Mumbai: Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar on Sunday said the government expenditure on education has gone up from 3.8 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2014 to 4.6 per cent during the NDA rule. Educational infrastructure too is being expanded and reformed, the minister said at a convocation at D Y Patil University in Navi Mumbai.
“It is our priority 6 per cent of GDP should be allotted to education…While total expenditure by central and state governments on education was 3.8 per cent of GDP in 2014, it has increased to 4.6 per cent now. This indicates we are progressing towards 6 per cent,” he said.
“We are making continuous efforts to improve educational facilities….Seven new IITs, seven new IIMs, two new NITs (National Institutes of Technology), three central universities and around 125 Kendriya Vidyalayas have been started,” he said. The portal SWAYAM offers 2,000 courses and “like ATM, this is ATL ‘Anytime Learning’ for everyone for free,” Javadekar said.
Besides, 32 educational channels have been launched while free coaching for IIT Joint Entrance Exam is offered through IIT-PAL (Professor Assisted Learning) programme, he said. The Union minister also said the NDA government took a “historic decision of introducing graded autonomy, while ensuring quality education”.
