Nirmala Sitharaman
Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman

Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said Rs 99300 crore will be allocated for development of the education sector for the financial year 2020-21.

She also said Rs 3000 crore will be allocated for skill development.

Sitharaman claimed that there is a high international demand for teachers and paramedical staff but their skills do not match according to standards that are fixed by employers.

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She also said that special bridge courses will be designed for teachers, nurses, paramedical staff and caregivers.

The government proposes to start INDSAT exam for students of Asia and Africa to promote ‘Study in India’ programme.

Sitharaman said that new courses will be introduced in 150 universities by 2026.

National Police University and National Forensic University are also being proposed to be set up by the government, she added.

She also added that full-fledged degree level online education courses will be provided by institutions ranked in the top 100 in India.

Steps will be taken to attract External Commercial Borrowing (ECB) and foreign direct investment (FDI) in the education sector, she added.

Sitharaman also said that a new education policy will be announced soon.

The finance minister also said that the Centre proposes to start programme for urban local bodies to provide opportunities for internship to young engineers.

To deal with the shortage of doctors, the Centre proposes to attach medical colleges with district hospitals on Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.