Parliament Question: Implementation of University Townships and Education-to-Employment Initiatives

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-1263 ANSWERED ON - 27/07/2026 Implementation of University Townships and Education-to-Employment Initiatives 1263. Adv. Chandra Shekhar: Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state: (a) the details of the criteria adopted for the selection of locations and the proposed timeline for the development of the five "University Townships" near major industrial and logistics corridors; (b) the details of the proposed composition, mandate, functions and present status of the High- Powered Education-to-Employment and Enterprise Standing Committee; and (c) the details of the action taken by the Government to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) into school curriculum frameworks, along with the mechanism proposed to assess the impact of these initiatives on youth employability? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR) (a) to (c): The Government of India has framed and approved the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 to transform the education landscape into a multidisciplinary, inclusive, and learner-centric ecosystem. It accords high priority to enhancing access, equity, and quality of education for everyone. It promotes provision of physical infrastructure, digital tools & connectivity, and greater industry-academic linkages. In line with the vision of NEP 2020, it has been announced in the Union Budget 2026-27 that the Union Government aims to support States through challenge route, in creating 5 University Townships in the vicinity of major industrial and logistic corridors. Department of Higher Education has initiated consultation process with relevant stakeholders such as State Governments, Academia, Industry representatives etc. To make India a global leader in services, and to optimise the potential for growth, employment and exports, assessing the impact of emerging technologies, including AI, on jobs and skill requirements and propose measures thereof, Union Budget 2026-27 has also announced settingup of a High-Powered ‘Education to Employment and Enterprise’ Standing Committee to recommend measures that focus on the Services Sector as a core driver of Viksit Bharat. Composition of the Committee is at Annexure. In line with NEP 2020, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has integrated Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Computational Thinking (CT) into the school curriculum. The framework introduces AI from the preparatory stage to build AI-literate learners by 2030, focusing on computational thinking, digital literacy, innovation, problem-solving, and responsible technology use. To ensure availability of professionals for Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) Sector, Government of India has announced in Union Budget 2026-27 to set up AVGC Content Creator Labs in 15,000 secondary schools and 500 colleges by supporting Indian Institute of Creative Technologies, Mumbai. ****Annexure ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) TO (C) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1263 ASKED BY ADV. CHANDRA SHEKHAR ON THE SUBJECT ‘IMPLEMENTATION OF UNIVERSITY TOWNSHIPS AND EDUCATION-TO-EMPLOYMENT INITIATIVES’, ANSWERED ON 27.07.2026 Composition of High-Powered ‘Education to Employment and Enterprise’ Standing Committee S. No. Name and Designation Role 1. CEO, NITI Aayog Chairperson 2. Secretary, Department of Commerce Member 3. Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs Member 4. Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & IT Member 5. Secretary, Department of Higher Education Member 6. Secretary, Ministry of Labour & Employment Member 7. Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Member 8. Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy Member 9. Secretary, Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation Member 10. Chief Secretary, Government of Andhra Pradesh Member 11. Chief Secretary, Government of Bihar Member 12. Chief Secretary, Government of Maharashtra Member 13. Chief Secretary, Government of Uttar Pradesh Member 14. DG, CII Member 15. DG, FICCI Member 16. SG, FISME Member 17. President, NASSCOM Member 18. DG, SEPC Member 19. Dr A. Sakthivel, Founder-President of the Tiruppur Exporters' Member Association 20. Dr Chandan Chowdhury, Professor, ISB Member 21. Dr. Rajat Kathuria, Dean, School of Humanities & Social Member Sciences, Shiv Nadar University 22. Programme Director (Services), NITI Aayog Member Convenor *****