New Delhi: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday said the Education Budget 2026–27 was a Yuva Shakti–driven blueprint that strengthened human capital and supported India’s journey towards becoming a Viksit Bharat.
Reacting to the Union Budget, Pradhan said the total allocation for the Ministry of Education had risen to ₹1,39,289.48 crore. He noted that the outlay marked an increase of 8.27% over the Budget Estimates for 2025–26. He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for what he described as a futuristic and employment-oriented budget.
According to the Minister, the Budget aligned with the three national kartavyas of accelerating growth, fulfilling aspirations and building capacities. He said these priorities would improve ease of living, expand education and skilling, strengthen MSMEs and transform Tier-II and Tier-III cities into growth centres.
Pradhan said the Education Budget 2026 aimed to equip youth with skills needed for an Atmanirbhar Bharat. He added that consistent reforms would ensure economic growth translated into real gains for citizens across sectors.
He highlighted that India had achieved one of the highest rates of female participation in STEM education globally. To further encourage enrolment, the government proposed establishing one girls’ hostel in every district through viability gap funding and capital support.
Education Budget 2026 outlines university townships, skilling and AI focus
The Minister said the Budget proposed setting up five University Townships near major industrial and logistics corridors. These hubs would host multiple universities, colleges, research institutions, skill centres and residential facilities, he said.
Pradhan also announced the formation of a high-powered “Education to Employment and Enterprise” Standing Committee. He said the body would focus on the services sector and examine the impact of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, on jobs and skills. The panel would recommend embedding AI in school curricula and upgrading SCERTs for teacher training.
He welcomed the launch of AVGC Content Creator Labs in 15,000 schools and 500 colleges. He said the initiative aimed to support two million professionals by 2030 in animation, gaming and comics.
On higher education funding, Pradhan said the Department of Higher Education received ₹55,727.22 crore. Allocations increased for central universities, IITs, NITs, IIMs and the UGC. New schemes included PM Research Chairs and Centres of Excellence in AI for education.
For school education, he said the Budget provided the highest-ever allocation of ₹83,562 crore. Key schemes such as Samagra Shiksha, PM-POSHAN and PM-SHRI saw higher funding. He added that the Atal Tinkering Labs scheme received ₹3,200 crore.
Pradhan said the Education Budget 2026 reflected the government’s commitment to youth, equity and long-term national development.
