LUCKNOW, Feb. 12 -- The state budget gives a big push to vocational and skill development with a 88% hike, raises the allocation for technical education by 72% and increases the outlay for secondary education by 15% and higher education by 7% while proposing a whopping Rs.80,997.16 crore for basic education. To make students employable, the state government has proposed Rs.22,167 crore for secondary education, including Rs.150 crore for Dream Skill lab clusters in government secondary schools. Each district will have a Dream Skill lab where government secondary students will be trained in a number of vocations like robotics, Artificial Intelligence and technology to make the students future ready and employable, said additional director, vocational, Manoj Dwivedi, talking to HT. "Soon, the UP government will sign an agreement with Tata and a Japanese company for a project worth Rs 13.39 crore. Tata will bear 68% of expenses while the state's share will be 32%," Dwivedi said. The plan to provide better basic facilities in secondary schools includes Rs.520 crore for government secondary schools and Rs.10 crore for non-government-aided secondary schools. A provision of Rs.20 crore is proposed for scholarships for students of government Sanskrit schools. A new Rs.89-crore scheme is proposed for cashless medical facilities to teachers in non-government secondary schools. The first Sainik School in Purvanchal and the second in the state has started operating in Gorakhpur district. With Rs.80,997.16 crore, the budget especially focuses on strengthening the state's basic education system by improving the infrastructure of council schools, raising educational quality, and promoting the holistic development of students. The state government is moving towards bringing a change in the primary and upper primary education structure, said Sandeep Singh, basic education minister. A provision of Rs.650 cr has been allocated for the scheme to provide free uniforms, school bags, shoes, socks, and stationery for all students of government schools from grades 1 to 8 to ensure that no child is deprived of education due to lack of resources. The government is also working on a plan to establish two Chief Minister Model Composite Schools in each district. A total of 150 such schools are proposed in the state's 75 districts, which will be equipped with modern facilities, digital classrooms, and advanced educational resources. There are also plans to develop one Chief Minister Abhyudaya School in each district, ensuring equal quality education for rural and urban students. A provision of Rs.580 crore is proposed for a new scheme to establish residential girls' schools in development blocks where Kasturba Gandhi Girls' Schools are not established. Special provisions have also been made for teachers and staff. A new scheme is being implemented to provide cashless medical facilities to teachers, non-teaching staff, and contract or honorarium-based personnel of council schools, for which a provision of approximately Rs.358 crore is proposed. Under the Samagra Shiksha Yojana, Rs.300 crore is proposed for a new scheme to develop all primary schools as smart schools from state funds. A total of Rs.300 crore is proposed for a new scheme to maintain schools that were found substandard in the safety audits of aided non-government schools. A provision of approximately Rs.6,591 crore is proposed for higher education, which is 7% more than the 2025-26 budget. A budget provision of Rs.400 crore is proposed for the Rani Lakshmi Bai Scooty Scheme, which provides scooties to meritorious girl students. A sum of Rs.40 crore is proposed for the Chief Minister's Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme. A sum of Rs.50 crore is proposed for the establishment of Maa Vindhyavasini University, Mirzapur, Rs.50 crore for establishment of Guru Jambheshwar University, Moradabad and Rs.50 crore for setting up Maa Pateshwari University, Balrampur. A sum of Rs 14.50 cr is proposed for the Student Mental Health and Welfare Policy being introduced for higher educational institutions of the state. Higher education minister Yogendra Upadhyay said, "In the 2026-27 budget, approximately Rs 6,591 crore has been proposed for higher education, which is 7% more than in 2025-26."...