Gujarat Education (img: Freepik)

Despite allocating over ₹3,25,452 crore to the education department since 2014-15, Gujarat witnesses a surge in education privatisation. Annual budget increments haven’t translated into more government colleges. Though the state government has increased the budget every year, it has not increased the number of government colleges and universities in the state. 

The data reveals a stark reality where private institutions surpass government ones, prompting concerns about the state’s education landscape. 

Students in Gujarat opt for private colleges and universities over the government ones, state the data. Numbers of private unaided and aided colleges and universities overtake government colleges and universities.

In the 2023-24 budget, a total provision of ₹43,651 crore for the Education Department was allotted, but there were no announcements made by the government to open a new government college or university in the state.

Budget 2024-25 states that ₹55,114 crore has been allocated for the  Education Department for the next year at, which is a significant increase of ₹11,463 crore over the budget provision for 2023-24. Though the budget is ₹55,114 crore, there is a provision of only ₹101 crore for developing various infrastructure facilities in state universities and ₹134 crore for the construction of 10 new government colleges.

As per the data of the All India Survey on Higher Education 2021-22 of the Government of India, Ministry of Education Department of Higher Education, there are 2,395 total colleges in Gujarat, of which 1,479 are private (unaided) colleges, 475 are private (aided) colleges, and only 420 are government colleges.

The data shows that in 2012-13 there were 1775 total colleges in Gujarat, of which 721 were private (unaided) colleges, 418 were private (aided) colleges, and only 636 were government colleges. 

The numbers translate that the majority of students in Gujarat are studying in private (unaided) colleges by paying a large amount of fees.

The data also reveals that in 2012-13, there was one central university, 26 state universities, and only 12 private universities in the state. In 2021-22, the number of private universities increased to 51 private universities and 26 state universities.

In 2012-13, government colleges had 4,72,348 students, private-unaided had 2,88,649, and private-aided had 3,11,245. In 2022-23, government colleges had 3,13,906 students, private-unaided had 5,12,494, and private-aided had 4,48,121.

Year and Education Budget of the State:

2014-15: ₹22,774 crore

2015-16: ₹22,787 crore

2016-17: ₹23,815 crore

2017-18: ₹33,330 crore 

2018-19: ₹27,500 crore

2019-20: ₹29,030 crore

2020-21: ₹27,932 crore

2021-22: ₹32,719 crore

2022-23: ₹34,884 crore

2023-24: ₹43,651 crore

Total spending on the education department from budget estimates is  ₹3,25,452 crore.

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