PANAJI: The Goa government has allocated ₹2,100 crore for the education sector and made internships mandatory for students to complete their graduation courses. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant presented a revenue surplus budget in the Goa Assembly on Wednesday, offering tax incentives to tourism entrepreneurs establishing starred hotels in rural areas and granting full SGST reimbursement for the first five years to industries investing more than ₹5,000 crore.
The budget has projected Goa’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) at current prices for 2025-26 at ₹1,38,624.86 crore, reflecting a growth rate of 14.27%. It has also estimated Goa’s per capita income at ₹9.69 lakh, indicating a robust and healthy economy.
Sawant announced that internships will become a mandatory component of graduation courses from the upcoming academic year (June 2025). While earmarking ₹2,100 crore for the education sector, he introduced several new initiatives including the phased implementation of internships in different colleges starting from the next academic year.
The government has set a 100% literacy target for the next financial year, aligning with sustainable development goals. Additionally, ₹19.91 crore has been allocated for coding and robotics education under the flagship CM-CARES (Coding and Robotics Education in Schools) scheme. The scheme will establish two centres of excellence and proctored test centres in all 12 talukas of the state.
As part of the CM Skill Development Scheme, the budget has sanctioned an accessory kit worth ₹20,000 for students pursuing courses in apparels, home furnishing, beauty and wellness, agriculture and automobiles under the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) in higher secondary schools.
The government will also provide one laptop per class in all government middle schools and upgrade computer laboratories in these institutions to promote e-learning. Furthermore, building repairs for all schools will be completed before the monsoon season at an estimated cost of ₹200 crore.
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