New Delhi, March 24 The Delhi government has allocated Rs 19,326 crore for the education sector in 2026-27, the largest portion of its budget, with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announcing the establishment of a Sainik School in the capital and free bicycles for 1.30 lakh Class IX girl students.
Presenting the budget, the chief minister said the government would introduce a "Private Play Schools Policy" to regulate play schools under a framework and a common library infrastructure, along with a digital library system to ensure equal access to knowledge resources for students.
She said that around 1,30,000 girl students studying in Class IX would be provided with free bicycles to make it easier for them to reach school, with an allocation of Rs 90 crore for the scheme.
To empower the youth with discipline, patriotism, and leadership qualities, the Delhi government will set up a Sainik School in the city for the first time and has requested the Centre to provide 10 Kendriya Vidyalayas in the national capital.
The allocation for the education sector this year is slightly higher than last year's Rs 19,291 crore, which also received the largest share of the total budget.
The government has proposed Rs 5 crore to establish medical rooms in every government school in 2026-27. It has also earmarked Rs 2 crore for providing creche facilities in offices with designated caregivers, she said.
An allocation of Rs 10 crore has been proposed for the use of artificial intelligence in assessment systems, examination processes, and personality development to improve learning outcomes, while Rs 5 crore has been set aside for exposure visits for students of Delhi government schools, Gupta said.
She further said that an additional Rs 1.5 crore has been proposed for pedagogical innovations and exposure visits for CM Shri Schools.
Of the total allocation, Rs 19,148 crore has been proposed specifically for education, including Rs 200 crore for the construction of new school buildings and Rs 275 crore for the expansion of existing schools, she said.
The chief minister further said that meritorious students who have passed Class 10 will get laptops, and Rs 10 crore is allocated for this.
She said that around 7,000 classrooms were equipped with smart boards in 2025-26, and the target for 2026-27 is to set up 8,777 smart classrooms, with plans to expand this to 21,000 in the near future. An allocation of Rs 150 crore has been made for this initiative.
An amount of Rs 50 crore has been earmarked for sports hostels, sports grounds, and swimming pools, the CM said, adding that the government has proposed Rs 18.5 crore for new initiatives aimed at making education globally competitive through artificial intelligence, data analysis, exchange programmes, and exposure visits.
Under technical education, Gupta said, a budget of Rs 720 crore has been allocated, with plans to expand infrastructure at ITIs in Shahdara, Pusa, and Jail Road, and to construct new buildings for GB Pant Engineering College and Polytechnic with an allocation of Rs 100 crore.
Centres of Excellence will be established at ITIs in Jahangirpuri, Dhirpur, Shahdara, Narela, and Nandnagri, she said.
Gupta also announced plans to develop an "Educity" in Narela, expand Ambedkar University, and construct a permanent campus for the Sports University in Mundka. An allocation of Rs 10 crore has been made for the National Law University.
A "Talent Hunt Scheme" will be organised to allow youth from all 70 Assembly constituencies to participate, with Rs 10 crore allocated for the initiative, she said.
The CM added that rehabilitation centres in government stadiums will be set up, and a Private Sports Academy Policy to improve sports infrastructure and exposure for students of government schools will be introduced.