Budget 2022: Setting Up Digital University To Skill Development — Know Key Measures On Education

The finance minister also announced the expansion of SWAYAM PRABHA TV under PM e-vidya scheme from 12 channels to 200 to be made available in all regional languages

(Representative Image/Getty)

Budget 2022: Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday proposed to set up a digital university to provide education that will be built on a hub and spoke model, while presenting Union Budget 2021-22. For accessible higher education in Ladakh, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed to set up a central university in Leh.

"For accessible higher education in Ladakh. I propose to set up a central university in Leh," said Sitharaman. "100 new Sainik schools will be set up in partnership with NGOs, private schools, and states. We would be introducing the legislation this year to implement the setting-up of the Higher Education Commission of India," she added.

Sitharaman announced the setting up of a digital university in the country as several children have suffered due to the Covid-19 pandemic-induced closure of educational institutions.

"The university will be built on our networked hub and spoke model with the hub building cutting edge ICT expertise," she said.

The Finance Minister further said education in this university will be made available in different Indian languages and ICT formats.

Digital Initiatves

She said e-content and e-Vidya initiatives will be expanded as a means to improve access to quality education. She added that this comes two years after education remained disrupted due to the pandemic.

The finance minister also announced the expansion of SWAYAM PRABHA TV under PM e-vidya scheme from 12 channels to 200 to be made available in all regional languages.  This will be aimed at enabling states to offer supplementary education in regional languages for classes 1 to 12.

New skill development courses will also be introduced in the state ITIs to enable the youth of the country. High quality e-content in all spoken languages will be developed for radio, TV and digital platforms, Sitharaman said.

There are other 'umbrella' structures to be created for higher education, the finance minister announced. More than 15,000 schools will be strengthened under NEP 2020," said Sitharaman.

The government has also laid focus on agri education. Sitharam also stressed on revission of syllabi of agricultural universities to meet needs of natural, zero-budget & organic farming, modern-day agriculture. 

Skill Development

FM Sitharaman also announced setting up of Digital Ecosystem for Skilling and Livelihood (DESH-Stack e-portal) will be launched to promote online training. Startups will be promoted to facilitate Drone Shakti for Drone-As-A-Service