Financing Education under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan: An Initial Analysis in Selected States of India

Funding policies in the education sector have undergone significant change over the years in India. In recent years, one such big change is the integration of three major flagship programmes for education, namely: Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) & Teacher Education (TE) under one umbrella scheme known as Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SMSA). As financial year 2018-19 is the initial year for implementation of the scheme, hence, this paper explores the planning and budgeting aspects of the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan in selected states of India. The study has been carried out for the eight states, viz., Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Delhi, for the period of 2018-19 to 2019-20. The paper studies the financing of education under SMSA. The paper also analyses the distribution of support from the union government under the scheme. Drawing on the lessons from such analysis, the historical background and past experiences of implementation of previous education schemes, viz., Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan, and Teacher Education, the paper examines the design and ground level challenges of the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan in selected states of India.