Education Budget key to TG progress: Experts

Rajasthan and Bihar, once labelled Bimaru or ‘ailing’ states in terms of development, are progressing by allocating up to 20 per cent of their budgets to education. (Image: DC)
Hyderabad: Rajasthan and Bihar, once labelled Bimaru or ‘ailing’ states in terms of development, are progressing by allocating up to 20 per cent of their budgets to education. In contrast, Telangana’s alarmingly low allocation for education has raised fears of potential backwardness, experts said on Saturday.
At a roundtable here, experts and activists urged the Telangana government to allocate at least 15 per cent of its Budget to education. Prof. D. Narasimha Reddy, a retired economics professor, warned, “Neglecting education funding will lead to severe consequences for Telangana.”
The discussion highlighted higher education's grim state, with 74 per cent of university faculty posts vacant. Prof. Chakradhar Rao noted that the staffing crisis is eroding educational standards.
Speakers criticised the Congress government for breaking its manifesto promise to allocate 15 per cent of funds to education. Prof. Haragopal stressed, “A manifesto is not just for elections; it’s a commitment to the people. This failure is unacceptable.”
Issues like mismanagement in residential schools and the mid-day meal scheme were also raised. Prof. Shanta Sinha called for better monitoring of schools, warning that unchecked public spending risks being wasted.
Issues like mismanagement in residential schools and the mid-day meal scheme were also raised. Prof. Shanta Sinha called for better monitoring of schools, warning that unchecked public spending risks being wasted.
The poor state of government schools and the resulting financial burden on families were also discussed. Bhagya, president of Ammala Sangam, said, “Weak government schools force families to pay high private school fees despite knowing the value of education.”
The roundtable, attended by student unions, teachers’ associations, Dalit groups, and public organisations, concluded with a resolution to submit a memorandum to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.
Participants demanded the education budget be raised to at least 15 per cent. The session, chaired by Prof. K. Lakshmi Narayana and M. V. Raju, stressed the urgent need to prioritise education for Telangana’s future.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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