Delhi: Beyond budgetary allocations

FOR THE SECOND YEAR in a row, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government — which swept to power in the Delhi state legislative assembly last year routing the fancied BJP — tabled an education-focused Budget 2016-17 on March 29. Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, also the finance and education minister, announced an outlay of Rs.10,690 crore for education, equivalent to 23 percent of the Rs.46,000 crore annual budget for Delhi. “We are increasing the education budget every year, whereas the Central government, irrespective of the political party in power, has been decreasing the percentage of budget allocation for education every year,” said Sisodia, taking a dig at the BJP-led Central government. “As in 2015-16, the increase in budget for the education sector will improve the infrastructure of government schools.” Although the education outlay for 2016-17 is 8.6 percent higher than last fiscal (Rs.9,836 crore) and the highest in the history of Delhi state, educationists and academics point out that adjusted for inflation, the proposed spending on education is not as impressive, and is an attempt to complete the projects the AAP government promised in its maiden budget last year. Of the 236 new schools promised to be promoted by the end of fiscal 2015-16, not even one is operational with a mere 25 under construction. Moreover, the 50 model schools announced by the government in last year’s budget, are yet to take shape. All Delhi government colleges were to be wi-fi enabled which still remains a promissory note. “Lackadaisical project implementation and unspent funds from last year’s budget have raised questions about the AAP government’s execution capabilities. Moreover, the state government’s priorities are confusing with allocations being made for the same projects. Instead of building new schools, AAP should focus its attention on improving the quality of education delivered in its own government schools through teacher training and better learning outcomes. Clearly, the AAP government needs to improve its expenditure efficiency,” says Ambarish Rai, convenor of the Delhi-based RTE Forum, a network of 10,000 civil society groups working on effective implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009. Also, instead of minding its own schools, to curry favour with Delhi’s influential middle class, the AAP government’s education ministry has spent disproportionate time controlling and regulating Delhi’s 1,800 private unaided schools. For instance, it made several failed attempts to scrap management quotas of schools (the Delhi high court dismissed the order finding “no merit in the move”) and has also introduced two bills — The Delhi School (Verification of Accounts and Refund of Excess Fee) Bill, 2015 and Delhi School Education Act and Rules 1973 (Amendment) Bill, 2015 — to regulate fees, admissions and pay scales of teachers in private schools. These two bills are awaiting approval of the President who is advised by the Central government. “With generous resources allocated for education, the AAP government needs to get its priorities right. Delhi needs more private schools and colleges. Therefore, instead of hindering them with…