PANAJI: Terming the XIth Five Year Plan as India's "Education Plan", Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said it would have highest priority for education, which is instrumental in achieving rapid and inclusive growth.

"We have increased the outlay on education from 7.7 percent of the total Central Gross Budgetary support in the 10th Plan to over 19 per cent in the 11th Plan," Singh said, while addressing the Goa University convocation function here.

"The actual outlays have been raised five-fold. This is an unprecedented increase in allocation for education in the history of our country," he said. Goa Governor and varsity chancellor S C Jamir and Chief Minister Digamber Kamat were also present on the occasion.

Veteran singer Lata Mangeshkar and Atomic Energy Commission chairman Anil Kakodkar were conferred with doctorate degrees in literature at the convocation ceremony. However, Mangeshkar, citing health reasons, was not present on the occasion to receive the honor.