Published Paper Details:

The Right to Education Act 2009, implemented during India's sixth decade of Independence, made elementary education a fundamental right for all children in the age group of 6 to 14. It is expected of the Central and State governments to shoulder the financial responsibilities for its effective implementation of the Act to fulfill the constitutional mandate of Universalisation of Elementary Education. The Act was implemented in Odisha with effect from 1st April 2010.The paper seeks to examine the budgetary provision and expenditure patterns influencing the progress of the elementary education in Odisha from 2001 to 2023. The article presents the research studies related to the quality concerns of elementary education in the State with respect to expenditure incurred from 2000-2001 to 2023-2024.The scholastic review has been documented under the head (i) literature review pertaining to quality and (ii) expenditure trends of elementary education . The analysis of expenditure patterns in elementary education reveals significant trends impacting quality of education. Notably, there has been a persistent underutilization of funds in areas such as ICT and digital initiatives in Education , indicating the evidence of challenges in its implementation . Paradoxically, there is evidence of over-expenditure in areas like Teacher Grants and Programs organised under learning enhancement without budget provision during the period of expenditure. There is evidence of declining focus on research and evaluation, as evidenced by sharp budget cuts, which may hinder data-driven policy-making. Although funding is there for conducting National Achievement Survey but there is inadequate funding for monitoring and supervision. However, fund utilization in areas like development of libraries, composite school grants, and innovation projects reflect better execution and resource utilisation. The government's increased funding for initiatives like the NIPUN Bharat Mission for promoting foundational literacy & numeracy and Rashtriya Aavishkar Abhiyan for Science education underscores a commitment to ensure quality education. There is a need to ensure utilization of funds with proper monitoring and supervision which is the key for effective execution of initiatives for enhancing the quality of elementary education.