Rs 21,000 crore invested in Northeast education in 11 years: Nirmala Sitharaman

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday announced that the central government has invested Rs 21,000 crore in the education sector in the Northeast over the past 11 years.

The statement came during her two-day visit to Assam, where she laid the foundation stone for the state’s first university dedicated to technical and vocational education and training at Bholaguri in Gohpur, Biswanath district.

The new institution, named ‘Swahid Kanaklata Barua State University’, will be built at a cost of Rs 415 crore and spread over 241 acres of land, with a built-up area of 7 lakh square feet.

The university will focus on equipping students with advanced technical skills and promoting innovation-driven education.

Sitharaman highlighted that



since 2014, the Centre has significantly strengthened the education network in the region, as reported by PTI.

Over 850 new schools have been opened, the first AIIMS in the Northeast has become operational, and more than 200 new skill development institutes have been established.

She also mentioned that India’s first sports university is being set up in the region, while 15 new medical colleges have been built in Assam alone. The state is also home to South Asia’s largest cancer care centre, and will soon have the region’s second Indian Institute of Management (IIM).

According to the Union minister, the Centre is working closely with state governments in the Northeast to strengthen the education ecosystem, with an emphasis on coordination and skill-based growth.