India, Feb. 2 -- The union budget 2026-27 - presented by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman - lays strong emphasis on education, skills development, and employment-oriented reforms; signalling a transformative approach towards 'Viksit Bharat 2047'.

A central feature of the budget is the proposal to establish a high-powered 'education-to-employment and enterprise' standing committee which will focus on aligning education with growth in the service sector; assess the impact of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) on jobs and skill requirements; and recommend measures to bridge skill gaps in the coming decades.

The government has also proposed five university townships near major industrial and logistics corridors th...