Union Budget 2022-23: Education Sector Expectations From Budget 2022

Union Budget 2022-23: Come February 1st, the entire nation will have all its eyes glued to the TV screens, ears to the radio stations, or to any broadcasting channel with all anxiety and expectations from the proposed Budget 2022 which is slated to be presented by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, to set the ball rolling for the next fiscal. Like several sectors, education is one of the key sectors to be watched out for.

Education being one of the major sectors to be severely hit by the COVID-19 pandemic impacting the lives of millions of students while disrupting as well as transforming the entire education system and pedagogy - from a physical/classroom platform to a virtual and online policy, the Education Budget 2022 is one of the key areas that the stakes holders will be keenly focusing vis-à-vis the government policy and approach.

Education Sector Expectations From Budget 2022

Irrespective of what the Union Budget 2022-23 entails for the Education sector, there are high hopes from Budget 2022 for the education industry which are likely to find their way in the budgetary presentation to be made on February 01, 2022.

Education Budget 2022: The budgetary allocation to education sector in the previous year was reduced by 6 percent as it was slashed from Rs. 93,311 in 2020-21 to Rs. 93,224 in 2021-22 accounting for 2.67 percent of the Union Budget 2021-22, which is likely to see an increase due to a tectonic shift in the learning process resulting in the emergence of Ed-tech startups and online education becoming the norm with app-based learning requiring a robust digital infrastructure, in addition, to focus on skill development and other requirements of the education industry which is likely to find its mention in the education budget 2022.

National Education Policy Push: The Union Budget 2022 is likely see a further push for implementation of National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) in a strategic manner on pan-India scale aimed at bringing about 'transformational reforms' in school and higher education systems in India by pushing for 'universalization of education' through enhancing the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) by ensuring sufficient fund flow.

Focus On EdTech Infra: As technology has transformed the learning process, especially with pandemic impacting the regular education and pedagogy, the Education Budget 2022 is likely to promote and give a boost to digital education, AI learning, and other evolving technologies through greater investment in the said areas like the setting up of a National Educational Technology Forum (NETF), which will serve as an autonomous body providing a platform for the free exchange of ideas on the use of technology to enhance learning, assessment, planning, administration in addition to making devices like laptops, smartphones, tablets, etc. available at subsidised prices.

Teachers Training And Quality Education: The Education Budget 2022 is likely to also touch upon improving the quality of education across all levels - primary to university either through improvising on schemes like SamagraShiksha, RUSA, SPARCH, IMPRINT, TEQIP, SWAYAM, etc. or through the launching of new schemes besides focusing on enhancing and building the capabilities of schools and teachers through integrated teacher training programmes like NISHTHA.

Education Loans: Another area of focus in Union Budget 2022 for education sector is expected to be on easing of education and study loans for students that are serving as a deterrent for scores of students in taking to their dream course and academic programmes. Cutting down the interest rates of education loans will be a key factor in Education Budget 2022

These form some of the primary expectations for Education Budget 2022 that will be presented alongside the Union Budget 2022-22 on February 1, 2022 by the Union Finance Minister.