Union Budget 2026–27: Reforms in Education and Skill Sectors
Kartavya Desk Staff
Source: ET
Subject: Miscellaneous
Context: The Union Budget 2026–27 announced a major push to education, skilling, and employment linkage, including university townships, higher school-sector funding, and a high-powered panel on education-to-employment pathways.
About Union Budget 2026–27: Reforms in Education and Skill Sectors:
What is it?
• In the Union Budget 2026–27, presented by Nirmala Sitharaman, the government announced structural and financial reforms to strengthen education, skilling, and employability, in line with NEP 2020 and the vision of Viksit Bharat.
Announcement made in Budget 2026-27:
1. Structural Reforms & Governance
• High-Powered ‘Education to Employment and Enterprise’ Standing Committee: A new committee will be set up to recommend measures to make India a global leader in services, aiming for a 10% global share by 2047.
• AI Integration: The committee will assess the impact of AI on jobs and propose specific measures for embedding AI in the education curriculum from the school level onwards.
• University Townships: The government will support States in creating 5 University Townships near major industrial and logistic corridors to host universities, skill centers, and research institutions.
2. Skilling for the Future & Orange Economy:
• AVGC Content Creator Labs: To support the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics (AVGC) sector, Content Creator Labs will be established in 15,000 secondary schools and 500 colleges.
• Corporate Mitras: Professional institutions like ICAI and ICSI will design modular courses to develop a cadre of ‘Corporate Mitras’ in Tier-II and Tier-III towns to assist MSMEs with compliance.
• Samarth 2.0: This initiative will modernize the textile skilling ecosystem through collaboration with industry and academic institutions.
• Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue: Many proposals in this budget were inspired by innovative ideas shared by youth during this dialogue.
3. Specialized Training & Health Education:
• Allied Health Professionals (AHPs): 100,000 AHPs will be added over the next 5 years by establishing and upgrading institutions in 10 disciplines like radiology and optometry.
• Caregiver Training:5 lakh caregivers will be trained in wellness, yoga, and medical device operation to build a strong Care Ecosystem.
• AYUSH Excellence: 3 new All India Institutes of Ayurveda will be established, and AYUSH pharmacies will be upgraded to provide more skilled personnel.
• Veterinary Professionals: A loan-linked subsidy scheme will support private veterinary colleges to scale up the availability of veterinary professionals by more than 20,000.
4. Infrastructure & Inclusivity
• Girls’ Hostels: To promote women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), the government will establish 1 girls’ hostel in every district through capital support.
• National Institute of Design (NID): A new NID will be established in the Eastern region of India through a challenge route.
• Hospitality & Tourism: The National Council for Hotel Management will be upgraded to a National Institute of Hospitality. Additionally, 10,000 guides will be upskilled at 20 iconic tourist sites through an IIM-collaboration course.
• Divyangjan Kaushal Yojana: Industry-relevant and customized training will be provided to Divyangjans for roles in IT, AVGC, and Hospitality.
5. Scientific Research:
• Astrophysics: 4 major telescope infrastructure facilities (like the National Large Solar Telescope and COSMOS-2 Planetarium) will be set up or upgraded for immersive learning experiences.