Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently underscored the Centre’s heavy investment in the Northeast’s education ecosystem, stating that ₹21,000 crore has been infused into the sector over the past 11 years. 

The announcement came during her two-day visit to Assam, where she laid the foundation stone for the state’s first dedicated technical and vocational university at Bholaguri in Gohpur, Biswanath district.

Named in honour of freedom fighter Kanaklata Barua, the Swahid Kanaklata Barua State University will be developed at a cost of ₹415 crore. 

Spread across 241 acres with a built-up area of 7 lakh square feet, the institution aims to equip students with advanced technical capabilities and foster an innovation-centric learning environment.

Education, skills, and regional capacity get a decisive boost

Citing official data, Sitharaman said the Northeast’s education network has been substantially strengthened since 2014. Over 850 new schools have been set up, the region’s first AIIMS is now operational, and more than 200 new skill development institutes have come online.

She highlighted that the country’s first sports university is being established in the region, while Assam alone has added 15 new medical colleges. 

The state also hosts South Asia’s largest cancer care centre and will soon have the Northeast’s second Indian Institute of Management (IIM).

Sitharaman added that the Centre is working in close coordination with state governments to reinforce an education system aligned with skill-building and high-growth sectors.

Connectivity surge reshaping the Northeast

Alongside the education push, Sitharaman said that connectivity across the region has witnessed unprecedented expansion. In the last 11 years, 10 new Greenfield airports have been built in the Northeast, vastly improving air mobility.

Manipur and Meghalaya have been added to India’s railway map for the first time, marking a milestone in regional integration. The Centre has also accelerated the construction of roads, bridges, and tunnels to link remote districts with major economic corridors.

Honouring Kanaklata Barua’s legacy

The university commemorates Kanaklata Barua, a 17-year-old freedom fighter who led a procession to hoist the national flag during the Quit India Movement and was martyred at Gohpur in 1942. Sitharaman said that while the memorial at the historic Gohpur police station will draw visitors, the university will serve as a “living tribute” that inspires young people through education driven by patriotism and progress.

Centre’s ₹21,000-crore push transforms Northeast education landscape

Sitharaman lays foundation of Assam’s first tech–vocational university, signals rapid rise in skills, connectivity, and regional capacity.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently underscored the Centre’s heavy investment in the Northeast’s education ecosystem, stating that ₹21,000 crore has been infused into the sector over the past 11 years. 

The announcement came during her two-day visit to Assam, where she laid the foundation stone for the state’s first dedicated technical and vocational university at Bholaguri in Gohpur, Biswanath district.

Named in honour of freedom fighter Kanaklata Barua, the Swahid Kanaklata Barua State University will be developed at a cost of ₹415 crore. 

Spread across 241 acres with a built-up area of 7 lakh square feet, the institution aims to equip students with advanced technical capabilities and foster an innovation-centric learning environment.

Education, skills, and regional capacity get a decisive boost

Citing official data, Sitharaman said the Northeast’s education network has been substantially strengthened since 2014. Over 850 new schools have been set up, the region’s first AIIMS is now operational, and more than 200 new skill development institutes have come online.

She highlighted that the country’s first sports university is being established in the region, while Assam alone has added 15 new medical colleges. 

The state also hosts South Asia’s largest cancer care centre and will soon have the Northeast’s second Indian Institute of Management (IIM).

Sitharaman added that the Centre is working in close coordination with state governments to reinforce an education system aligned with skill-building and high-growth sectors.

Connectivity surge reshaping the Northeast

Alongside the education push, Sitharaman said that connectivity across the region has witnessed unprecedented expansion. In the last 11 years, 10 new Greenfield airports have been built in the Northeast, vastly improving air mobility.

Manipur and Meghalaya have been added to India’s railway map for the first time, marking a milestone in regional integration. The Centre has also accelerated the construction of roads, bridges, and tunnels to link remote districts with major economic corridors.

Honouring Kanaklata Barua’s legacy

The university commemorates Kanaklata Barua, a 17-year-old freedom fighter who led a procession to hoist the national flag during the Quit India Movement and was martyred at Gohpur in 1942. Sitharaman said that while the memorial at the historic Gohpur police station will draw visitors, the university will serve as a “living tribute” that inspires young people through education driven by patriotism and progress.

Advanced tech programmes to power future-ready talent

The upcoming institution will offer specialised programmes in emerging technology domains, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, cybersecurity, blockchain, drone and navigation systems, quantum computing, brain–computer interface, IoT, and smart city engineering.

Its campus will house academic blocks for 2,000 students, hostels for 1,620 students, residential quarters, a guest house, and a student facility centre. The project is positioned as a pivotal step toward transforming Assam into a leading education and innovation hub for the Northeast.

The upcoming institution will offer specialised programmes in emerging technology domains, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, cybersecurity, blockchain, drone and navigation systems, quantum computing, brain–computer interface, IoT, and smart city engineering.

Its campus will house academic blocks for 2,000 students, hostels for 1,620 students, residential quarters, a guest house, and a student facility centre. The project is positioned as a pivotal step toward transforming Assam into a leading education and innovation hub for the Northeast.