Union Budget 2015-16: Thrust on education; AIIMS, IITs, and IIMs in more states

Union finance minister Arun Jaitley has announced that the government will launch an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) each in J&K, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh and Assam in 2015-16.

He has also said that to augment medical services in Bihar, another AIIMS like institute is proposed to be set in Bihar.

The finance minister also proposed to set up an IIT in Karnataka, and upgrade Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad into a full fledged IIT.

IIMs will also be set up in J&K and Andhara Pradesh, the minister added.

Three new National Institutes of Pharmaceuticals Education and Research are proposed to be set up in Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh along with Institutes of Science and Education Research in Nagaland and Odisha.

For the north eastern states, a Centre for Film Production, Animation and Gaming will be set up in Arunachal Pradesh while an Apprenticeship Training Institute for Women will be set in Haryana and Uttarakhand during 2015-16.

To enable all poor and middle class students to pursue higher education of their choice without any constraints of funds, a fully IT-based Student Financial Aid Authority is proposed to be set up in 2015-16.

The body will administer and monitor scholarships as well as Educational Loan Schemes, through the Pradhan Mantri Vidya Lakshmi Karyakaram to ensure that no student misses out on higher education for lack of funds.