'Raise budget outlay for education and research'

COIMBATORE: Former Vice-Chancellor of Anna University E Balagurusamy on Saturday urged the central government to increase the budgetary allocation for education and research. "During the last few years, spending on education has remained stagnant at around 10.5% of the total government budget and has only marginally increased from 2.8% to 3.1% of the GDP," he added. However, there has not been any considerable increase in budget allocation for implementing the measures suggested therein, Current spending on education is about 3.1% of the GDP and on research and development it is about 0.69% of GDP which are alarmingly low compared to other countries," Balagurusamy said. "The University Grants Commission, which is in a hurry to implement the NEP, has announced a slew of initiatives in higher education without proper thought, preparation and planning. For instance, measures like increasing online admission to improve the Gross Enrolment Ratio, introducing double-degree programmes to enhance employability and inviting foreign universities to India to provide quality education are not only detrimental to the quality of Indian education but also defies the basic tenets of the NEP," the academician asserted.