Ranchi, February 24 – The Jharkhand government on Tuesday unveiled several initiatives in education, health, tourism, infrastructure, and women's empowerment in its 2026-27 budget, presented in the Assembly.
The state will establish 100 new CM Schools of Excellence, where education based on the CBSE curriculum will be introduced from the 2027-28 academic session. Finance Minister Radha Krishna Kishore said that 80 such schools are already operational across the state.
A model school for the dependents of martyrs has also been announced.
In higher education, the government has proposed the establishment of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar University in the Chatra district. Five new girls' residential schools will be opened – two in Dhanbad and one each in Palamu, Latehar, and Garhwa.
Under a new initiative called "Mahila Kisan Khushali Yojana," Rs 25 crore has been allocated to promote women farmers. The scheme aims to connect them with integrated farming practices, modern technology, and both online and offline marketing platforms.
The budget also includes a Gender Budget of Rs 34,211.27 crore, covering 232 schemes across 17 departments.
Significant expansion has been planned in the healthcare sector. The Sadar Hospitals in Latehar, Sahebganj, and Saraikela-Kharsawan will be upgraded into medical colleges and hospitals under the PPP model.
The government has announced the addition of 220 MBBS seats in government medical colleges, including RIMS, by next year. Currently, the state has 1,030 MBBS seats, and the target is to raise this to 1,325 over the next four years.
Postgraduate (PG) seats will increase from 225 to 325 next year, with a long-term goal of reaching 750 seats within four years.
The state also aims to open 750 "Abua Dispensaries" to ensure affordable and quality medicines across Jharkhand.
A budget of Rs 10,793.16 crore, representing 10.7 per cent of the total plan outlay, has been prepared based on 138 child development schemes.
To strengthen air connectivity, the government has signed an agreement with the Airports Authority of India to expand the Birsa Munda Airport in Ranchi. The runway will be extended from 9,000 feet to 12,000 feet. A greenfield airport has also been proposed in Sahibganj.
Several tourism infrastructure projects have been announced in the budget. These include glass bridges and ropeways at Dasham and Jonha Falls in Ranchi; a ropeway at Hundru Falls; skywalks and solar boats at Rajrappa and Patratu; a glass watch tower at Netarhat, and the development of Punasi Dam in Deoghar and Malay Dam in Palamu.
The government said that the budget seeks to balance social welfare with infrastructure expansion, focusing on long-term human development and economic growth.