The Bihar government has presented an estimated budget of Rs 1.44 lakh Crore for the 2016-17 fiscal, which focused mainly on education; a sector that is among Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's.
seven resolves'. The budget, which is 40 per cent higher than that of last year, has not proposed any fresh taxes. It has an estimated plan outlay of Rs 71,501.84 Crore and non-plan expenditure of Rs 72,276.95 Crore.
According to State Finance Minister, Abdul Bari Siddiqui, "This budget is not just Rs 24,010.95 Crore more than last year, but also estimates a revenue surplus of Rs 14,649.46 Crore." The allocation for education remained at the top of all sectors with an estimated outlay of Rs 21,897 Crore, he said. The minister said five new private universities would be set up while 119 acres would be provided for newly sanctioned Indian Institute of Management (IIM) at Bodh Gaya. Free Wi-Fi facilities would also be made available in colleges and universities. The money will also be spent on constructing new classrooms and scholarships to promote education.
To promote higher education, students will get credit cards of up to Rs 4 lakh. An agriculture university would be set up in Kishanganj while a Para-medical college would come up in each district of Bihar," said Siddiqui.
Expressing concern over "poor quality" of teaching in the state, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar stated that despite the state government spending 25 per cent of its budget on the sector, quality education still remains a challenge for it. Concerns on quality education were reiterated by the Bihar’s CM after inaugurating 475 educational buildings constructed under various schemes on the fifth foundation day celebrations of Bihar State Educational Infrastructure Structure Development Nigam. The state government had been running training programme for teachers with assistance from the World Bank to get rid of the grim education scenario, according to an official source.
Mr Kumar besides working on improving quality of education has been emphasizing on efforts that have been put on each and every aspect associated with education. “To facilitate higher education for children, plus-two schools were being constructed in Panchayats” cited Nitish Kumar. Batting for education of girls, Mr Kumar expressed that girls studying would have far reaching benefits for society including checking population and stopping social ills like child marriage and foeticide. He had asked building construction department to pay special attention towards safeguarding against earthquake as the state falls in seismic zone. State education minister had also spoken the significance of girl’s education on the occasion of fifth foundation daycelebration of Bihar State Educational Infrastructure Structure Development Nigam.
“Three new medical colleges would be set up at Chapra, Samastipur and Purnea as the Centre has given its approval in this regard” Siddiqui, the Finance Minister quoted, adding that five new medical colleges would be set up in the state, each having a nursing college. The Narendra Modi government at the centre has been extra generous towards girls education as it is exemplified by the Minister heading the HRD Ministry who is also incidentally a wom
