Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot presented the Rajasthan budget for financial year 2021-22 in the state assembly on the 24th of February. For the education sector, there have been several big proposals and announcements which are being received positively by various interest groups and stakeholders.
Student Rights activist and the former Jodhpur University President Sunil Choudhary has commended the various initiatives regarding the education sector that have been proposed in the Rajasthan budget and publicly thanked the CM for an inclusive budget.
The Government has announced the opening of 200 English medium schools and 1200 Mahatma Gandhi schools in kasbas and villages with a population count of more than 5000. Sunil is of the opinion that this will increase education opportunities for children belonging to economically weaker families.
For the state’s universities and colleges, the Government has promised free WiFi facilities and set top boxes with smart TVs. Sunil Choudhary said that these steps will ensure an interactive and smooth learning process for all students.
The Government has also announced that it will make 2000 free scooties available to differently abled (Divyang) students who study and work together. Regarding this, Sunil Choudhary said, “Divyang students face difficulty in managing work and studies both. Providing them free scooties will definitely ease a lot of their problems.”
The announcement of allocating Rupees 7.2 crore to establish minority women hostels in the state has been appreciated by Sunil Choudhary. He is also particularly hopeful about the Rupees 75 crore that has been allotted to promote a start-up ecosystem in the state of Rajasthan. Sunil said, “This investment is of paramount importance because it has the potential to give varied opportunities of employment and self employment to skilled and educated people who have ideas but lack adequate implementation structures.”
The Government has said that school students upto class 5th and 8th will be given free books and uniforms respectively. Also, nursing and medical colleges will be opened across the state of Rajasthan. “All these decisions” Sunil said, “besides being welfare and growth oriented, pave the path for advancement in the education sector.”
The Rajasthan budget has allotted a total of Rupees 39524 crore to the education sector in the state.
