Education gets AI boost: Rs 500 crore Centre of Excellence announced
In the Union Budget 2026, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a major boost for the education sector with a specific focus on technology. A new Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence for education will be established to modernise learning.
Rs 500 Crore AI Centre Announced
The Finance Minister announced the setting up of a Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence for education. This new initiative comes with a total allocated outlay of Rs 500 crore to boost tech-driven learning.
Building on Previous AI Success
This move follows the successful announcement of three similar AI Centres of Excellence in 2023. Those previous centres focused on agriculture, health and sustainable cities, paving the way for this education-focused hub.
50,000 Atal Tinkering Labs
To foster scientific temper and curiosity, 50,000 Atal Tinkering Labs will be established in government schools. These labs will be set up over the next five years to encourage innovation among young minds.
Broadband for Rural Schools
The government will provide broadband connectivity to all government secondary schools in rural areas. This initiative falls under the Bharatnet project to bridge the digital divide in education.
Bharatiya Bhasha Pustak Scheme
A new scheme will be implemented to provide Indian language books in digital formats for schools and higher education. This aims to help students understand subjects better by removing language barriers.
IIT Student Capacity Doubled
The Finance Minister noted that the total number of students in 23 IITs has increased by 100 per cent in the last decade
Skilling Centres of Excellence
Five National Centres of Excellence for skilling will be set up with global partnerships to train youth. These centres will focus on curriculum design and training to support the ‘Make for the World’ manufacturing goal.
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