rs 350 crore-Rs 400 crore for setting up 6,000 model schools in the country.