New Delhi: The government will create additional infrastructure in five Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and expand IIT Patna, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced on Saturday.

Presenting her eighth straight Union Budget, Sitharaman said the government will launch the 'Bharatiya Bhasha Pushtak' scheme to provide a digital form of Indian language books for schools and higher education.

"The total number of students in 23 IITs has increased by 100 per cent from 65,000 to 1.35 lakh in the past 10 years. Additional infrastructure will be created in the five IITs started after 2014 to facilitate education for 6,500 more students. Hostel and other infrastructure capacity at IIT Patna will also be expanded.

The announcement to expand IIT Patna comes ahead of the Bihar Assembly polls, which are due later this year.

Additionally, in the next five years, 10,000 fellowships for technology research in IITs and IISc will be provided, Sitharaman said. 

"Five national centres for excellence for skilling with global expertise and partnerships will be set up, and 50,000 Atal Tinkering Labs will be set up in government schools in the next five years to cultivate scientific temper in young minds," she said.

Sitharaman said broadband connectivity will be provided to all government secondary schools and primary healthcare centres in rural areas.

"I announced three centres of excellence in AI for agriculture, sustainable cities, and health in 2023. Now, a Centre of Excellence in AI for education will be set with an outlay of Rs 500 crore," she said.

10,000 new medical seats
In the next year, 10,000 additional seats will be added in medical colleges and hospitals, with the goal of adding 75,000 seats in the next five years.

"Our government has added almost 1.1 lakh undergraduate and postgraduate medical education seats in 10 years, an increase of 130 per cent," Sitharaman said. "In the next year, 10,000 additional seats will be added in medical colleges and hospitals towards the goal of adding 75,000 seats in the next five years," she added.