Cut in edu budget due to higher tax devolution to states: HRD Minister

New Delhi, March 3: The huge cut of 16 per cent in the education sector for 2015-16 has been attributed to the higher tax devolution to the states as has been recommended by the Finance Commission.

The Union Budget presented for 2015-16 has proposed Rs 69,074 crore as against Rs 82,771 allocated in the previous fiscal.

"The Budget estimates for the HRD Ministry has been drawn up in the context of the 14th Finance Commission wherein a higher tax devolution to the states has been recommended," HRD Minister Smriti Irani said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.

Delinking of some schemes to the states such as setting up of about 6,000 model schools has also been blamed by the Ministry officials for the cut in the budget allocation for the sector.

The slash in the education sector as compared to the revised allocation in 2014-15 is, however, 2.02 per cent. While the school education sector has got an outlay of Rs 42,219.50 crore for 2015-16, the higher education sector has got Rs 26,855 crore.

PTI