In a newly published book of state’s per capita spending on higher education in India, Goa topped the list with investment of Rs. 14,646 after Tamil Nadu with per capita spending of Rs. 13,101.

The new book, India Education Report 2015, co-edited by V N Varghese along with Garima Malik, is focused on the priority each state gives to the higher education sector.

However, according to the experts, no co-relation was seen in the research between per capita spending on higher education and the level of economic development in the state.

Researcher Jandhyala B G Tilak writes in his essay, “It is interesting to note that it is not only Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, which are economically backward, that spend very less amounts on on higher education per capita, but also Maharashtra and Punjab which spend less amounts, Rs 1,091 and Rs 2,732. States like Chhattisgarh spend higher amounts than Gujarat, Maharashtra and Punjab. All this suggests that there is not much significant relationship between the level of economic development of a state and expenditure per capita on higher education.”

Tilak said that most of the spending goes into teacher’s salaries instead of building resources such as library, teacher improvement programs etc. He said that amount of spending on such works in only five percent, although he said that he has found in Goa and Andhra Pradesh along with Delhi the figure of expenditure allocated to building infrastructure such as laboratories is above 10 percent.

He said, although Goa has reduced its budget of technical education since 2000-01, it has allocated 21% to higher studies which is one of the best figures in the country after Chandigarh 50% and Puducherry 28%.

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By Prajakt K.