Financing Right to Education 2009 Financing Right to Education 2009

Anugula N. ReddyAnugula N. ReddyAssistant Professor, Department of EMISAssistant Professor, Department of EMIS

NUEPA, 17-B, Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi-110016NUEPA, 17-B, Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi-110016

E-mail: E-mail: anreddy@nuepa.org, , anugula.reddy@gmail.com

RTE-2009: A Culmination of Long Journey RTE-2009: A Culmination of Long Journey

Provision of Free and Compulsory Education to Provision of Free and Compulsory Education to All Children till Fourteen Years of Age as All Children till Fourteen Years of Age as Directive Principle of Constitution (Article 45)Directive Principle of Constitution (Article 45)

Inadequate quantitative expansion, Inadequate quantitative expansion, deteriorating infrastructure, declining quality, deteriorating infrastructure, declining quality,

persistent inequalitiespersistent inequalities Though many norms and parameters were Though many norms and parameters were

specified to realize the provision of Free and specified to realize the provision of Free and Compulsory Education but these lack legal Compulsory Education but these lack legal sanctitysanctity

No mechanism to monitor the implementation No mechanism to monitor the implementation and progressand progress

RTE-2009: A Culmination of Long JourneyRTE-2009: A Culmination of Long Journey The Unnikrishnan Judgment delivered by supreme court The Unnikrishnan Judgment delivered by supreme court

of India galvanized the efforts to universalize of India galvanized the efforts to universalize elementary education and put it as high priority agenda elementary education and put it as high priority agenda in policy debatesin policy debates

Following Unnikrishnan judgment the civil society put Following Unnikrishnan judgment the civil society put enormous pressure on Government to amend the enormous pressure on Government to amend the Constitution to make elementary education a Constitution to make elementary education a fundamental right in its own rightfundamental right in its own right

Relenting to the pressures the Government of India Relenting to the pressures the Government of India amended the Constitution to make elementary amended the Constitution to make elementary education a right of children aged 6-14 years (Article 21 education a right of children aged 6-14 years (Article 21 (A)(A)

The right shall come into force from the date of The right shall come into force from the date of notification of an Act specifying various aspects of notification of an Act specifying various aspects of provision of free and compulsory education. RTE 2009 provision of free and compulsory education. RTE 2009 was enacted and implemented from April 2011was enacted and implemented from April 2011

RTE-2009: A Culmination of Long JourneyRTE-2009: A Culmination of Long Journey

The Act purportedly intended to specify The Act purportedly intended to specify norms and standards and targets with norms and standards and targets with regard to provision of Free and Compulsory regard to provision of Free and Compulsory Education Education

However many of them left to be defined by However many of them left to be defined by appropriate authorities (provincial appropriate authorities (provincial governments, local authority or professional governments, local authority or professional bodies) or imprecisely definedbodies) or imprecisely defined• Definition of school –schedule but items can be Definition of school –schedule but items can be

added or deleted through an executive orderadded or deleted through an executive order• Definition of teacher and qualifications to Definition of teacher and qualifications to

become teacher by NCTEbecome teacher by NCTE• Adequacy teaching learning material available in Adequacy teaching learning material available in

school, etcschool, etc

Financing RTEFinancing RTE Financing universal elementary education Financing universal elementary education

as a fundamental right requires paradigm as a fundamental right requires paradigm shiftshift• The state can no longer take excuse of The state can no longer take excuse of

scarcity of resources, fiscal capacity, etcscarcity of resources, fiscal capacity, etc• This raises questions particularly how to This raises questions particularly how to

determine the adequacy of resource determine the adequacy of resource • Shifts in criteria from financing from equity to Shifts in criteria from financing from equity to

adequacy (in US) – linking with outputsadequacy (in US) – linking with outputs

Financing RTEFinancing RTE Criterion to Examine the Adequacy of Criterion to Examine the Adequacy of

Resource allocation to UEEResource allocation to UEE• Proportion of GDP/GNPProportion of GDP/GNP• Policy Recommendations like Kothari Commission Policy Recommendations like Kothari Commission

recommendation to allocate public resources to recommendation to allocate public resources to education to the tune of 6 per cent of GNP; which was education to the tune of 6 per cent of GNP; which was reiterated nearly by all committees subsequentlyreiterated nearly by all committees subsequently

