In a move aimed at cultivating the spirit of curiosity, innovation, and scientific temper among young minds, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday announced the establishment of 50,000 Atal Tinkering Labs across government schools in the next five years.
This initiative, introduced during the Union Budget 2025-26 presentation in Parliament, is part of a broader vision to encourage hands-on learning and foster innovation from an early age.
Alongside the Tinkering Labs, the Union Budget also includes an ambitious plan to provide broadband connectivity to all government secondary schools and primary health centres in rural areas under the Bharatnet project. This will enhance access to digital resources and bridge the connectivity gap in underserved regions.
The Finance Minister also highlighted the significant growth of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), revealing that the number of students at 23 IITs has doubled over the last decade, rising from 65,000 to 1.35 lakh.
To support this expansion, the Budget proposes additional infrastructure at five newer IITs, as well as the development of hostel and academic facilities at IIT Patna to accommodate 6,500 more students.
In a bid to preserve and promote Indian languages, the Budget proposes the implementation of the Bharatiya Bhasha Pustak Scheme, which will provide digital-form Indian language books to students in schools and higher education institutions.
The government also seeks to position India as a global manufacturing hub with a focus on skills development. Sitharaman announced the creation of five National Centres of Excellence for skilling, equipped with global expertise and partnerships.
These centres will help develop curricula, train trainers, and establish a robust skills certification framework, ensuring that the youth are prepared for the “Make for India, Make for the World” initiative.
The Union Budget also prioritizes cutting-edge technological advancements with a proposal to set up a Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence for education, with a substantial allocation of Rs 500 crore. This initiative is aimed at developing world-class AI expertise in the field of education.
In addition to these transformative measures, the Union Finance Minister unveiled plans for private sector-driven Research, Development, and Innovation (R&D), with an allocation of Rs 20,000 crore over the next five years. The PM Research Fellowship scheme will also be expanded, offering 10,000 fellowships for technological research in IITs and IISc, with enhanced financial support for fellows.