Budget 2022: 5 takeaways for education sector

1. Digital Ecosystem for Skilling and Livelihood – the DESH-Stack e-portal – will be launched. The portal aims to empower citizens to skill, reskill or upskill through on-line training. “It will also provide API-based trusted skill credentials, payment and discovery layers to find relevant jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities,” finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in her Budget 2022 speech on Tuesday.

2. Startups will be promoted to facilitate Drone Shakti through varied applications and for Drone-As-A-Service (DrAAS). “In select ITIs, in all states, the required courses for skilling will be started,” the Finance Minister said.

3. The central government will set up a digital university to impart “world-class quality education” and promote online learning in different Indian languages amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

4. The government will expand the PM e-Vidya programme of ‘One Class, One TV programme’ from 12 to 200 television channels. The move will enable all states to provide supplementary education in regional languages for classes 1 to 12.  The minister also announced 750 virtual labs in Science and Mathematics to promote crucial critical thinking skills.

5. For developing India-specific knowledge in urban planning and design and to deliver certified training in these areas, up to five existing academic institutions in different regions will be designated as centres for excellence. These centres will provide certified training courses in urban planning and they will be provided with an endowment fund of Rs 250 crore each. In addition, the AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education) will take the lead to improve syllabi, quality and access to urban planning courses in other institutions.