New Delhi, Feb 1 (IANS) Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday said that the government would set up a high-powered 'Education to Employment and Enterprise' Standing Committee to recommend measures that focus on the services sector as a core driver of Viksit Bharat as part of the proposals in the Budget for 2026-27. 

This will make India a global leader in services, with a 10 per cent global share by 2047. The Committee will prioritise areas to optimise the potential for growth, employment and exports. They will also assess the impact of emerging technologies, including AI, on jobs and skill requirements and propose measures thereof, the Finance Minister said

She pointed out that the Indian design industry is expanding rapidly, and yet there is a shortage of Indian designers. The Union Budget proposes to establish, through a challenge route, a new National Institute of Design to boost design education and development in the eastern region of India.

The government will support states, through the challenge route, in creating five University Townships in the vicinity of major industrial and logistic corridors. These planned academic zones will host multiple universities, colleges, research institutions, skill centres and residential complexes.

In the higher education STEM institutions, prolonged hours of study and laboratory work pose some challenges for girl students, and the Union Budget proposes to establish 1 girls’ hostel in every district through value gap funding (VGF).

To promote astrophysics and astronomy via immersive experiences, four Telescope Infrastructure facilities will be set up or upgraded - the National Large Solar Telescope, the National Large Optical infrared Telescope, the Himalayan Chandra Telescope and the COSMOS 2 Planetarium, the Finance Minister added

Presenting the Yuva Shakti-driven Budget, which emphasises the government’s ‘Sankalp’ to focus on the poor, underprivileged and the disadvantaged, the Finance Minister said that India will continue to take confident steps towards Viksit Bharat, balancing ambition with inclusion.