**Executive Summary**
This document presents the Ministry of Education's response to questions raised in the Lok Sabha regarding budget estimates for school education, the establishment of a Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the upgrading of schools under the PM-SHRI scheme. The response includes the budget allocation for FY 2025-26, details on the AI Centre of Excellence established at IIT Madras, and the number of schools upgraded in specific districts. The response was provided on 02.02.2026.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Budget Allocation (FY 2025-26):**
* The budget allocation for FY 2025-26 is ₹78,572.10 crore, an increase of ₹5,074 crore over FY 2024-25 (₹73498.10 Crore), representing a 6.90% growth.
* Allocations are based on projected demands, expenditure trends, and Revised Estimates by the Ministry of Finance, considering fiscal constraints.
* **Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Artificial Intelligence (AI):**
* A CoE in AI for Education has been established at IIT Madras with an outlay of ₹500 crores.
* The establishment followed a multi-stage evaluation of proposals from academic institutions from June-September 2025.
* The evaluation focused on technical robustness, pedagogical depth, faculty experience, and scalability.
* The CoE aims to drive innovation, research, and development in AI-powered educational tools.
* **PM-SHRI School Upgrades:**
* The following number of schools have been upgraded under the PM SHRI Scheme in the specified districts:
* Nandurbar: 16
* Bhandara: 21
* Solapur: 39
* Sangli: 24
* Dhule: 10
* **Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs):**
* 5,513 ATLs are currently functional in government schools across the country (as per information from NITI Aayog).
**Impact Analysis**
**Ministry of Education**
* **Impact:** The Ministry is responsible for managing the allocated budget for school education and overseeing the implementation of the AI Centre of Excellence and the PM-SHRI scheme.
* **Action Required:** Ensure efficient allocation and utilization of the FY 2025-26 budget, monitor the progress of the AI Centre of Excellence at IIT Madras, and track the implementation of the PM-SHRI school upgrades in the specified districts.
**IIT Madras**
* **Impact:** IIT Madras is now responsible for hosting and operating the Centre of Excellence in AI for Education.
* **Action Required:** Drive innovation, research and development for equitable access to quality education.
**Schools in Nandurbar, Bhandara, Solapur, Sangli and Dhule districts**
* **Impact:** Schools in these districts benefit from the PM-SHRI upgrades, leading to enhanced infrastructure and educational resources.
* **Action Required:** Implement the upgraded facilities and integrate the enhanced resources into their educational programs.
Key Entities Referenced
PM-SHRI: Scheme for upgrading schools, referenced in the context of schools in specific districts.
Department of School Education and Literacy: The department within the Ministry of Education that is the subject of the budget estimates.
Ministry of Education: Primary ministry responsible for the budget estimates under discussion.
NITI Aayog: Referenced in relation to the number of functional Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs).
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 327
ANSWERED ON 02.02.2026
Budget Estimates for Schools Education
327. Shri Vishaldada Prakashbapu Patil:
Ms. Praniti Sushilkumar Shinde:
Adv Gowaal Kagada Padavi:
Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:
(a) the details of reasons for the 6.57 per cent reduction in the Budget Estimates for
the Department of School Education and Literacy for 2025-26 vis-à-vis the
Ministry’s projected requirement of 84,100.84 Crore;
(b) the timeline for establishing the proposed 500 crore Centre of Excellence in
Artificial Intelligence for Education and the criteria for selection of its location; and
(c) the number of schools in Nandurbar, Bhandara, Solapur, Sangli and Dhule
districts upgraded under PM-SHRI and the status of Atal Tinkering Labs in
Government schools as of December 2025?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION
(SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)
(a) The Budget Allocation for FY 2025–26 is ₹78,572.10 crore, reflecting an
increase of ₹5,074 crore over FY 2024–25 i.e., ₹73498.10 Crore. This represents a
growth of 6.90 percent during FY 2025–26 vis-à-vis FY 2024–25. Further, budget
allocations are made on the basis of projected demands, expenditure trends of
previous years and the Revised Estimates by Ministry of Finance, while also takinginto account overall fiscal constraints and competing demands from various
Ministries/Departments.
(b) The Government of India has established a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in
Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Education following its announcement in the Union
Budget 2025-26 as part of the vision to "Make AI in India and Make AI work for India".
The AI-CoE for Education has been established at IIT Madras, with an outlay
of Rs. 500 crores. The establishment followed a multi stage evaluation process of
proposals from leading academic institutions across the country during June–
September 2025. The evaluation committee led by industry experts from education
and AI sectors focussed on technical robustness, pedagogical depth, faculty
experience and scalability of each proposal.
The AI-CoE is envisaged to drive innovation, research, and development in AI-
powered educational tools and personalised adaptive learning to enhance equitable
access to quality education across the country.
(c) The list of number of schools upgraded under PM SHRI Scheme is placed
below:
S.No. Name of district Number of PM SHRI Schools selected
1. Nandurbar 16
2. Bhandara 21
3. Solapur 39
4. Sangli 24
5. Dhule 10
As per information received from NITI Aayog, 5,513 ATLs are currently
functional in government schools across the country.
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