PC: Indiaspend
Education Sector Gets ₹1.28 Lakh Crore Boost, Up 6.65% from Last Year
Nirmala Sitharaman highlighted India’s exemplary growth in her Union Budget 2025 discourse and the path it has undertaken toward being a developed country. There were mentions of 10 broad areas concerning development measures that primarily focused on inclusive growth for youth, women, farmers, and other vulnerable sections.
Amongst the key allocations, the education sector is allocated the highest at ₹1,28,650.05 crore for 2025-26, which is 6.65% more than the last year. The focus remains on expanding school and higher education, strengthening the institutions, and enhancing skill development to prepare the youth of India for future opportunities.
Breakup of Budget Head
The total education budget has two principal heads of allocation:
– Department of School Education and Literacy: ₹78,572.10 crore (61% of total allocation)
– Department of Higher Education: ₹50,077.95 crore (39% of total allocation)
This increased funding is slated to spur educational reform, infrastructure development, and skill enhancement programs to prepare students to meet dynamic future market needs.
Key Initiatives in Skilling, Education, and Innovation
To enhance human capital and prepare a future-ready workforce, the government has announced several new initiatives:
– PM Research Fellowship Scheme: 10,000 fellowships will be provided under this scheme in the next five years, focusing on technological research at IITs and IISc.
– National Centres of Excellence: Five centres will be established with global expertise to equip youth with advanced manufacturing skills under the “Make for India, Make for the World” initiative.
– Artificial Intelligence for Education: A dedicated Centre of Excellence in AI for Education, with a ₹500 crore allocation, aims to integrate cutting-edge technology into the education system.
– Medical Education Expansion: The government plans to add 10,000 additional seats in medical colleges and hospitals to meet the country’s growing healthcare needs.
– Atal Tinkering Labs: 50,000 new Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) will be set up in government schools over the next five years to nurture student innovation.
– Broadband Connectivity in Schools: The Bharat Net project will ensure broadband access in all government secondary and primary schools, promoting digital learning.
Bharatiya Bhasha Pushtak Scheme
The Bharatiya Bhasha book scheme of the government will come into force to strengthen the teaching-learning process in regional languages through the provision of digital Indian language textbooks for schools and higher education. The aim of this initiative is to provide an umbrella for education and will encourage the students to learn in their mother tongue.
- IIT Expansion: An expansion from finishing an IIT course doubled in the number of students in IITs over the past decade, increasing from 65,000 students to a whopping 1.35 lakh. The government plans to extend the infrastructure to create space for another 6,500 students across the five IITs established after 2013, while more capacity is being developed in IIT Patna.
- Medical Education Growth: In the last ten years, 1.1 lakh seats have been added to medical courses. In the next phase, an additional 10,000 seats will be created, and cancer treatment centres established within the next three years in all district hospitals.
Employment and Economic Growth
Sitharaman reaffirmed employment-centric growth, indicating that it was AMD for by requiring creation conditions in manufacturing, MSMEs, and innovation which is additive to employment. The government aims to ensure that the spread of the benefits of economic growth will be equally distributed for a richer and more egalitarian society.
Experts’ Reaction
University Grants Commission Chairman M. Jagadesh Kumar credited the budget for the enhanced allocation of higher education, stating that the rise from ₹46,482.35 crore in 2024-25 to ₹50,077.95 crore in 2025-26-a 7.74% increase-would help to upgrade research and innovation functions besides augmenting accessibility to higher education.
The Union budget for 2025-26 is a very clear road map toward furthering India, floating a distinct vision for education, skill development, and innovation. The government is moving toward Viksit Bharat developed India through increased investments in schools, higher education, healthcare, and digital learning. Such far-reaching measures will spur balanced and sustainable growth with the intent of creating a better life for all citizens.
