The Union Budget 2026–27 has delivered a push to the education sector, with an allocation of Rs 1,39,289.48 crore for the Ministry of Education, an increase of 8.27 per cent over Budget Estimates 2025–26.Among the key announcements are the setting up of content creator labs in 15,000 secondary schools and 500 colleges, along with the establishment of a National Institute of Design in eastern India.Central universities will receive Rs 17,440 crore, a 4.49 per cent increase over last year. The UGC has been allocated Rs 3,709 crore, up by Rs 373.03 crore. IITs have received Rs 12,123 crore, NITs Rs 6,260 crore, deemed universities Rs 650 crore, and IIMs Rs 292 crore in 2026–27.Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also proposed the creation of a high-powered ‘Education to Employment and Enterprise’ Standing Committee to recommend measures focused on strengthening India’s services sector. “This will make us a global leader in services, with a 10 per cent global share by 2047. The Committee will prioritise areas to optimise growth, employment and exports. It will also assess the impact of emerging technologies on jobs,” she said.The Budget also proposes Centre support to states, through a challenge route, to create five university townships near major industrial and logistics corridors.A major thrust has been given to the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) sector, which is projected to require nearly two million professionals by 2030. The Budget proposes support for the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies, Mumbai, to establish AVGC content creator labs. It also announced the creation of a National Institute of Hospitality by upgrading the existing National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology.Dhruv Marwadi, Trustee, Marwadi University, said, “The formation of an ‘Education to Employment and Enterprise’ Standing Committee is a welcome move as it strengthens the link between education, skills and industry needs.”Ashoka University VC Somak Raychaudhury said the push for new universities, design institutes and stronger STEM ecosystems “signals a clear intent to democratise access and build a future-ready talent pipeline”.