Budget 2019 for Education: Finance Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday presented the Interim Budget in the parliament for this year ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections. Along with the allocation for the different sections, FM Goyal made a higher budgetary allocation for Education among others. Piyush Goyal talked about the reservation for the economically weaker section that was approved by the Union Cabinet earlier this month. The Finance Minister said that the “government has provided 10 percent reservation to the economically weaker section in educational institutions and the government jobs.” He added that this new addition the quota system has been done without disturbing the reservation system for candidates.

The Budget Estimates for 2019-2020 stand at Rs 93,848 crore as compared to the Budget Estimates for 2018-2019 that was Rs 85,010 crores.

While further talking about the reservation, FM Goyal said that the poor will be provided 25 percent additional seats in educational institutions so that it meets the 10% reservation for them in educational institutions and government jobs. This 25 percent (i.e. around 2 lacs) extra seats in varsities will be provided while maintaining the existing reservation for SC/ST/Other Backward Classes.

Watch| 10% reservation for Economically weaker sections, says FM Piyush Goyal

Goyal also talked about the Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) that have been proposed by the government and said that this year they will be allocated Rs. 3,27,679 crore as against Rs. 3,04,849 crore in 2018-19. While further detailing on the issue, he said that the government has decided to increase the allocation for National Education Mission to Rs. 38,572 crore in BE 2019-20 from Rs. 32,334 crore in RE 2018-19.

Among other developments in the sector, FM Goyal said that a new All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) will be set up in the state of Haryana. It will be the 22nd AIIMS to be set up in the country. This news comes two years after Arun Jaitley, the then Finance Minister during his Budget 2017 speech had announced the development of two new AIIMS at Jharkhand and Gujarat.