The National Education Policy 2020 has received a good reception, said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during the Union Budget 2021. "In school education, more than 15,000 schools will be qualitatively strengthened to include all components of the NEP. They shall emerge as exemplary schools in their regions, handholding and mentoring other schools to achieve the ideals of the policy. Over 100 new Sainik schools will be set up in partnership with NGOs, including private schools and state board schools," she added.
The Finance Minister also said, "We will be introducing legislation this year to introduce a higher education commission. It will be an umbrella body to look after accreditation, regulation and funding." She also said that a Central University will also be set up in Leh.
At least 750 Ekalavya model schools will be set up in the tribal areas. "We will increase the unit cost of such schools from Rs 20 to 38 crores and to Rs 48 crores in hilly areas. This will help in creating robust infrastructure facilities for our tribal students," she announced.
Nirmala Sitharaman presented her third budget this year at 11 am at the Lok Sabha. Amid the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, the Finance Minister presented a paperless budget. This is the first time in India's history that a paperless Union Budget was presented. As the budget papers will not be printed, the Finance Minister had also launched an official mobile app to provide complete access to all budget documents. The mobile app can be downloaded from the Union Budget Web Portal www.indiabudget.gov.in.
The Finance Minister had assured a budget “like never before”. The budget 2021 has a greater significance as it comes amid the COVID-19 pandemic which has caused economic disruption. FM Nirmala Sitharaman replaced the Swadeshi 'bahi khata' and switched to a tablet. She was seen carrying a tablet kept inside a red coloured cover with a golden coloured national emblem embossed on it. The Economic Survey 2020, presented by FM Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday pegged the GDP growth at 11 per cent in Financial Year 2022.
