Samagra Shiksha: Punjab proposes ₹3,000 crore action plan for school education
The Punjab government has submitted a ₹3,000-crore action plan to the Centre under the Samagra Shiksha program for quality education and infrastructure in schools. The plan includes initiatives for quality education, access and retention, and vocational education. The proposed budget for the next two financial years is ₹1,476 crore each, with an increase of 14% compared to the current year. The program is jointly funded by the central and state governments on a 60:40 sharing basis.
With a focus on quality education and infrastructure in schools, the Punjab government has submitted a ₹3,000-crore action plan to the Centre under Samagra Shiksha, the flagship centrally sponsored programme for school education, for financial years 2024-25 and 2025-26.
The plan proposals for the next two financial years were submitted by the Punjab school education department to the Union ministry of education (MoE) on Wednesday after clearance from a committee headed by chief secretary Anurag Verma. The department has proposed an annual work plan and budget (AWP&B) of ₹1,476 crore each for the financial year 2024-25 and 2025-26, according to department officials. The proposed budget for 2024-25 is 14% more than the outlay of ₹1,298 crore approved by the central government for the current year.
Of this, ₹503 crore is earmarked for initiatives and interventions related to quality education, ₹225 crore for access and retention, and ₹188 crore for vocational education.
“The work plan for both financial years includes new classrooms and toilets, better drinking water facilities in schools, promotion of commerce and science education, teacher training, digital initiatives, strengthening of school libraries, and installation of solar panels, besides student entitlements such as free uniform and books. We also plan to introduce vocational education in all high and senior secondary schools,” one of the officials quoted above said.
The programme is jointly funded by the central and state governments on a 60:40 sharing basis. In the coming fiscal, while the Centre’s share works out to ₹886 crore, the state government has agreed to contribute the balance of ₹590 crore. The budget proposals of ₹1,476 crore each for both years will come up before the Samagra Shiksha Project Approval Board headed by the Union school education and literacy secretary Sanjay Kumar next month.
MoE additional secretary Vipin Kumar had, in a letter to the state governments, asked them to submit their project proposals for the upcoming two years in one go along with year-wise milestones. “The transition from one year to another would be subject to states achieving the milestones,” he wrote. The states were urged to pay special attention to the thrust areas of Samara Shiksha, such as improving the infrastructure, implementation of ICT, teacher training, institutionalising vocational education, complying with the Right to Education (RTE) norms, etc and providing a clear timeframe for each activity.
Plan outlay
The programme is jointly funded by the central and state governments on a 60:40 sharing basis
₹1,476 crore
Purposed for 2024-25 and 2025-26 fiscal
₹886 crore
Centre’s share
₹1,298 crore
Budget outlay for 2024-25 fiscal
₹503 crore
Earmarked for quality education
₹225 crore
Access and retention
₹188 crore
Vocational education