New Delhi: The Central government has decided to that it would be paying about 70 percent of the funds that would be necessary for the implementation of the Right To Education (RTE) Act in all states. This decision was taken in order to put an end to the complaints by state governments over insufficient funds.
As per sources, finance ministry's Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) has approved a large hike in the central funding for the RTE law, which ensures free and compulsory education for children between the ages of 6 and 14.
Presently, the amount augmented for the implementation of RTE Act throughout the nation is Rs 2, 31,000 crore. Earlier, the amount suggested was Rs 1, 71,000 crore. According to the EFC approval, the total outlay for each state for the implementation of the act would be Rs 24,000 crore, 68 % of which would be contributed by the central government and 32 % by the state.
After the enactment of the Right To Education (RTE), many states across India had complained that they did not have the funds that would be enough for the successful implementation of the Act. Further, they have also demanded a higher share from the Centre. Therefore, the Centre has allocated financial assistance to all states so that the cost of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) could be allocated with the implementation of the RTE.
As per the RTE Act norms, primary classes are supposed to have a student teacher ratio of 1:30, 1:35 for upper-primary classes and 1:40 for SSA. Also, the act specifies that there can only be one classroom per teacher, which raises the number of classrooms as well as teachers. Therefore, more funds were required by states for the implementation of the Act.
