Post Budget 2023 Quote: Nachiket Bhatia, CEO, Dr. Bhatia Medical Coaching Institute
Overall, the education budget for 2023 has attempted to incorporate most of the NEP 2020 pillars. Access and equity have been encouraged through provisions for books in local and English languages, a boost to education for tribals, and an applaudable initiative of a ‘national digital library’ that will assuredly advance digital literacy.
Mindful of the rapidly advancing technology in all fields, the government has promoted quality and accountability through the proposal of 30 Skill India centers, innovative teacher training programs, integrated online platforms for upskilling, and continuous learning programs for government employees. As far as internet penetration is concerned, as of now, AI and 5G have received more attention in the engineering field than in other disciplines.
By proposing the launch of a new program for pharmaceutical research and development, opening up a few facilities at ICMR labs to outside researchers, and announcing the initiative of a multidisciplinary course for medical devices so that skilled personnel may become future-proof, the budget did quite well in promising better infrastructure and investment prospects for medical education.
Compared to the prior budget projection, the budget has hiked by almost 8.26 percent. However, nothing much has been indicated on lowering the GST slab for edtech and educational goods, which was a much-advocated adjustment to increase affordability and accessibility in education.