The Budget proposes to divert funds for creation of additional infrastructure in the five IITs.
Union Budget 2025 will have a focus on expansion of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), medical colleges, Artificial Intelligence and promotion of education in Indian languages. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented Budget 2025 with a focus on development of poor, youth, farmers and women.
While announcing Union Budget 2025, Ms Sitharaman noted that the number of students have increased in 23 IITs by 100 per cent in the last 10 years. The Budget proposes to divert funds for creation of additional infrastructure in the five IITs established after 2014 for 6,500 students. The government also plans to expand IIT Patna in the country.
There will be an addition of around 10,000 seats in the medical colleges across India next year. The government plans to add a total of 75,000 seats over the next five years.
Ms Sitharaman has announced the set up around 50,000 Atal Tinkering Labs in the country in the next five years. All government secondary schools will be provided with broadband connectivity.
With an aim to provide education for better understanding in rural and remote regions, the government will promote education in Indian languages with the Bhartiya Bhasha Pustak Scheme.
Around five National Centre of Excellence will be set up in the country with global expertise to upskill youth with skills needed for 'Make in India and Make for the World'.
Centre of excellence in AI for education will announce three sectors of education.
The Union Budget talked about investing in people with Saksham Aganwadi and Poshan 2.0 programme. The programme will benefit more than 8 crore children, 20 lakh adolescent girls and pregnant women.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman added, "The investment and turnover limits for classification of all MSMEs will be enhanced to 2.5 and 2 times respectively. This will give them the confidence to grow and generate employment for our youth."
Ms Sitharaman is presenting her eighth consecutive Budget. The late Morarji Desai holds the record for the maximum number of Budget speeches -- ten -- but these were not consecutive. Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram has presented nine Budgets.