Guwahati, Nov 8: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said the Centre has invested nearly ₹21,000 crore in the education sector of the Northeast over the past 11 years, alongside major improvements in connectivity.
Speaking during her two-day visit to Assam, Sitharaman laid the foundation stone of the Swahid Kanaklata Barua State University at Bholaguri in Gohpur, Biswanath district. The ₹415-crore institution, spread over 241 acres, will be the state’s first university dedicated to technical and vocational education. It will offer courses in artificial intelligence, cyber-security, blockchain, drones, quantum computing and other emerging technologies, with facilities for 2,000 students and hostels for 1,620.
The minister said more than 850 new schools have been opened in the region since 2014, the first AIIMS has become operational, and over 200 skill development institutes have been launched. Assam alone has added 15 medical colleges and will soon host the Northeast’s second IIM, while South Asia’s largest cancer care centre is under construction in the state.
Sitharaman also highlighted connectivity gains, including 10 new greenfield airports and the addition of Manipur and Meghalaya to India’s railway map.
