SIO South Maharashtra Recommendations on Maharashtra Government Budget 2021-22

Budget Recommendations 2021-22

Today we are going through circumstances like never before due to the

pandemic, where in common man has been pushed into an unprecedented crisis.

As a country with highest youth population we are facing the daunting task of

reviving and giving a new ray of hope in these testing times. In this post-covid era

both government and non-government entities of the society have a peculiar

challenge in trying to solve the problems faced by students and youths. In the

view of the upcoming budget of the state of Maharashtra we would like to

suggest a few important interventions that could be considered during the

framing of the state budget.

By providing these recommendations SIO demands that the state government

must allocate up to 20% of budget expenditure to the field of education. In the

2020-21 budget comparatively to previous budgets there was an appreciable 9%

increment in allocating funds to the education sector but considering the

circumstances and challenges we are facing right now, which needs innovative

and new strategies in the field of education, the state government must make this

a pro-education budget by allocating more funds in the upcoming budget.

Primary Education:

 Considering the ineffectiveness and inability in implementation of Right

To Education (RTE) Act, State government must ensure the proper

implementation of RTE, by constituting a standing joint-party committee

(JPC) to address various issues, to oversee and monitor effective

implementation of RTE Act(2009), including accountability of its funds

and finances.

 The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 gives special importance to

Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE). State government must

Integrate Anganwadis to Primary school. There is a vast network of

Anganwadis across the state including rural and urban areas, which

aren’t effectively regulated and hence falter on various parameters.

Bringing them under the ambit of primary education will ensure quality

ECCE.

 State government must make Pre-primary education free in the state as

this will help in addressing the problem of inequity existing in society

and allow for the holistic development of a child in early childhood.

 As suggested by Finance Minister in 2020-21 budget, to Develop at least

four schools as model schools in every Taluka. The state must make

quick action plan for its implementation across state as there is no

significant progress in this regard.

 The disruptions caused to educational sector by recent Pandemic has

highlighted the need for strengthening digital infrastructure in the

schools. Additional budget needs to be sanctioned for digital education

and setting up of digital infrastructure in schools.

 State must provide nutritional support for children in Nagar Palika

schools, as 2020-21 budget only provided for Zilla Parishad schools.

 State government must set up an expert committee to tackle the

menace of fee hike and must keep a check on increasing tendencies of

privatization of education so as to ensure accessibility of education for

the poorer section of society.

 To facilitate safety travel access to educational institutions across

Mumbai city, free transportation facility should be provided to students

of all levels in the form of special train/buses.

 The concept of a school for every village has to be introduced in rural

areas in the state. Also state must facilitate free transportation for

students of these rural areas. This will facilitate their movement and

increase access to education.

 State must increase the overall budget allocation for government

schools.

Higher Education:

 Issues related to the scholarships/fellowships/grants/schemes offered by

under various schemes by the union and state governments have to be

addressed. In this era of rocket inflation, the government should at the very

least double the current amount given under these various schemes and

must ensure timely disposal of the same.

 The financial assistance to secure Higher Education should not become a

burden on the new and aspiring graduates, hindering progress of their

careers and life by imposing a heavy premium on it. Hence the union and

state government should waive all outstanding education loans as well as

convert all educational loans to educational grants or scholarships in future.

 As Chief Minister rightly said there will be expectation from all regions of

society regarding the budget of government, the state must allocate land

and funding for the long standing demand of Aligarh Muslim University Off-

Campus at Khuldabad area of Aurangabad.

 Also State must rapidly follow up on the process of setting up of separate

university for Konkan region. It’s a long pending demand of people from the

Konkan that there should be a separate university in the Konkan region.

 State authorities must set up mental health centres/ counselling centres at

Government and private premier institutes. Based on the findings of a

survey in a premier institute, the proportion of the students currently

suffering from a mental disorder is the most crucial and requires active

intervention. More so is the need in the current scenario to highlight the

support systems in the institute.

Employment:

 Speedy implementation of Chief Minister's Employment Generation

Scheme which aims to create one lakh industrial units and generate

employment.

 Skill development and vocational training centres should be set up on a

mass scale in an effective, transparent and accessible manner so that their

benefits can be availed by those most in need of them. Also State must

strengthen these vocational training Institutes and link them to industries

assuring the placement of students.

 Create Taluka – level job creation centres that employ local people to

identify employment opportunities and to systematically to promote

employment.

1. Maulana Azad अल्पसख्ं याक आयोग Maharashtra not issuing loan based

scholarship. The amount is be lapsed and it will be around 300cr.

2. No amount disbursed for the already sanction amount of madrasa

modernization scheme of central govt.

3. 5% reservation of Muslims not implemented in state so far.

4. Minority schools are not getting grants as specified by the previous budget

commission.

5. Pending minority girls hostels in six places in Maharashtra.

6. Pending construction of Urdu ghar.

7. Disbursement of sanctioned state government scholarship from ministry of

minority affairs

8. Separately Ministry of wakf should be form for the protection of wakf

property from illegal occupation.

9. Implementation of Sacchar committee 15 points agenda for Muslim minority

10. Implementation of Mehmudur Rehman committee report prepared to

review the status of Muslims in economy and other social aspects

11. Social audit to be made mandatory for all welfare schemes