Free bus rides, bicycles for girls, laptops for toppers: What Delhi Budget offers students | Delhi News
Delhi’s 2026-27 budget, totaling ₹1.03 lakh crore, prioritizes student welfare with free bicycles for 1.3 lakh girls and laptops for meritorious students
NEW DELHI: From free bicycles for schoolgirls to laptops for meritorious students, the Delhi government’s 2026-27 budget places a strong focus on student welfare, with major allocations aimed at improving access to education and digital learning. Presenting a Rs 1.03 lakh crore budget in the Assembly, a 3.7% increase over last year, chief minister Rekha Gupta described it as a “green budget”, with over 21% (Rs 22,236 crore) earmarked for environmental initiatives. Among the key student-centric measures, around 1.3 lakh Class IX girls in government schools will be provided free bicycles, with Rs 90 crore allocated for the scheme. The government has also set aside Rs 10 crore to distribute laptops to meritorious students, aimed at boosting digital access and academic performance. The education sector received the highest allocation at over Rs 19,000 crore, including Rs 200 crore for new school buildings, Rs 275 crore for expansion, Rs 150 crore for smart classrooms and Rs 720 crore for technical education, underlining a push to strengthen infrastructure and learning outcomes. Beyond direct student schemes, the budget expands welfare measures that impact families and daily access. A provision of Rs 450 crore has been made for free bus travel for women and transgender persons, easing commuting costs for students and households. Additional schemes include Rs 260 crore for free LPG cylinders and Rs 128 crore for the Lakhpati Beti Yojana. The overall budget outlay stands at Rs 1,03,700 crore, of which Rs 62,550 crore has been allocated for schemes and projects, and Rs 41,150 crore for revenue and capital expenditure. The government expects to mobilise Rs 43,500 crore from GST and Rs 74,000 crore from its own tax revenue, along with support from centrally sponsored schemes and market borrowings. Sector-wise, health has been allocated Rs 13,034 crore, transport and roads Rs 12,613 crore, housing and urban development Rs 11,572 crore, social security Rs 10,537 crore, and water and sanitation Rs 9,000 crore. In infrastructure, Rs 11,266 crore has been earmarked for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Rs 5,921 crore for the Public Works Department and Rs 7,887 crore for urban development. Plans include redevelopment of 750 km of roads and Rs 800 crore for unauthorised colonies. For healthcare, Rs 12,645 crore has been set aside, including Rs 150 crore for ICU and hospital projects, Rs 787 crore for medicines and Rs 202 crore for expansion of the Ayushman scheme. More than 750 new health centres are proposed. The transport sector has been allocated Rs 8,374 crore, with plans to introduce 6,130 electric buses and expand the fleet to 7,500 by 2027. Metro expansion has been given Rs 2,885 crore, alongside Rs 200 crore for the EV policy. To strengthen governance and employment, the government plans to set up 13 mini secretariats, digitise land records and roll out MSME training for 32,000 enterprises, along with new semiconductor and drone policies. Officials said the budget combines student welfare, infrastructure push and environmental priorities, aiming to create a more accessible and future-ready ecosystem for Delhi’s youth.(With agency inputs)
