Provision for ‘Mission in Education through ICT’ Increased to Rs. 900 crore
	18:1 IST

The provision for the scheme, ‘Mission in Education through ICT,’ has been substantially increased to Rs.900 crore in the Union Budget for 2009-10. The Union Finance Minister, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, while presenting the Budget on 6th July said that the demographic advantage India has in terms of a large percentage of young population needs to be converted into a dynamic economic advantage by providing them the right education and skills. The provision for setting up and up-gradation of Polytechnics under the Skill Development Mission has also been increased to Rs.495 crore. The Scheme of Community Polytechnics was started during the year 1978-79 as a Direct Central Assistance Scheme. The scheme aims at providing short-term skill development training to the school dropouts, minorities, women; SC/STs & Other disadvantaged sections of the society to enhance their social status by way of securing wage/self employment. MV/Hb