To create a workforce prepared for the future, the Union Budget 2025 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday emphasized education, skill development, and technological advancements, significantly promoting artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education.
The Finance Minister revealed intentions to create five national Centres of Excellence for AI in Education, developed in collaboration with international partners. The initiative corresponds with the government’s objective to incorporate AI within academic and research bodies, especially the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), to promote innovation and technological progress.
Moreover, the Centre will allocate funds for infrastructure development at five IITs set up post-2014, enabling the housing of an additional 6,500 students. IIT Patna is poised for additional growth to enhance its expanding academic and research environment, Sitharaman stated.
BOOST FOR MEDICAL EDUCATION
Medical education will also gain a boost. Sitharaman declared that 10,000 more seats will be introduced in medical colleges and hospitals nationwide in the upcoming year.
This initiative is a component of the Narendra Modi administration’s extensive strategy to boost medical seats by 75,000 within the next five years, following the 130 percent increase in medical seats during the last ten years, resulting in the addition of 1.1 lakh undergraduate and postgraduate seats.
BOOST TO DIGITAL LEARNING
The Budget additionally emphasized enhancing education in schools, especially in public institutions. Sitharaman announced that within the next five years, 50,000 Atal Tinkering Labs will be set up in government schools “to promote scientific attitude and creativity” among learners.
ENHANCING SKILL DEVELOPMENT
Describing investment in individuals as a vital growth catalyst, the Finance Minister announced that a wide-ranging multi-sector rural prosperity and resilience initiative will be initiated in collaboration with state governments to generate new job opportunities and improve skill development in rural regions.
In Budget 2024, the government set aside Rs 1.48 lakh crore for education, job creation, and skill enhancement, including provisions for student loans of up to Rs 10 lakh for individuals studying at local higher education institutions.
