Budget 2024-25: Proposes new medical colleges, emphasizes upskilling and youth employment

Soon, a committee will be constituted to look into the establishment of new medical colleges in the country according to finance minister Nirmala Sitharam.

Sitharam presented the interim 2024-25 budget on February 1. She said that with several youth being ambitious to become qualified doctors and serve people though improved healthcare services, there is a proposal to set up more medical colleges.

“Our government plans to set up more medical colleges by utilizing the existing hospital infrastructure under various departments. A committee for this purpose will be set up to examine the issues and make relevant recommendations,” she said.

This budget is expected to set a tone for the upcoming elections and Sitharaman said “We expect that our government, based on its stupendous work, will be blessed again by the people with a resounding mandate.”

This year’s focus in the sector of education and youth empowerment remained on creating jobs across sectors and upskilling and reskilling youth, in alignment with the National Education Policy 2020.

Stating that NEP 202 is ushering in transformational reforms, Sitaraman said that PM SHRI schools are continuing to deliver quality teaching and nurturing well-rounded individuals.

Sitharaman said prime minister Narendra Modi firmly believes that focus on must be on four castes- the women, youth, poor and farmers.

Under the PM Mudra Yojana loans amounting to Rs 43 crore have been sanctioned aggregating to Rs 22.5 lakh crore for youth’s entrepreneurial aspirations. “Besides that, Fund of Funds, Start Up India, and Start Up Credit Guarantee schemes are assisting our youth. They

are also becoming ‘rozgardata’,” the financial minister said.

WOMEN IN EDUCATION

Female enrolment in higher education has gone up by 25 % in ten years.
In STEM courses, girls and women constitute forty-three per cent of enrolment – one of the highest in the world. All these measures are getting reflected in the increasing participation of women in workforce.

EMPLOYMENT FOR YOUTH

One crore household will be eligible to obtain up to 300 units free electricity a month through rooftop solarization. This will generate employment opportunities for the youth with technical skills in manufacturing, installation, and maintenance.
Implementation of Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) boosted to generate 55 lakh employment opportunities in near future.

TECHNOLOGY BOOST

While former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri Shastri gave the slogan of “Jai Jawan Jai Kisan”, Atal Bihari Vajpayee extended that to “Jai Jawan Jai Kisan Jai Vigyan”. PM Modi has furthered that to “Jai Jawan Jai Kisan Jai Vigyan and Jai Anusandhan”, as innovation is the foundation of development.
A corpus of rupees one lakh crore to provide long-term financing or refinancing with long tenors and low or nil interest rates will be established with 55-year interest free loan to motivate private sector to scale up research and innovation. Programmes will be announced to combine youth power and technology.

CHILDCARE AND HEALTH

Government to encourage vaccination for girls in age group of 9 to 14 years for prevention of cervical cancer.
Upgradation of anganwadi centres under “Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0” will be expedited for improved nutrition delivery, early childhood care and development.
Healthcare cover under Ayushman Bharat scheme will be extended to all ASHA workers, Anganwadi Workers and Helpers.