NEW DELHI: Chief minister and finance minister Rekha Gupta unveiled a range of initiatives on Tuesday as part of the Delhi Budget to boost education and school infrastructure.
These include the development of an education hub in Narela in north Delhi, the establishment of

CM Shri Schools

, the introduction of language laboratories and modern computer labs and new schemes for technical education.
Education cornered the highest allocation in the 2025-26 budget with Rs 19,291 crore — a 17.7% increase over the last fiscal's allocation. Taking potshots at the previous govt, CM said, "It claimed to prioritise education in Delhi, but its actions were contrary. It misled Delhi on education and its policies deprived children of a promising future."
A big chunk of the allocation — Rs 618 crore — was earmarked for

technical education schemes

, while another Rs 886 crore was allocated to the Department of Training and Technical Education, highlighting govt's focus on this sector.

The budget allocated Rs 230 crore to

Delhi Skill and Entrepreneurship University

, Rs 57 crore to Netaji Subhas Technical University, Rs 37 crore to Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University, Rs 21.5 crore to Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women and Rs 42 crore to Delhi Technical University. Additionally, Rs 69 crore was proposed for the Industrial Training Institutes.
The budget set aside Rs 100 crore to establish 60 new CM Shri Schools from the 2025-26 academic session. These schools, modelled after PM Shri Schools, will align with the National Education Policy, 2020, and implement the National Curriculum Framework.
The launch of Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya Vidya Shakti Mission was given Rs 21 crore and it aims to provide professional guidance to students preparing for engineering, medical and university entrance exams.
Gupta highlighted the commitment to modernising education, stating, "The previous govts neglected educational infrastructure, leaving outdated computers in schools. We have allocated Rs 50 crore for 175 new computers and Rs 100 crore for smart classes and targeted the computerisation of at least 7,000 classrooms. We are also committed to providing free laptops to 1,200 top-performing students transitioning from Class X to XI and have a budget of Rs 100 crore for this."
The edu-city to be developed in Narela will have the campuses of various educational institutions. A 160-acre land was allotted to Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women to establish its campus, and 1,270 flats will be provided to four universities to help them expand or set up campuses there.
There were plans to build upon several initiatives of the previous administration. The Science of Living programme, allocated Rs 1.5 crore, will focus on holistic development for students, promoting mental well-being and life skills akin to AAP's Happiness Curriculum.
Expanding on AAP's Business Blasters programme, the BJP govt introduced NEEEV (New Era of Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and Vision) programme for students in classes VIII-XII to integrate entrepreneurship education with financial and digital literacy and allocated Rs 20 crore for this.
The Rashtraneeti initiative with an allocation of Rs 1.5 crore will provide practical knowledge of governance through youth parliaments, digital programmes and community engagement.
The budget also earmarked Rs 21 crore to establish Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Language Laboratories in 100 govt schools, yoking technology and AI to teach languages, including English, Hindi and French.
"This budget places a strong emphasis on Delhi's youth and future generations," commented education minister Ashish Sood.