NEW DELHI: Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan lauded the Union Budget 2026–27, calling it a Yuva Shakti–driven budget that gives a boost to education and employment creation.
Pradhan said that the total allocation for the Ministry of Education has reached ₹1,39,289.48 crore, marking an 8.27% increase over BE 2025–26.
The Union Budget 2026–27 is a solid blueprint for fully harnessing Bharat’s growth potential, fostering inclusive development across all sections, and achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat, he said and lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for delivering a futuristic, pro-people, employment-oriented, and growth-stimulating Union Budget 2026–27.
Inspired by the three Kartavyas of ‘accelerating and sustaining economic growth, fulfilling aspirations and building capacities of all, and ensuring every family and community has access to resources, opportunities, and amenities’, the Budget will spur all-round growth across sectors and promote self-reliance in strategic and frontier areas, he said.
This will facilitate ease of living, further invigorate the education, innovation, and skilling landscape, strengthen MSMEs, boost tourism, augment healthcare, and transform Tier-II and Tier-III cities into new growth centres.
The Education Minister highlighted that India had achieved one of the highest rates of female participation in STEM education globally. To further enhance and encourage the enrolment of girls in STEM institutions and courses, one girls’ hostel in every district will be established through Viability Gap Funding and capital support, he said.
The Budget has proposed five University Townships in the vicinity of major industrial and logistics corridors. These planned academic zones will host multiple universities, colleges, research institutions, skill centres, and residential complexes.
#ViksitBharatBudget includes all. It gives boost to education and employment-creation and presents a blueprint for the next phase of development. https://t.co/9GZ38hSnVU
— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) February 1, 2026
A high-powered ‘Education to Employment and Enterprise’ Standing Committee has been proposed to recommend measures focusing on the services sector, which is the core driver of Viksit Bharat.
The Committee will examine the impact of emerging technologies, including AI, on job and skill requirements. It proposes specific measures for embedding AI in the education curriculum from the school level onwards and upgrading State Councils of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) institutes for teacher training, among others.
Pradhan lauded the setting up of India’s Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics (AVGC) Content Creator Labs in 15,000 secondary schools and 500 colleges. This project aims to provide a platform to two million professionals by 2030 for the growing AVGC sector, he said.
Highlights of Budget allocation 2026-27
Higher Education
- The overall Budget Allocation in FY 2026-27 is Rs. 55727.22 crore out of which scheme allocation is Rs. 10142.40 crore and non-scheme allocation is Rs. 45584.82 crore.
- There has been an overall increase of Rs. 5649.27 crore (11.28%) in the Budget Allocation of Department of Higher Education in the FY 2026-27 with respect to FY 2025-26.
Allocation to Major autonomous bodies
- Allocation in Central Universities has been kept at Rs. 17440 crore, 4.49% more than allocation in BE 2025-26.
- UGC has been allocated Rs. 3709 croe, 11.18% more than BE 2025-26.
- IITs have been allocated Rs. 12123 crore, 6.82% more than allocation in BE 2025-26.
- For NITs, Rs. 6260.00 crore has been allocated
- Deemed Universities have been allocated Rs. 650 crore, 7.62% more than BE 2025-26.
- Support to IIM have been allocated Rs. 292 crore, 15.92% more than allocation in BE 2025-26.
Major scheme
- For the scheme PM-One Nation One Subscription (PM-ONOS), an allocation of Rs. 2200 crore has been made.
- For the scheme PM Research Chair (PMRC), Rs. 200.00 crore has been allocated.
- For scheme ‘Centre of Excellence (CoEs) in AI for Education’, Rs. 100 crore has been made.
- An allocation of Rs. 900 crore has been allocated for World Class Institutions, 89.43% more than BE 2025-26.
School education & literacy
- The Budget Allocation for the FY 2026-27 of ₹ 83562 crore is the highest ever for the Department of School Education & Literacy.
- There has been an overall increase of ₹ 4990 crore in the allocation for Department of School Education and Literacy.
- The highest ever allocation may be seen for Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) at ₹ 10129.41 crore & ₹ 6025 crore respectively.
- Allocation for Atal Tinkering Labs is ₹ 3200 crore.