Sat Feb 01 10:12:27 UTC 2025: ## India’s 2025-26 Budget Bolsters Higher Education Funding

**New Delhi, February 1, 2025** – The Union Budget 2025-26 has significantly increased funding for higher education in India, according to UGC Chairman M. Jagadesh Kumar. The allocation for higher education has risen by 7.74%, from ₹46,482.35 crore in 2024-25 to ₹50,077.95 crore in the upcoming fiscal year.

This substantial increase will support various initiatives, including a dramatic five-fold increase in funding for the Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) – from ₹10 crore to ₹50 crore. This boost will aid in the creation of 22,000 textbooks in 22 Indian languages for undergraduate and postgraduate studies and the establishment of a National Digital Repository of IKS.

Central Universities will also receive a significant funding increase, rising from ₹15,538.23 crore to ₹16,146.11 crore. Centrally Sponsored Schemes will see a boost to ₹1,815 crore, strengthening programs like PM-USHA and RUSA. Student financial aid has received a considerable increase of over 68%, reaching ₹2160 crore, reflecting a commitment to making higher education more accessible.

Furthermore, the budget includes ₹500 crore for a Centre of Excellence for AI in education and an increased allocation of ₹16 crore for digitizing the Academic Bank of Credits. A new initiative, the PM Research Fellowship scheme, will provide 10,000 scholarships over the next five years to foster research excellence in premier institutions. These measures, according to Mr. Kumar, highlight the government’s commitment to technological advancement and inclusive education.

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