• Latest policy recommendations to apportion 3 per Latest policy recommendations to apportion 3 per cent of GNP to universal elementary education, 1.5 cent of GNP to universal elementary education, 1.5 per cent to secondary education and the remaining per cent to secondary education and the remaining 1.5 per cent to higher and technical education 1.5 per cent to higher and technical education (Majumdar Committee, 1999, 2005; CABE (Majumdar Committee, 1999, 2005; CABE Committee on Higher Education, 2005)Committee on Higher Education, 2005)

Financing RTEFinancing RTE

Norm Based Criteria (Majumdar 1999, Norm Based Criteria (Majumdar 1999, CABE Committee on RTE 2005, NUEPA CABE Committee on RTE 2005, NUEPA 2009)2009)• Resource requirements may be estimated by Resource requirements may be estimated by

different components of RTE – warding off different components of RTE – warding off dilution of commitmentsdilution of commitments

• The Estimated resource requirements can be The Estimated resource requirements can be used to safeguard any dilution of norms and used to safeguard any dilution of norms and standards specified in the Schedule of the Act standards specified in the Schedule of the Act and items. and items.

Financing RTEFinancing RTE Criterion to Examine the Adequacy of Criterion to Examine the Adequacy of

Resource allocation to UEEResource allocation to UEE• Estimating Resource requirements on the Estimating Resource requirements on the

basis of norms of RTEbasis of norms of RTE Taking stock of current status, identify gaps and Taking stock of current status, identify gaps and

resource required to fill the gapsresource required to fill the gaps Estimating-Total, Item wise, State wise, Central Estimating-Total, Item wise, State wise, Central

and State Shares and State Shares

Financing RTEFinancing RTE

Some estimatesSome estimates• Rs. 1200 thousand million over 10 years constituting Rs. 1200 thousand million over 10 years constituting

a little over 3 per cent of GNP (Majumdar committee a little over 3 per cent of GNP (Majumdar committee 1999)1999)

• Over Rs 2000 to 4000 thousand million over five Over Rs 2000 to 4000 thousand million over five years constituting about 3 to 3.5 per cent of GNP years constituting about 3 to 3.5 per cent of GNP (CABE Committee, 2005)(CABE Committee, 2005)

• About Rs. 2000 million over five years constituting About Rs. 2000 million over five years constituting less than 3 per cent of GNP (NUEPA, 2009)less than 3 per cent of GNP (NUEPA, 2009)

The 3% GNP arrived by various committees The 3% GNP arrived by various committees may be bottom-line-any additional resources may be bottom-line-any additional resources required may have to be allocated from budget required may have to be allocated from budget other than without cutting other levels of other than without cutting other levels of educationeducation

Financing RTE Financing RTE

Some tensionsSome tensions• Federal RelationsFederal Relations

All layers of government are responsibleAll layers of government are responsibleCentral Government to estimate resource Central Government to estimate resource

requirements from time to time requirements from time to time Central Government to refer to President Central Government to refer to President

to include allocations to RTE under to include allocations to RTE under Finance Commission and decide a formula Finance Commission and decide a formula to share resource burden with provincial to share resource burden with provincial governments in consultationgovernments in consultation

Financing RTE Financing RTE Some TensionsSome Tensions

Notwithstanding above the Act places the Notwithstanding above the Act places the entire responsibility squarely on provincial entire responsibility squarely on provincial governmentgovernment

Limited capacity of provincial government Limited capacity of provincial government and constrained by Acts relating to and constrained by Acts relating to budgetary deficitbudgetary deficit

As several components are left to be As several components are left to be defined by appropriate authorities, these defined by appropriate authorities, these dilute the commitments subsequentlydilute the commitments subsequently

• Financing through cess-Less support from Financing through cess-Less support from general budgetary supportgeneral budgetary support

Per cent of GNP to EducationPer cent of GNP to Education

As per cent Total BudgetAs per cent Total Budget