Education

Are Union Budget Allocations to Samagra Shiksha Keeping Up With Inflation?

Nope. While allocations to the flagship scheme have increased in nominal terms, the inflation-adjusted value of the budget has been declining.

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Samagra Shiksha Exploration

Samagra Shiksha Has 60,000 Crores – Give or Take

Column plot showing the yearly average fund approval percentage under Samagra Shiksha

Amounts in Rs. Crores. Inflation adjustment done using Consumer Price Index.

Source: Union Budget Demand for Grants

Rough Copy by thatgurjot

The Union Budget has been slowly increasing its allocation to the Samagra Shiksha scheme, since its inception in 2018-19. With a 15% increase in nominal value in the eight years between 2019-20 and 2026-27, it is not drastic but it’s not insignificant either.

But the real picture emerges when we adjust these figures for inflation. The Consumer Price Index shows us that India has gotten almost twice as expensive in the past decade. With an average year-to-year increase in prices of almost five percent, the 15% increment in nominal value becomes a 15% decrement instead.

The takeaway is clear: the money being put into the country’s flagship school education scheme is going down.