New Delhi: 2nd March 2013: Students Islamic Organization of India, a committed Students organization striving for the welfare of all sections and reconstruction of the Indian society has always been concerned over the issues and challenges faced by the Nation. It has always been at a leading position in opinion building of the student community on various occasions. In a very timely and academic address on the Union Budget of India, SIO invited Javed Alam Khan, a Senior Research Officer from the Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability for an ‘Analysis on Union Budget 2013-14’ on 2nd March 2013 at its Headquarters in New Delhi.

The program started with the recitation of Quran by Br. Abdur-Rab, followed by National Secretary of SIO, Shariq Ansar introducing the guest and also inviting him for his presentation.

The guest speaker argued that Union Budget 2013-2014 is a combination of both hope and despair. It has failed to deliver upon expectations with educational sector allocation. Education was supposed to be given great focus by the UPA government. Kothari commission gave recommendations in 1966 that expenditure on education should be 6 % of GDP. Last year, it was 3.31 % of GDP but this year there is a very marginal increase of only 0.05 %. It should be increased immediately.

An array of pertinent issues like neglect of significant taxation of the super-rich, unsatisfactory share proposed for the healthcare and educational sectors (particularly the former, sufficiently emphasized in the Twelfth five year plan) etc. The lacunae recorded over a year of experiences under Prime Minister’s Fifteen Point Program like non-declaration of clear pre-statement on expenses to be incurred under it were also systematically brought to notice. Students and representatives from the Zone and Headquarters of the Organization were all delighted with the new avenues of arguing on the Chidambaram’s budget, as the discussion spread to encompass the ambit of merit-cum-means and other scholarships and the politics behind them.

SIO demanded from government to stop experimenting, and not to pursue immature policies of market-based delivery system for education. The policies must be based on the very principles of quality, equitable and non-discriminatory education for all, which the governments proclaim to instill among citizens.