BMC announces ₹3,497.82 crore budget for education

BMC announced financial assistance to the 100 top scorers from BMC schools for their higher education where the civic body will provide ₹25,000 or college tuition fees whichever is higher per student per annum up to the degree education

Mumbai: The BMC on Friday announced a budget of ₹3,497.82 crore for its education department for the financial year 2024-25. While the increase in the budget allocation stands at 4.35% as against last year, which is almost ₹150 crore, its share compared to the overall budget has gone down by 0.33%.

BMC announces ₹3,497.82 crore budget for education

The budget was presented by additional municipal commissioner Ashwini Bhide to municipal commissioner IS Chahal on Friday morning. Education experts said if the civic body has increased its overall budget by 10%, the education budget also needs to be increased by the same proportion.

This year, a provision of ₹330.19 crore has been made for capital works. The BMC budget is also concerned over the dues of ₹5,946.3 crores that have to be recovered from the state government. During the financial year 2023-24, the civic body received ₹64.34 crore for primary and ₹70 lakh for secondary education as a grant from the state government.

BMC announced financial assistance to the 100 top scorers from BMC schools for their higher education where the civic body will provide ₹25,000 or college tuition fees whichever is higher per student per annum up to the degree education.

In another scheme, BMC will provide ₹50,000 one-time assistance for preparations of entrance examinations for medical and professional courses. In the third scheme, BMC will provide ₹50,000 one-time assistance for the preparation of competitive examinations for government jobs which includes Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) or Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). These schemes are also applicable to 100 students of sanitation workers working in BMC who secure a minimum of 60% in class 10 examinations. For this scheme, BMC allotted ₹2.81 crore.

New schemes like organic farming, open gymnasiums, procurement of grammar books, science centres in 100 schools, 54 astronomical laboratories, and 35 sports centres are introduced. While implementing the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 from the coming academic year, BMC plans to strengthen the pre-primary section with ₹16.90 crore provision for 1,034 kindergartens run by BMC.

BMC also plans to start e-libraries in 25 secondary schools with internet facilities through four computers and e-libraries will be started in 50 primary schools during the academic years 2024-25 for which a provision of ₹163 crore has been made.

Considering the demand, BMC decided to add four more CBSE schools in Shanti Nagar in Worli, Natwarlal Parekh compound, Shivaji Nagar, Malwani Township and Varsha Nagar, Vikhroli area. BMC has also decided to increase the number of divisions in existing CBSE schools.