Schools and higher education got a massive allocation of Rs.20,456 crore in the budget 2013-14 keeping with the priority accorded to the sector by the government.
This is about Rs. 2,700 crore more than that of revised estimates of Rs.17,772 crore for 2012-13. The initial budget estimates for last year were over Rs.18,000 crore.
While Primary Education got a provision of Rs.8,729.23 crore, Secondary Education was allocated Rs.7,629 crore and the Higher Education sector, Rs.2,726 crore.
In line with efforts to ensure quality and free education to children in the age group of 5 to 18 years, the Mid Day Meal scheme is being implemented up to Class X benefiting over 70 lakh children in primary and high schools across the State. Kitchen sheds will be constructed during the year across all schools.
Of the proposed 2,100 school buildings under Rastryia Medhyamik Siksha Abhiyan scheme at a cost of Rs.670 crore, 1,853 school buildings were completed and 9,569 School Assistant posts were created in the existing secondary schools in the State.
In the educationally backward blocks in the State, the construction of 355 Model Schools were under way as also 355 attached girls’ hostel buildings.
Under Rajiv Vidya Mission, over 22,000 additional classrooms were sanctioned and 3,073 were completed.
The State achieved a higher Gross Enrolment Ratio of 21.6 per cent in higher education compared to the national average of 18.8 per cent thanks to the establishment of new universities, colleges and starting new courses including an exclusive Women’s Degree College at Jogipet in Medak district.
To improve access to engineering education, new engineering colleges under JNTU were sanctioned at Manthani in Karimnagar, Singur in Medak, Kalkiri in Chittoor and five new polytechnics in Vizianagaram, Anantapur, Mahbubnagar, Warangal and Medak districts.
The department also established 25 skill development centres in 23 districts on a self sustaining basis.
