Economic Survey 2024 Focus Quality Education: India's Economic Survey underscores the urgent need for a unified approach from the central and state governments, along with local authorities, to boost the quality of education. The survey highlights that improving primary education, a cornerstone of the nation’s development, requires well-planned and cost-effective programs. Without a strong foundation in primary education, additional years of schooling offer limited benefits.
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The survey calls for a concerted effort across all levels of government, noting that 'public education' is a concurrent list subject. It emphasizes that making public spending on education more efficient involves investing in teaching methods and governance. This includes appointing supervisory staff to oversee teaching quality, evaluating teacher performance, and enlisting local volunteers to ensure effective teaching. Completing textbooks alone is not enough if students are not meeting curriculum standards.
In fiscal year 2024, the government increased its spending on social services, including education, by 9.36%, reaching Rs 23.50 lakh crore, up from Rs 21.49 lakh crore in FY23. Out of this, Rs 8.28 lakh crore was allocated specifically to education, marking an 8% increase from Rs 7.68 lakh crore in the previous year.
The survey also highlights a notable rise in higher education enrollment, particularly among underprivileged groups such as Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC). Female enrollment has surged faster than male enrollment, with the female Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) exceeding the male GER for five consecutive years. Female enrollment in higher education grew from 1.57 crore in FY15 to 2.07 crore in FY22, a 31.6% increase. This trend reflects progress towards gender equity in education but also underscores the need for improved learning outcomes, job readiness, and supportive infrastructure to translate education into economic empowerment.
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To enhance the impact of Gross Expenditure on Research and Development (GERD), the survey recommends strengthening the link between higher education, industry, and research. It also addresses the challenge of slow 'Land to Lab' time, where the application of technological advancements from research to real-world benefits is often delayed. Efforts are being made to attract research talent and improve the research ecosystem. Streamlining patent processes has significantly reduced the average patent examination time from 72 months in 2015 to between 5 and 23 months by 2022, depending on the technology field.
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