New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget for 2025-26 in Parliament on Saturday and announced that the government has also expanded capacities in (Indian Institute of Technology) IITs, with student intake across 23 IITs doubling from 65,000 to 1.35 lakh over the past 10 years. To further support this growth, additional infrastructure will be developed in the five IITs established after 2014, enabling education for 6,500 more students.

The minister also announced that the National Centre for Excellence in Skilling was introduced in the July 24 budget. As part of this initiative, five national centres for excellence in skilling have been set up in collaboration with global experts to equip youth with the skills needed for the ‘Make for India, Make for the World’ initiative. The partnership will focus on curriculum development, trainer training, establishing a skill certification framework, and conducting periodic evaluations.

Sitharaman further announced that 10,000 additional seats will be made available in medical colleges across India next year. This measure is part of a broader plan to increase the total number of seats by 75,000 over the next five years.

In another significant move, the minister revealed an outlay of ₹500 crore for setting up a Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence for Education. This initiative seeks to promote advanced AI research and its integration into educational practices, thereby enhancing the overall learning experience and fostering technological growth in the sector.