IIT Guwahati welcomes Union Budget 2022, says initiatives to boost inclusive education

NEW DELHI: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati today said that the initiatives proposed by the government in the Union Budget 2022 will help India to achieve its vision of accomplishing inclusive education, which is one of the key aspects of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

IIT Guwahati welcomes the important initiatives announced by the finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Union Budget 2022 on February 1, IIT Guwahati Director TG Sitharam said.

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“These initiatives will provide major thrust for technology-enhanced learning and start-ups, rural development, enhancing the agriculture sector output and providing support to students’ mental health during this pandemic,” the official statement read.

The institute lauded the initiatives of the government such as the one class one TV channel programme, digital university, setting up of academic institutions as the centre for excellence for urban planning, opening the defence research and development for the industry, start-ups and academia, digital services for farmers, drone shakti, mobility zones for electric vehicles, startup incentives, and tele mental health programme.

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In the budget speech by Sitharaman, she spoke on the proposal to set up five academic institutions as centres for excellence for urban planning. “The north-east region being one of the major regions where urbanization is occurring rapidly, setting up such an urban planning centre for excellence at IIT Guwahati as part of its curriculum will bring about a major fillip to this initiative in the region,” said the statement.

Union Budget 2022: IIT Guwahati welcomes budget initiatives

IIT Guwahati welcomed the proposed extension of tax incentives for startups to one year, as it deems it will help promote startups. IIT Guwahati also welcomed the initiative under the Union Budget 2022 to provide digital and hi-tech services to farmers. The institute pointed out the establishment of a school for agro and rural technology and a centre for drone technology established by it in pursuit of providing aid to farmers in increasing their output.

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IIT Guwahati also assured that the institute will take forward the Drone Shakti initiative by working closely with the concerned authorities at the state level.

The finance minister also spoke on the proposed National Tele Mental Health Programme, to increase access to quality mental health counselling and care services, especially in the context of the COVID-19 situation which has adversely affected the mental health of people. IIT Guwahati welcomed this initiative and said that the institute has been providing health programmes for the well-being of the students.