(a) the percentage of Gross Domestic Product presently spent on Higher Education in the
country and plans drawn to improve the same;
(b) whether the Government is aware that most of education at graduate level in India is
comparatively low when compared to global standards and if so, the reasons therefor; and
(c) the corrective steps taken by the Government in this regard?
MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)
(a) to (c): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) TO (c) OF LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. 263 BY SHRI CHANDU LAL SAHU HON’BLE MP
REGARDING `SPENDING ON EDUCATION’ TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.12.2016
(a): As per publication `Analysis of Budgeted Expenditure on Education - 2015’ of Ministry
of Human Resource Development, public expenditure on higher education as a percentage of
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the year 2013-14 is 1.34%
Allocation of funds for education is made by the Government keeping in view inter-se
priority of other sector of the economy. During XII Five Year Plan, the Plan Outlay for the
Department of Higher Education is Rs.1,10,700 crore as compared to actual expenditure in
XI Five year Plan which was Rs.39,646.82 crore. This is an increase of about 2.79 times.
This increase in Central Plan Outlay for Education Sector presents a determined effort on the
part of Central Government for raising public spending on Higher Education.
The Government has approved the proposal for setting up the Higher Education Financing
Agency (HEFA) for financing creation of required infrastructure and for promotion of
research facilities in the centrally aided institutions of higher learning by leveraging funds
from the market. The Government would provide an equity of Rs. 1,000 Crore. The loans
would be serviced from the internal accruals of these institutions, and the Government would
meet the cost of interest on such loans. The process for finalization of the participating Bank
is underway. With the devolution of more funds to the States as recommended by the 14th
Finance Commission, States are in position to prioritize allocation of funds to education
sector.
(b) & (c): The quality of higher education in the country at all levels including graduate level
is comparable with the global standards. However, to improve the quality of higher education
in the country, Government has announced its resolve to promote 20 universities to become
world-class teaching and research institutions – 10 public and 10 private through a liberalised
regulatory framework. Accordingly, UGC has issued draft guidelines and invited suggestions
from all stakeholders. Apart from this, various schemes, namely, Rashtriya Uchchatar
Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), Global Initiative for Academics Network (GIAN), Impacting
Research, Innovation & Technology (IMPRINT), Technical Education Quality Improvement
Programme(TEQIP), Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya National Mission on Teachers and
Teaching (PMMMNMTT) Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds
(SWAYAM), National Digital Library, campus connect programme, Uchhatar Avishkar
Abhiyan, Unnat Bharat Abhiyan are being implemented to improve the quality of higher
education in the country.
The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) assess and accredit institutions
of higher education in the country based on selected parameters such as curriculum, teachinglearning
processes, evaluation, faculty, research, infrastructure etc. The accreditation of
institutions by NAAC enables them to take remedial measures for qualitative improvement.
To ensure quality of education, the National Board of Accreditation (NBA) is engaged in
periodic evaluation of technical institutions on the basis of programmes as per specified
norms and standards in accordance with the best international practices with the overall
objective of assurance of quality and relevance of education, especially in the programmes in
professional and technical disciplines.
Ranking of the institutions under the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) is
also being done to create a sense of competitiveness among them for better rating.
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