Union Budget 2022: Skill Development, Education and Entrepreneurship

In the Union Budget 2022, the Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the skilling programmes and partnership with the industry will be reoriented to promote continuous skilling avenues, sustainability, and employability. The National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) will be aligned with dynamic industry needs.

Key highlights from the Union Budget 2022: Skill Development, Education, Entrepreneurship and Technology

• Digital university with universal education
• Launch of DESH-Stack E-Portal: A Digital Ecosystem for skilling and livelihood
• High quality e-content trhough digital teachers
• “One Class One TV” channel programme expanded from 12 to 200 TV channels
• Startups to facilitate Drone Shakti for Drone-As-A-Service
• 750 virtual labs in science and mathematics
• 75 skilling e-labs for simulated learning environment

Digital Ecosystem for Skilling and Livelihood, the ‘DESH-Stack e-portal’ will be launched. This 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.

Drone Shakti

The finance minister announced that the 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.

Digital University

Nirmala Sitharaman announced that a Digital University will be established to provide access to students for world-class quality universal education with a personalised learning experience. This will be made available in different Indian languages and ICT formats.

Universalization of Quality education and Skill development

Nirmala Sitharaman said that due to the pandemic-induced closure of schools, many children from rural areas and those from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and other weaker sections, have lost almost two years of formal education.

“Mostly, these are children in government schools. We recognize the need to impart supplementary teaching and to build a resilient mechanism for education delivery. For this purpose, the ‘one class-one TV channel’ programme of PM eVIDYA will be expanded from 12 to 200 TV channels. This will enable all states to provide supplementary education in regional languages for classes 1-12”, she said.

The finance minister added that to promote crucial critical thinking skills, to give space for creativity, 750 virtual labs in science and mathematics, and 75 skilling e-labs for a simulated learning environment, will be set up in 2022-23 to promote vocational education.

High-quality e-content in all spoken languages will be developed for delivery via the internet, mobile phones, TV and radio through Digital Teachers.

A competitive mechanism for the development of quality e-content by the teachers will be set up to empower and equip them with digital tools of teaching and facilitate better learning outcomes.

Urban Planning Support to States

Nirmala Sitharaman announced that 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 of excellence. These centres will be provided endowment funds of ` 250 crores each. In addition, AICTE will take the lead to improve syllabus, quality and access to urban planning courses in other institutions.

Throwback to last year’s budget presentation: Union Budget 2021-22 : Skill Development, Education, Entrepreneurship, Gig Economy https://nationalskillsnetwork.in/union-budget-2021-22-skill-development-education-entrepreneurship-gig-economy/

GIFT-IFSC

The finance minister said that World-class foreign universities and institutions will be allowed in the GIFT City to offer courses in Financial Management, FinTech, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics free from domestic regulations, except those by IFSCA to facilitate the availability of high-end human resources for financial services and technology.