Education and Budget 2018-19

Government aims to assist and provide opportunity to every Indian to realize his/her full potential capable of achieving his/her economic and social dreams.
Government is devising a district- wise strategy for improving quality of education. Government wants to treat education holistically without segmentation from pre- nursery to Class 12.
1. Improvement in quality of teachers
• Integrated B.Ed. programme to be initiated for teachers, to improve quality of teachers.
• More than 13 lakh untrained teachers to get trained (under amended RTE Act).
• Technology will be used to upgrade the skills of teachers through the recently launched digital portal ‘‘DIKSHA’’.
2. Role of Technology in Education
• Technology will be the biggest driver in improving the quality of education.
• Government has proposed to increase the digital intensity in education and move gradually from ‘‘black board’’ to ‘‘digital board’’.
• Technology will be used to upgrade the skills of teachers through the recently launched digital portal ‘‘DIKSHA’’.
3. Quality Education to Tribal children
• The Government is committed to provide the best quality education to the tribal children in their own environment.
• By 2022, every block with more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal people to have ‘Ekalavya’ school.
• Ekalavya schools will be on par with Navodaya Vidyalayas and will have special facilities for preserving local art and culture besides providing training in sports and skill development.
4. Investments in Research and related Infrastructure
• RISE (Revitalizing Infrastructure in School Education) - Scheme for revitalizing school infrastructure, with an allocation of 1 lakh crore over four years.
• Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA) to be suitably structured for funding this initiative
5. Setting up of Institutes of Eminence and Schools of Planning and Architecture (SPAs)
• Government has taken major initiative of setting up Institutes of Eminence.
• There has been tremendous response to this initiative by institutions both in public and private sectors.
• Government proposes to set up two new full-fledged Schools of Planning and Architecture (SPAs).
• Additionally, 18 new SPAs would be established in the IITs and NITs as autonomous Schools.
6. Prime Minister’s Research Fellows (PMRF) Scheme
• 1000 Students pursuing Btech per year will be provided facilities to do PhD in IITs and IISC Bangalore with handsome fellowships.
• It is expected that these bright young fellows would voluntarily commit few hours every week for teaching in higher educational institutions.
7. Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) and Atal Innovation Mission (AIM)
• Encouraging budding young innovators with Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) – ATLs are innovation play work spaces for students between class VI to XII.
• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM): 2441 schools selected by AIM to establish ATLs and 700 + teachers trained.

By: Vishal