New Delhi, Feb. 1 -- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday announced that the government will upgrade existing institutions for allied health professionals and establish new ones in both private and government sectors. This initiative aims to train 1 lakh allied health professionals over the next 5 years across 10 selected disciplines, including optometry, radiology, anaesthesia, and applied psychology.

While presenting the Union Budget 2026, the Finance Minister stated that the government will also develop a strong care system covering geriatrics and allied care services. To achieve this, a range of National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF)-aligned programmes will be developed to train multi-skilled caregivers, combining c...