Higher Education Budget: IITs Receive Increased Funding; IIM and IISER Budgets Cut

According to the Ministry of Education’s response in the Lok Sabha, funding for IITs and central universities has increased, while budgetary allocations for IIMs and IISERs have decreased. Here are the full statistics regarding higher education.

The central government is taking several measures to improve student access to the country’s premier higher education institutions and to boost the participation of socially disadvantaged sections. The Ministry of Education informed the Lok Sabha that student enrollment in IITs, IIMs, IISERs, and central universities has risen. However, funding figures reveal a different picture for the various institutions.

How many students are in central universities?

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Education Dr. Sukanta Majumdar stated that, according to AISHE 2023-24, approximately 7.95 lakh students are enrolled in central universities. This includes around 4.11 lakh male and 3.84 lakh female students. Currently, about 1.49 lakh students are studying in IITs, approximately 23,000 in IIMs, and around 11,600 in IISERs.

Which student categories have seen an increase?

According to the Ministry, participation by students from SC, ST, and OBC categories has also increased over the last decade. The share of SC students in these institutions rose from 11% in 2014-15 to 13% in 2023-24. The share of ST students increased from 4% to 5%, and that of OBC students rose from 14% to 20%. The government stated that the objective of NEP 2020 is to provide equal opportunities in higher education to students from all sections of society. In line with this goal, 16 new IIITs, 8 central universities, 8 IIMs, 7 IITs, 2 IISERs, 1 NIT, and 12 AIIMS have been established since 2014.

Increased Funding for IITs

The government also announced the approval of ₹11,828.79 crore under the 2025-26 budget for the expansion of research parks and academic infrastructure across five new IITs. This initiative will create seats for approximately 6,500 additional students. Meanwhile, the 2026-27 budget includes announcements for the development of five university townships and the construction of a girls’ hostel in every district to support female students pursuing STEM education. The government aims to encourage girls to enroll in courses related to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

Funding Trends

A look at the funding figures reveals a consistent increase in allocations for IITs, reaching ₹11,381.21 crore in 2025-26. Allocations for central universities also rose to approximately ₹16,730 crore. Conversely, funding for IIMs dropped from ₹319.40 crore in 2024-25 to ₹278.65 crore in 2025-26—a reduction of approximately ₹40.75 crore. Allocations for IISERs also decreased from ₹1,459.30 crore to ₹1,328.54 crore, marking a reduction of about ₹130.76 crore. While the reduction in budgetary allocations for IIMs and IISERs was noted in a written reply to the Lok Sabha, no specific reason was provided for the decrease.

The Ministry stated that reservation quotas of 15%, 7.5%, and 27% are implemented for SC, ST, and OBC categories, respectively, in central educational institutions. Additionally, efforts are being made to integrate students from economically weaker and socially backward sections into higher education through scholarships, fee concessions, and other support schemes.