UP Cabinet approves Metro University in Greater Noida, 25 lakh free tablets for students

The Uttar Pradesh government has approved the proposal to establish Metro University, to be built on 26.1 acres of land in Greater Noida. In addition, the Cabinet has approved the distribution of 25 lakh free tablets for students, and also increased the honorarium of Shiksha Mitras and part-time educators.

The UP Cabinet has increased the honorarium of Shiksha Mitras from Rs 10,000 to Rs 18,000, and that of part-time instructors from Rs 9,000 to Rs 17,000, per month.

According to the official press release, an increase in the honorarium will benefit 1.43 lakh Shiksha Mitras and 24,717 part-time instructors in UP. The minister of state (Independent Charge) for basic education, Sandeep Singh, said that the revised honorarium will be effective from April 1, 2026, and all the benefits will be reflected and paid starting from May.

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25 lakh free tablets for students: Cabinet

The Cabinet meeting, chaired by chief minister Yogi Adityanath approved a proposal under the Swami Vivekananda Youth Empowerment Scheme to purchase 25 lakh tablets for free distribution to the students.

As per the official press release, a provision of Rs 2,000 crore has been made for the financial year 2025-26, and the state government will bear all the costs.

Free tablets will be distributed to the students and trainees involved in undergraduate, postgraduate, diploma, technical education, health education, ITI, and skill development programmes. This will not only benefit students to complete their studies more effectively, but also benefit them for employment, self-employment, and various government and non-government schemes, the official press release adds.

The scheme began in 2021-22, under which tablets and smartphones have been distributed to 60 lakh students so far. Consequently, the purchase of 25 lakh tablets is estimated to cost Rs 3,000 crore.

Furthermore, the state’s higher education minister Yogendra Upadhyay informed that the establishment of the new private university has been taken under the provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Private Universities Act, 2019. He added that the Act ensures a proper framework for the establishment, regulation, and operation of private universities.