The Ministry of Education provided a comprehensive update on India's higher education initiatives in response to a written query in the Lok Sabha. The information was presented by Minister of State Dr. Sukanta Majumdar on August 10, 2026.

National Education Policy and Ranking Framework

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 emphasizes improving education quality through multidisciplinary education, critical thinking development, research promotion, infrastructure improvement, and teacher training. The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), launched in 2015, ranks higher education institutions based on five parameters: Teaching, Learning and Resources; Research and Professional Practices; Graduation Outcomes; Outreach and Inclusivity; and Peer Perception. NIRF participation has significantly increased from 6,272 applications in 2021 to 14,163 in 2025, with unique institutions growing from 4,030 to 7,692 during this period. This growth correlates with increased international recognition, as Indian institutions in the QS World University Rankings expanded from 11 in 2015 to 52 in 2027.

Institutional Development and Funding

The government has established 43 new premier institutions since 2014, including seven IITs, eight Central universities, and nine IIMs. IIM Guwahati was inaugurated as the 22nd IIM in February 2026, currently operating from a transit campus in Kamrup district, Assam, with Rs 555 crores allocated for its temporary campus, permanent facility construction, and initial five-year operations. In May 2025, the government approved an expansion of academic and infrastructure capacity for five new IITs—IIT Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh), IIT Palakkad (Kerala), IIT Bhilai (Chhattisgarh), IIT Jammu (Jammu & Kashmir), and IIT Dharwad (Karnataka)—with a total outlay of Rs. 11,828.79 crore.

Quality Improvement Initiatives

Centrally Funded Institutions have institutionalized quality improvement measures, while state governments receive financial support through the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA)/Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM USHA) scheme under three components: Enhancing Quality and Excellence in select State Universities, Infrastructure Grants to Universities, and MultiDisciplinary Education and Research Universities (MERU). The Institutions of Eminence (IoE) Scheme, launched in 2017, provides autonomy to selected institutions to help them emerge as world-class academic and research centers.

Skill-Integrated Education Initiatives

The Ministry has implemented numerous programs to align education with industry requirements:

  • NCERT and CBSE developed computational thinking and AI curriculum resources for grades 3 to 8
  • NCERT trained over 96,000 beneficiaries in AI through training activities
  • CBSE conducted 1,234 capacity building programs in the last three years, benefiting 64,775 teachers from affiliated schools on AI application in teaching, learning, and assessment
  • UGC introduced "Guidelines for Internship/Research Internship for Under Graduate Students" to improve employability and research interest
  • UGC formulated "Guidelines for Higher Educational Institutions to Offer Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Programme (AEDP)" to incorporate industry competencies into curricula
  • The National Credit Framework (NCrF) enables integration of skill education with a provision for up to 50% of total credits through skill-based courses
  • AICTE periodically revises its Model Curriculum in consultation with industry and academia to include emerging technologies like AI, Data Science, Machine Learning, Cyber Security, Robotics, and Quantum Computing
  • AICTE embeds skill development into technical education through industry partnerships, online skill courses, compulsory internships, and vocational degrees
  • The National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS) provides on-the-job training in collaboration with industry
  • The SWAYAM Plus platform offers over 500 employability-focused courses across 15 sectors in collaboration with 89 industry partners