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Those lobbying for the bill say it is the costs involved and the reluctance of states to share 50% of the expenses that is stalling the bill, and not high enrolment rates. The latter reason is being used by the finance ministry to claim that the bill is unnecessary, they allege
High enrolment rates in Indian schools ought to be unqualified good news on the education front. Instead, this very fact may throw a spanner in works of the government's plans to spend more on education and scuttle the much-awaited bill on free and compulsory education for all Indian children of school-going age.
"Both the finance ministry and the Planning Commission are resisting the bill on the grounds that 93 % children in the country are already enrolled in schools," said Anita Rampal of the Central Advisory Board of Education. "This is not true. A large number of children may be enrolled but they are not in school."
Those pushing for the bill have alleged that the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia was behind efforts to derail the bill. "He is throttling the human resource development ministry," Rampal claimed. "The real issue is financial. But how can education policies get counterposed by financial consideration?"
The cost of implementing the bill will range between Rs 54,000 crore and Rs 73,000 crore. This will be in addition to the current expenditure of Rs 47,000 crore on the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (Universal Education Campaign).
In the Indian Budget 2005, the United Progressive Alliance government had introduced a 2 % education cess to fund schooling. And its National Common Minimum Programme promises to allocate 6% of GDP to primary education.
Three years ago, the National Democratic Alliance government had passed the 86th amendment to the Constitution to ensure every child in the 6-14 age group has the right to free education. But this can take effect only after the government passes the free and compulsory education bill currently under discussion.
Ahluwalia's argument hinges on a survey done by Pratham and a host of other organisations claiming a 93% enrolment in schools.But, says Rampal, "I have just visited Rajasthan where in village after village children are missing from schools."
And it's not just the centre, even the states are not too keen on the bill as it will bind them to spend more on education. In September 2005, the Ministry of Human Resources Development held talks with state education secretaries on the bill. But they said they needed more time for discussions.
At present, the cost of the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan is borne by the centre and states in the ratio 75:25. The centre plans to make it 50:50 from the 11th Five Year Plan that will come into effect from 2007. Many states that have a funds crunch want the centre to bear the entire cost of implementing the bill.
Source: The Telegraph, May 15, 2006
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