Short Update
MERITE gets ₹300 crore in 2026–27 Budget
Union Budget 2026-27 sets aside ₹300 crore for MERITE, up from the 2025-26 budget estimate of ₹220 crore, a rise of ₹80 crore (36.36%), according to the Department of Higher Education budget document.
Approved for 2025-26 to 2029-30, MERITE is a Central Sector Scheme with an outlay of ₹4,200 crore, including ₹2,100 crore in World Bank loan assistance. It is expected to support 275 government and government-aided technical institutions and benefit about 7.5 lakh students, as stated in the Cabinet announcement. These are planned targets, not evidence that support has been delivered.