ABRSM welcomes Union Budget 2025, reiterates demand to spend 6% of GDP on education

The Akhil Bharatiya Rashtriya Shaikshik Mahasangh (ABRSM) has welcomed the allocation of ₹1,28,650 crore for the education sector in the Union Budget 2025 presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, an increase of 6.65% over the previous year.

The Mahasangh has termed this budget as an important step towards expanding education infrastructure, promoting digital education, promoting research and innovation. However, the Mahasangh also made it clear that the government should take concrete steps towards spending at least 6% of GDP on the education sector so that the goals of the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 can be fully achieved.

ABRSM has described the allocation of ₹7,500 crore for PM Shri Yojana, ₹12,500 crore for PM Poshan Yojana and ₹50,077.95 crore for higher education sector in the budget as positive. Along with this, announcements like 6,500 new seats in 5 IITs of the country, 75,000 new seats in medical colleges in the next 5 years, 50,000 Atal Tinkering Labs and establishment of Center of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence are important steps for the future. ABRSM said that the provision of 10,000 new PM Research Fellowships (PMRF Scheme) by the government to promote research and innovation, 5 National Centers of Excellence for Skilling in partnership with global experts and ₹20,000 crore for private sector-driven research, development and innovation is commendable.  The increase in the PM Internship Scheme will help youth gain work-experience and broadband connectivity in rural government schools under the BharatNet project will promote digital education.

ABRSM has demanded from the government that the budget of the education sector should be increased to at least 6% of the GDP so that all students can get equal and quality education. ABRSM said that there is a need to further increase the education budget to provide more support to education and research, improve teacher training and expand digital education.