 "Cabinet clears ₹4,200 crore Merite scheme to upgrade technical education")
The Union Cabinet on Friday approved the ‘Multidisciplinary Education and Research Improvement in Technical Education’ (Merite) scheme aimed at improving the quality of technical education across India.
"It is a ‘Central Sector Scheme’ with total financial implication of ₹4,200 crore for a period from 2025-26 to 2029-30. Out of ₹4,200 crore, there will be an external assistance of ₹2,100 crore from the World Bank as loan," the Cabinet statement said.
What the scheme covers
The Merite scheme will cover 275 government and government-aided technical institutions, including 175 engineering colleges and 100 polytechnics. These include selected National Institutes of Technology (NITs), state engineering colleges, affiliating technical universities (ATUs), and polytechnic institutes across various states and union territories (UTs).
In addition to institutional support, the scheme will also extend assistance to state and UT departments overseeing technical education. The initiative is expected to benefit around 7.5 lakh students by enhancing access to improved academic resources, infrastructure, and industry-aligned training, the Cabinet said.
Expected outcomes
The government expects the scheme to deliver:
- Digitalisation strategies at the state/UT level
- Multidisciplinary programme guidelines
- Improved quality assurance and governance
- Labour market-aligned curricula and blended learning
- Enhanced research and innovation capacity
- Higher student transition rates across groups
Focus on employability
The Centre said the scheme will emphasise skills to improve employability through a comprehensive approach. “Key interventions include offering internship opportunities, updating curricula to align with industry requirements, organising faculty development programmes, and setting up research hubs,” it added.